Vape Pen Stopped Working? Here’s How to Fix It Fast

Nothing’s more frustrating than a dead vape pen when you need it most. Before you toss it and grab another one, try these quick fixes that work.

Written by the Puff Prism team – Canada’s largest cannabis vape retailer, with over 500 tested products in our first year of operation. Last Updated: June 11, 2025

Your vape pen was working perfectly yesterday, and now it’s giving you nothing but disappointment. We understand that this happens to the best of us, and it’s incredibly frustrating when you’ve spent good money on something that stops working.

The good news? Most vape pen issues have simple solutions you can try right now. After Dave and our team personally tested over 500 cannabis vape products across Canada in our first year, we’ve seen these exact failures dozens of times. Here’s what works.

Before diving into fixes, let’s figure out what’s happening. In our experience, troubleshooting customer issues, here are the most common problems:

No vapour at all? It could be a dead battery (in 60% of cases), clogged airflow (in 25% of cases), or a connection issue (in 15% of cases). 

Weak hits? Typically, airflow or battery-related issues are observed, especially with lower-priced disposables. 

Burnt taste? Your coil might be done, or you’re hitting it too hard. 

Blinking lights? Your pen is trying to tell you something specific; each brand has its unique pattern.

Success Rate: 70% for battery-related problems

For Rechargeable Pens:

• Plug it in for at least 30 minutes, even if you think it’s charged
• Try a different charging cable – we’ve seen cheap cables fail constantly, especially with brands like STLTH and Kolab
• Clean the charging port with a dry cotton swab (Canadian winter lint gets everywhere)
• Look for a small reset button and press it while charging

For Disposables:

• Sometimes they’re not dead, try taking slower, gentler draws
• Warm it up in your hands for a minute (Canadian cold weather kills battery performance faster than manufacturers expect)
• Tap it gently on a hard surface to redistribute the oil

Real Example: One customer contacted us after their week-old Greybeard disposable stopped working. After warming it up from -20°C car storage, it worked perfectly again.

Success Rate: 85% for airflow problems

Clogged airflow is the second most common culprit, especially with high-viscosity live resin cartridges:

• Remove the mouthpiece and blow through it firmly
• Use a paperclip or toothpick to clear any visible blockages
• For disposables, try covering the airflow holes with your finger while taking a draw, then release

Brand-Specific Tip: We’ve noticed that Redecan cartridges are particularly prone to airflow issues due to their thicker oil consistency; however, this technique works approximately 9 out of 10 times.

Pro tip from our testing: If you can’t draw air through it easily, your vape definitely can’t either.

Success Rate: 80% when properly diagnosed

This one’s sneaky but fixable, especially common with 510-thread cartridges:

• Unscrew your cartridge and screw it back on (hand-tight only – we’ve seen dozens of stripped threads from overtightening)
• Clean the connection points with a cotton swab and 99% isopropyl alcohol
• Check if the connection pin is pushed down – gently pull it up with tweezers if needed

Safety Warning: Never attempt to open, modify, or disassemble disposable vapes or rechargeable batteries. Following Health Canada’s cannabis product guidelines, tampering with sealed units can create safety hazards and void any warranty protection.

Operating exclusively in the Canadian cannabis market, we’ve seen how our climate affects vape performance differently than what you’ll read in US-based guides:

• If it’s been in temperatures below 0°C, let it warm to room temperature for 15-20 minutes before using
• Store vapes upright when possible to prevent leaking (especially important for cartridges)
• Avoid leaving them in hot cars or direct sunlight
• Winter car storage can kill batteries in hours, not days

Canadian Climate Reality: We’ve tracked performance data and found vapes stored below -10°C have a 40% higher failure rate than those kept at room temperature.

Here’s the truth from our year of testing: sometimes your vape is just done. If you’ve tried everything above and it’s still not working, it’s probably time to move on.

Red flags that mean it’s dead:

• The charging light never comes on after trying multiple cables
• Visible cracks or damage to the housing
• Leaking oil that won’t stop (safety issue)
• Completely blocked airflow that won’t clear after 10 minutes of work

Industry Reality Check: Based on our testing data, approximately 15% of disposable vapes have manufacturing defects that can’t be resolved through troubleshooting. It’s frustrating, but it’s why we only stock brands that consistently test well.

After testing over 500 different vape products, we’ve noticed some brands and types are way more reliable than others. Cheap vapes almost always have the same failure points, and knowing what to avoid can save you a lot of frustration and money.

The reality is that not all vapes are built the same. Some manufacturers cut corners on batteries, and others skimp on quality control. We’ve documented failure rates across different price points:

• Under $25: 25% failure rate
• $25-50: 12% failure rate
• Over $50: 6% failure rate

That’s why we only stock products our team has tested and would use ourselves. Every product on Puff Prism has been through our hands first.

Based on our year of testing and customer feedback:

• Don’t overtighten cartridges (hand-tight is enough – we’ve replaced dozens of stripped batteries)
• Keep your vape clean – a quick wipe-down prevents most connection issues
• Store them properly (upright, room temperature, away from keys and coins)
• Don’t chain-vape – give it 3-5 seconds between hits to prevent overheating
• In Canadian winters, keep them inside your jacket, not in your car

From our extensive testing, here are the quirks we’ve noticed:

• FIGR: Connection pins tend to get pushed down – gentle adjustment usually fixes it 
• Greybeard: Cold-sensitive batteries – always warm to room temperature first 
• Redecan: Thick oil can clog airflow – the finger-cover technique works best 
• Kolab: Charging cables fail frequently – try a different cable first

If none of these fixes worked, you might be dealing with a defective product. It happens more often than it should, especially with cheaper vapes.

For disposables, there’s not much more you can do – knowing when to troubleshoot versus just replacing it can save you time and frustration.

If you bought from Puff Prism, contact us immediately at [support email]. We track all product issues and work with manufacturers to improve quality. Your feedback helps us decide which products stay in our lineup.

If you’re tired of dealing with unreliable vapes, we get it. That’s precisely why we started Puff Prism: to provide Canadians with access to properly tested, high-quality vape products that work when they need them.

Need a replacement? Explore our comprehensive selection of tested vape pens or browse our staff-recommended disposables. Our team has thoroughly tested every product on our site, so you know what you’re getting is effective.

About This Guide: This troubleshooting guide is based on real-world testing of over 500 cannabis vape products and customer support data from Puff Prism’s first year serving Canadian cannabis consumers. Information is updated regularly to reflect new products and emerging issues.