The basic 510-thread battery is one of the most fundamental items in all of vaping. You need a 510 battery if you want to use pre-filled vape cartridges, so they’re available in virtually every vape shop and dispensary in the world. They’re even available in many gas stations and convenience stores – and 510 batteries have been refined so much over the years that you can generally expect them to provide many months of problem-free service.
Since a 510-thread battery is so reliable, though, it can come as quite a shock to you if your battery doesn’t do anything when you try to vape. After all, when you’re using such a simple device, it may not even be immediately clear what there is to troubleshoot – especially if you’re using a puff-activated battery with no buttons.
So, do you have a vape battery that isn’t working correctly? If so, you’re in the right place. There are actually several things that you can try if you have a 510-thread battery that isn’t firing, and we’ll walk you through them in this guide.
Turn the Battery On
If you have a vape battery with a manual fire button, the first thing that you should do if the battery isn’t working is make sure that it’s turned on. With most button-activated batteries, you can turn your device on and off by pressing the fire button five times. When you do that, your device’s light should blink. If your battery heats up at this point, you’re all set – you can continue vaping as normal.
Charge the Battery
If your battery’s light doesn’t blink when you press the button five times – or if you’re not using a button-activated battery – the next thing you should do is confirm that the battery is fully charged. Connect the battery to your computer with the included cable, and the battery’s light should illuminate. When the light changes color or turns off, the battery is fully charged and should now work normally.
If your 510-thread battery doesn’t light up when you connect it to the charging cable, the battery isn’t charging. In this case, you’ll need to do a little troubleshooting to figure out what the problem is. Follow these three steps if your 510-thread battery isn’t charging.
- Replace the charging cable. When a vape battery doesn’t charge, the USB cable is almost always at fault.
- Check the charging port. If dust or lint is stuck in your battery’s charging port, you can remove it with a toothpick.
- Connect the battery to your computer and not to a wall charger. A wall charger may not deliver the same type of current as a computer’s USB port, and that can cause a vape battery not to charge.
Clean the Threading
In order for a 510-thread battery to heat up, the pin in the center of the battery’s threading needs to make solid contact with the pin at the bottom of the connected cartridge. That can only happen if the threading is clean. If your battery’s threading is dirty because a cartridge has leaked, that could be the reason why the battery isn’t working. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and use it to dissolve the oil. After cleaning the battery’s threading, use a dry cotton swab to remove any remaining moisture and try using the battery again.
Check for a Clogged Cartridge
When you try to use your battery, does the cartridge make a hissing sound even though no vapor is coming out? If that’s the case, it’s likely that your cartridge is clogged. Vape cartridges are typically filled with very thick oils, and in a cool environment, the oil may have difficulty absorbing into the cartridge’s ceramic wick. When this happens, the solution is usually fairly simple – you just need to unclog the cartridge. You can do this in two steps.
- First, try inhaling through the cartridge. Does the cartridge have smooth airflow, or do you find it difficult to draw air through it? If it’s difficult for you to inhale through the cartridge, oil may have condensed and hardened inside the cartridge’s center air tube. To fix it, take a paperclip and straighten it. Run the straightened end of the paperclip through the cartridge’s mouthpiece and see if you can feel a blockage. Break through the blockage and try vaping again. You’ll probably find that your vape battery now works.
- If air flows smoothly through the cartridge, it’s likely that the oil isn’t absorbing into the cartridge’s wick because it’s too cold and viscous. The easiest way to fix this issue is by holding the cartridge between your hands for several minutes. In most cases, the warmth of your skin will be more than sufficient to get the oil flowing. If that doesn’t work, you can also seal the cartridge in a zip-top bag and place it under warm running water. Whichever method you’ll choose, you’ll know that it’s working if you see tiny bubbles forming around the wick openings at the bottom of the cartridge. Wait a while for the wick to become saturated with oil and try vaping again.
Try a Different Cartridge
If you’ve tried all of the tips in this article and are still unable to get your 510-thread battery to work, it’s likely that an equipment failure of some kind has occurred. To troubleshoot the problem further, you’ll need to identify the faulty component – it’s either the battery or the cartridge.
Because vape cartridges are manufactured very cheaply, the most likely scenario is that the cartridge is damaged – possibly from being dropped on a hard surface – or has a manufacturing defect. This is especially likely to be the case if your battery blinks every time you try to vape even though it’s fully charged. Try replacing the cartridge with a new one. If you’re able to vape, the cartridge that you were trying to use must have had a problem. If your battery still doesn’t heat up, it’s likely that you need to replace the battery.