Vape Not Working? Your 5-Minute Troubleshooting Guide

Every vaper’s gone through it; you go to take a draw from your vape, and nothing happens —no vapour, no throat hit, just disappointment. Before you assume your device is broken, keep in mind that most vape problems have simple fixes that take minutes to solve.

This guide walks you through the most common reasons your vape isn’t working, from dead batteries to connection issues. You’ll learn how to diagnose the problem and get your device firing again without needing special tools or technical knowledge.

Check Basic Power, Lock, and E-Liquid Levels

Let’s start with the most obvious culprits. These three issues cause the vast majority of vape failures, and you can check all of them in under a minute.

• Is it Charged? Plug your device into a charger and watch for the indicator light. A blinking or red light can mean the battery is dead. Give it at least 15-30 minutes of charging time before trying again, even if you don’t see any immediate activity. Even if you charged it yesterday, batteries drain faster than you think when left idle.
• Is it Unlocked? Many reusable vapes have a safety lock feature. Press the power button several times quickly (within 2-3 seconds). You should see the light flash or change colour to confirm the device is now active. If pressing the button does nothing, the device was locked to prevent accidental firing in your pocket.
• Is it Empty? Look through the viewing window on your pod or tank. If the e-liquid level sits below the small cotton holes on the coil, you’re running dry. Some modern devices like the OXVA XLIM Pro 2 DNA Version refuse to fire when the pod is empty to protect the coil from burning. Top up your e-liquid and wait 30 seconds for the cotton to absorb it before vaping.

Why Your Vape Lights Up But No Vapour Comes Out

Your device powers on, the light activates when you press the button or inhale, but you still get nothing. This frustrating scenario points to a connection or coil problem rather than a power issue.

Clean the Contact Points

Grab a cotton swab or tissue. Remove your pod or tank from the device and look at the metal contact points on both pieces. Wipe away any e-liquid, condensation, or dust you see. Even a thin film of liquid can block the electrical connection and stop your vape from firing properly. Loose e-juice can also prevent auto-draw devices from detecting airflow, so this is good regular maintenance.

Replace the Coil

If you taste burnt cotton or your coil is several weeks old with daily use, it’s finished. A dead coil can’t vaporise e-liquid even if your device has power. Unscrew the old coil, screw in a fresh one, fill the tank, and let it sit for 5 minutes before firing. This waiting period lets the cotton inside saturate with liquid.

Check for a Flooded Coil

Do you hear a gurgling or bubbling sound when you inhale? Your coil has too much liquid in it. Remove the tank from your device, wrap a paper towel around the base (where the airflow holes are), and blow firmly through the mouthpiece. This forces the excess liquid out. Wipe everything dry, reassemble, and try again.

Alternatively, try the Flick Trick: grip your device TIGHTLY, so that the pod/tank will remain in place, and flick it hard towards the floor WHILE NOT LETTING GO. This movement will force juice trapped in the coil out of the mouthpiece.

For more tips, read our guide on how to fix a flooded coil.

Reseat the Pod or Tank

Take your pod or tank off the battery completely. Check that nothing is stuck in the connection area, then push it back on firmly. You should feel or hear a small click when it locks into place, or feel it being pulled in by a magnetic connection. A loose connection is one of the most common reasons a vape won’t hit, and reseating fixes it a lot of the time.

How to Fix a Vape Pod Not Hitting: A 3-Step Checklist

Pod systems have a reputation for connection problems because the pod sits on top of the battery rather than screwing in. These three steps address the most common pod-specific issues.

Push the Pod Down

While inhaling, use your thumb to gently press down on the pod. If you suddenly get vapour, your pod isn’t making proper contact with the battery. The magnets or clips that hold the pod in place may have weakened over time. You can keep using the device this way, but consider replacing it soon.

Clean Pod Contacts

Pop the pod out and inspect the flat metal contacts on the bottom. Wipe them with a dry cloth or cotton swab to remove any condensation, e-liquid, or residue. Do the same for the contact points inside the device where the pod sits. Dirt here creates a barrier that stops power from flowing.

Check the Device Pins

Look inside the battery where your pod connects. You should see small spring-loaded pins that touch the pod’s contacts. If these pins look stuck in the down position, they can’t make contact. Gently nudge them with a toothpick (no metal objects) to see if they spring back up. Don’t force them or you’ll cause permanent damage.

Preventative Maintenance to Keep Your Vape Working

A little routine care prevents most of the problems in this guide from happening in the first place. Add these habits to your weekly routine.

• Clean the connection points on your device and tank or pod at least once a week. Use a dry cotton swab or soft cloth. This prevents e-liquid residue from building up and blocking the electrical connection.
• Avoid letting your e-liquid level drop below the coil’s wicking holes. Those small openings on the side of the coil need to stay submerged in liquid. When they’re exposed to air, you get dry hits that burn the cotton and ruin the coil.
• Turn your device off before putting it in a pocket or bag. Five quick clicks of the power button usually switches it off. This stops the device from firing accidentally and burning through your coil or draining your battery while you’re not using it.
• Don’t over-tighten tanks when you screw them onto your battery. Hand-tight is enough. Forcing it too tight can damage the threading or crush the silicone seal, which leads to leaks and connection problems over time.

When to Replace Your Vape: Signs It’s Beyond Repair

There are some clear signs of hardware failure you should take into account when inspecting a potentially faulty vape kit:

• Won’t charge at all – tried multiple cables, multiple outlets, nothing
• Multiple cables tested – USB-C, wall adapter, computer port – all dead
• Auto-fires constantly – hits by itself, major fire/burn risk
• Screen permanently dead – even after overnight charging
• Visible cracks in battery casing – compromised battery = danger
• Gets dangerously hot – not warm, but “I need to put this down NOW” hot
• Buttons physically broken – stuck down, fallen inside, or snapped off
• Leaking from internal seals – juice inside the electronics/battery area
• Burnt taste won’t go away – new coil, proper priming, still tastes bad
• Corroded battery contacts – crusty buildup that won’t clean off

It’s not just hardware failures that can raise frustration levels when using a kit. Some vapers stop vaping entirely simply because the device they’re using is geared towards their needs in quite the right way, and they don’t know what to look for. For instance:

• Frequently forgetting to charge the battery – Consider switching from an internal battery kit to one that takes external rechargeable batteries. This way you can always carry a spare!
• Lack of satisfying hits – Perhaps you need to upgrade from a featureless pod kit to one with adjustable power and wattage. This will let you explore a power output range so that you can find your sweet spot.
• Not quite quenching your cravings – This is more likely to be an issue with nicotine strength, try the next step up and see if that improves things.
• Painful inhales – You might be using freebase e-liquid instead of nic salts. Give nic salts a try, they’re far smoother to inhale.

There are also other suggestions for different types of kits you may not have considered that might just solve whatever issues you’re running into frequently.

• Button annoyance – A lot of smokers find having to press a button to get their hit frustrating. Look into devices with auto-draw/draw-activation.
• Fragility – Keep dropping and breaking your vape? Look into devices which boast ‘IP67/IP68’ protections, as these are MUCH more durable.

Conclusion

When your vape stops working, the cause is almost always a dead battery, a poor connection, an empty tank, or a burnt coil. Work through the troubleshooting steps in order, starting with the simplest checks first. Most problems take less than five minutes to identify and fix.

Regular cleaning is your best defence against future issues. Wipe down your connection points weekly, keep your tank filled above the coil holes, and lock your device when you’re not using it. These small habits will keep your vape firing reliably and extend the life of both your device and your coils.