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LE PETIT DEPANNEUR: My Box Displays No Atomizer, Check Ato, Atomizer Low

02/16/2024 / Beginners Corner , SOS VAPE

You're getting ready to vape, and your e-cigarette throws up an error message: "check coil", "atomizer low", "battery short"… Who hasn't seen one of these messages pop up on their e-cigarette screen at some point?

Is there any reason to worry? Not necessarily! Before sending your kit off to after-sales service, or even thinking about throwing the whole thing in the bin, here are a few useful tips and solutions worth trying first.

So, if your box suddenly starts displaying "No atomizer", "Check Atomizer" or "Atomizer Low" and refuses to fire, this is, in most cases, a connection issue between the atomiser (or cartridge, clearomiser, rebuildable atomiser) and the box (or battery).

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My E-Cigarette Says "Atomizer Low"

This message is flagging that the coil you're using has too low a resistance. Always make sure you're using a coil that's fully compatible with your kit.

Sub-ohm coils (under 1 ohm) don't work with every battery. This can cause the battery to switch into protection mode, which is why this message appears on screen.
Sub-ohm coils (under 1 ohm) are only suitable for boxes or batteries capable of delivering more than 30W.
If your box or battery is capable of delivering more than 30W, the "Atomizer Low" message could still appear if your clearomiser has been screwed on too tightly.

This means your box or battery's spring-loaded connector pin has been pushed in and stayed stuck.

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You'll need to coax it back up so it makes proper contact with the clearomiser again.

Grab a small metal pin or similar pointed tool.
With the box or battery switched off, press the pin to check it slides smoothly along its track (going down when pressed, and springing back up when released).
If it seems stuck, try wiggling it gently from side to side. The aim is simply to free it up so it returns to its original position and regains its spring.

"Check Coil" Error Message

When a message such as "check coil" or "No coil detected" appears on the screen of your mod, it means there's an issue with your coil. This usually points to a poor connection between your coil and your mod's battery, or to the battery simply failing to detect it. Your e-cigarette will then switch into safety mode, preventing you from vaping. You'll need to check that your coil is properly fitted into the atomiser. When a coil is too worn, the resistive wire inside it can become damaged and eventually break, causing a short circuit, which means your battery can no longer detect it. If that's the case, the solution is simply to replace your coil with a new one.

My E-Cigarette Says Check Atomizer / No Atomizer / Atomizer Short

This message appears when your e-cigarette can't detect the clearomiser (or coil).

The first thing to check when your e-cigarette displays "Check Atomizer", "No Atomizer" or "Atomizer Short" is whether the connection between your box or battery and your clearomiser is properly made. On a box, the connector, known as 510, is generally a small spring-loaded pin. This connector needs to be making contact with the one on your atomiser. No contact, no vape. As an e-cigarette runs, its materials can expand and shift slightly under the heat produced, and sometimes it takes very little for that mechanical connection to be knocked loose.

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With cartridge-based pods, you'll need to clean every part that makes contact (the cartridge and the battery).

On the box side, the connector needs cleaning too, simply using a paper towel. Check whether the connector pin is sitting in its normal position.

Unscrew the atomiser.
Clean the box's connector pin, along with the threading, using a cotton bud or a twisted piece of absorbent paper (e-liquid may have leaked out through the clearomiser's airflow and be the cause of the fault).
Gently lift the e-cigarette's central pin using a small metal pin or similar tool (the connection between the box and battery may not be making proper contact, which could be the root of the problem).
All that's left to do is screw the atomiser back on.