Just yesterday someone posted that their new V3 shut off and they couldn't turn it back on. Then magically later, it was able to be turned on.
I never heard of Vamos doing that, but that night I went to take a vape, and my V3 had turned itself off. 5-clicks and I was back in business. Thought it was strange, but forgot about it.
Then this afternoon, same thing. Took a vape, put it down.... typing typing typing... pick it back up and 'doh! It's off. 5-clicks and it's back on.
So Googled and found that Vamos (V2s too) turning off randomly have been an ongoing problem for some. If it happens occasionally, no big deal, but some people found it happening after every few vapes.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Just like a Windows problem, there can be many different reasons
but these seem to be the top ones to eliminate or explore:
1. Older V2s had a weaker spring on the end cap which sometimes failed to keep the batt pushed up against the top contact. Some people stretched the spring so it would apply more pressure and make better contact (also gets rid of rattle) and others replaced the older style spring with the newer, stronger spring.
2. If the batt falls below 3.2v the Vamo is designed to prevent firing so the batt does not get over-depleted. Some people suggested even if a batt is at 3.4v or higher, a quick dip resulting from various circumstances could shut the Vamo down. Others say it only stops firing at 3.2v but won't shut off and that shouldn't be the cause. For whatever reasons some people notice it only happens when a batt is leaning toward 3.4v ... others said it happened at 3.6v.
In my case the first time it happened (using EFEST 18650 2000mah from RTD Vapor, 2 mo old), the batt was at 3.58v. Today when it happened it was shortly after putting a fresh batt in (not the same batt, but the same make/model/type purchased at the same time) and the batt was at 4.0v. In my case I think it has zero to do with the batts, and my spring is the new one [V3], and there is no rattle in my Vamo. It's got good contact.
3. (EDITED to add this): Forgot that many people suggested the old "ohms" fix... replacing the stock grommet or gasket that sits under the pin on the mod to raise it up some and keep it from dipping too low to make contact with the attached device. (I have never personally had this problem.) But the Vamo shouldn't turn off even with no device on it, so I don't see how this is a fix for the particular problem of the Vamo randomly shutting itself off.
4. A few folks on another forum said they saw an 02 code or "flashing" before it turned off. (I personally wasn't looking at my Vamo.) They dissected a V2 (GREAT PICS) http://allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/thread/22174/vamo-fault-code-top-overheating and found that the black, negative ground wire is attached to the top cap by a screw that has a plop of solder over it. The screw was loose and so the ground was intermittently losing connection. They cleaned up the screw/connection with good success. Others followed and many found their ground wires to be equally compromised in one way or another. This also reportedly fixed a problem where the top overheats when vaping, which has happened to me when chain vaping, but I thought it was b/c I was chain vaping... now I wonder if it's the neg ground wire. Regardless, AFAIC this seems to be the most promising culprit and fix, notwithstanding poor batt contact.
This topic was previously discussed at ECF here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/453585-vamo-turns-itself-off.html and here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/414602-vamo-shutting-itself-off.html .
I don't plan on taking my V3 apart unless this gets worse and starts happening all the time, or until I see someone else successfully take the V3 cap off. (So Vicflo if you are reading this, please remember to take pics when you take your V5 cap off again as it would be great to see pics of the ground wire in a V3-style top.)
Also one other interesting thing in the above linked threads... apparently the Vamo is made by more than one manufacturer and there was some conjecture as to the problematic ones being made by KSD/Rainbow but I didn't see the other manuf(s) mentioned by name... or missed it. And can't tell how you find out what manuf made your Vamo. There is nothing in my V3 'manual' as to the manuf, nothing stamped on the V3 itself, and no manuf listed on the Vamo's box. A "certificate" of quality control was included but no name.
I never heard of Vamos doing that, but that night I went to take a vape, and my V3 had turned itself off. 5-clicks and I was back in business. Thought it was strange, but forgot about it.
Then this afternoon, same thing. Took a vape, put it down.... typing typing typing... pick it back up and 'doh! It's off. 5-clicks and it's back on.
So Googled and found that Vamos (V2s too) turning off randomly have been an ongoing problem for some. If it happens occasionally, no big deal, but some people found it happening after every few vapes.
WHY IT HAPPENS
Just like a Windows problem, there can be many different reasons
but these seem to be the top ones to eliminate or explore:1. Older V2s had a weaker spring on the end cap which sometimes failed to keep the batt pushed up against the top contact. Some people stretched the spring so it would apply more pressure and make better contact (also gets rid of rattle) and others replaced the older style spring with the newer, stronger spring.
2. If the batt falls below 3.2v the Vamo is designed to prevent firing so the batt does not get over-depleted. Some people suggested even if a batt is at 3.4v or higher, a quick dip resulting from various circumstances could shut the Vamo down. Others say it only stops firing at 3.2v but won't shut off and that shouldn't be the cause. For whatever reasons some people notice it only happens when a batt is leaning toward 3.4v ... others said it happened at 3.6v.
In my case the first time it happened (using EFEST 18650 2000mah from RTD Vapor, 2 mo old), the batt was at 3.58v. Today when it happened it was shortly after putting a fresh batt in (not the same batt, but the same make/model/type purchased at the same time) and the batt was at 4.0v. In my case I think it has zero to do with the batts, and my spring is the new one [V3], and there is no rattle in my Vamo. It's got good contact.
3. (EDITED to add this): Forgot that many people suggested the old "ohms" fix... replacing the stock grommet or gasket that sits under the pin on the mod to raise it up some and keep it from dipping too low to make contact with the attached device. (I have never personally had this problem.) But the Vamo shouldn't turn off even with no device on it, so I don't see how this is a fix for the particular problem of the Vamo randomly shutting itself off.
4. A few folks on another forum said they saw an 02 code or "flashing" before it turned off. (I personally wasn't looking at my Vamo.) They dissected a V2 (GREAT PICS) http://allaboute-cigarettes.proboards.com/thread/22174/vamo-fault-code-top-overheating and found that the black, negative ground wire is attached to the top cap by a screw that has a plop of solder over it. The screw was loose and so the ground was intermittently losing connection. They cleaned up the screw/connection with good success. Others followed and many found their ground wires to be equally compromised in one way or another. This also reportedly fixed a problem where the top overheats when vaping, which has happened to me when chain vaping, but I thought it was b/c I was chain vaping...
now I wonder if it's the neg ground wire. Regardless, AFAIC this seems to be the most promising culprit and fix, notwithstanding poor batt contact.This topic was previously discussed at ECF here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/453585-vamo-turns-itself-off.html and here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/vamo/414602-vamo-shutting-itself-off.html .
I don't plan on taking my V3 apart unless this gets worse and starts happening all the time, or until I see someone else successfully take the V3 cap off.
(So Vicflo if you are reading this, please remember to take pics when you take your V5 cap off again as it would be great to see pics of the ground wire in a V3-style top.)Also one other interesting thing in the above linked threads... apparently the Vamo is made by more than one manufacturer and there was some conjecture as to the problematic ones being made by KSD/Rainbow but I didn't see the other manuf(s) mentioned by name... or missed it. And can't tell how you find out what manuf made your Vamo. There is nothing in my V3 'manual' as to the manuf, nothing stamped on the V3 itself, and no manuf listed on the Vamo's box. A "certificate" of quality control was included but no name.
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