New to vaping. Need help with Nautilus...PLEASE!

[jeanbird]

Hi guys...

I'm very new to vaping. Just bought my first set up last week. It's the Nautilus tank and the Eleaf mini iStick. It worked pretty well for the first couple of days and then I kept getting dry hits and the burnt taste. I went online to see what it could be and most of what I saw was saying the coil probably went bad. So I figured i'd change the coil. So I did yesterday...after watching youtube videos of how to do it and how to prime the coil. So I primed the coil with some drops directly on it and taking a couple primer hits. It worked ok for maybe the first 10 pulls and now I'm getting the same thing. I'm super frustrated, to say the least. I'm ready to go buy a pack of cigarettes (really don't want to). Am I not setting the voltage right? I have the 1.8 ohm coil in now and have tried setting it between 3.7 and 4.3. On the lower voltage I can sometimes get a decent pull out of it, but rarely. Any help, suggestions, tips you guys could give me would be awesome! I absolutely love it when it's working well! Thanks in advance, guys!

 

[Faceless Vapes]

That is such a pain in the ass, and I hope this doesn't turn you away from vaping. It saved my life!

Hmmm. The 1.8ohm coil should be able to handle that voltage without a problem. I would recommend changing the atomizer inside the tank to a new on. Filling your tank up. Let it sit for just a little bit and then when you hit it the first time, just don't hold it down to long. If you singe that cotton in there it's going to have that butt flavor forever, so just slowly break it in with short pulls then it should be fine once it is wicking good.

 

[vuJim]

That sounds odd, @jeanbird. A Nautilus tank with a 1.8 ohm coil should be able to easily handle 4.3V. That's only 10 watts. That's nothing. Heck, my little Kanger Mini Protank 3 comes alive at 20W.

What kind of juice? It wouldn't happen to be a really thick max VG juice, would it?

 

[Faceless Vapes]

That sounds odd, @jeanbird. A Nautilus tank with a 1.8 ohm coil should be able to easily handle 4.3V. That's only 10 watts. That's nothing. Heck, my little Kanger Mini Protank 3 comes alive at 20W.

What kind of juice? It wouldn't happen to be a really thick max VG juice, would it?

This could be a problem as well. The thicker VG juices have trouble wicking in those types of tanks.

 

[jeanbird]

Thanks for the replies! I'm not sure what kind of juice it is to be honest. I got it at a local vape store and it was the house juice. It is pretty dark and kinda thick though. Maybe I should try a different juice? And I know this is a silly question, but the atomizer is the same thing as the coil, correct? So I should change it again? Should I prime it with the drops directly on it again? Or just let it sit? Seriously, thank you guys so much for all of your help!

 

[Neunerball]

I assume, as @vuJim and @Faceless Vapes already mentioned, your e-liquid might be too thick for this tank (too much VG). You could try thinning the liquid with a view drops of (real) distilled water.

 

[Faceless Vapes]

Do you know if the coils are cotton? The older coils suck. The newer ones have large holes and you can see cotton.
http://sweet-vapes.com/aspire-bvc-coils.html# compare and let us know.
I only find dirty juices (eliquid that has too much sweetener or additives).
I have run 95% vg through my nautilus without problems.

Sweetener = Coil Death!

 

[Time]

I've been using the Nautilus exclusively for 14 months or so.

So, others are correct, make sure your juice is around a 50/50 blend. High VG won't wick well. Also, I think maybe you didn't wait long enough after you put the new coil in. When I put a new coil in, I always wait about twenty minutes. I shake the tank and look for bubbles to come out from the bottom and float to the top. Putting a couple drops down the drip tip does help but if you vaped too early then your first few hits are just using up those drops.

Once primed and vaping okay, you can see if the coil is wicking well by watching for bubbles. After a vape, just watch the juice in the tank. Hold the tank upright and watch for a bubble to float to the top.

My coils last for around 45mls of juice. It depends on the juice and coil. Some only last through 30mls and some will go through 120mls.

 

[jeanbird]

Thanks again guys....

The coils I have look like the ones with the smaller holes. Both of my parents have the same exact set up and theirs are both working fine. I changed the coil (again) today, after running warm water through the tank and letting it completely air dry. I used juice that I know is working properly in my mother's. I put a few drops on the coil and let it sit for about 25 mins before taking the first pull. I started on 3.7 V and I'm still getting dry hits (taking short pulls like you said). I don't want to go higher and burn out another coil. Also, I'm not getting air bubbles after I take a pull on it. Could this be a bad tank?

 

[Time]

I'm at a loss. Not sure what the problem is. Usually a bad tank will leak/flood, not get dry hits. It still sounds like you have a wicking issue.

I have had coils that didn't like to start wicking. Sometimes it takes a bit of work to get them started but usually not a couple coils in a row and once they start wicking they work well enough.

If I'm not getting bubbles I put my finger over the air hole(plug it) and blow into the drip tip, forcing air(bubbles) into the tank. And I shake the crap out of it.

You can also put the tank in the fridge(cold) for ten minutes or so until it's cold and then pull it out and warm it up. This should cause the tank to flood. Going from cold to warm will expand the juice and force it into the coil.

I don't know about the new cotton wicking, I haven't used the new coils. But all my authentic coils have smaller holes and my clone coils have all had the larger holes. I haven't had much issues with either. I have heard the cotton wicks on the new coils suck but I don't have personal experience.

Anyway, you might need to get a different batch of coils and try those before replacing the tank. A bad tank should leak and/or flood. Bad coils will give you dry hits.

 

[jeanbird]

Time,

Thanks for the reply again.

Here's something weird...when I plugged the air hole and blew into it, I didn't get any air bubbles. I did when I shook the hell out of it, but not when blowing into it. I had the same dry hitting situation. So then I just tried putting the tank in the fridge then letting it warm up. I left it slightly tilted over a paper towel and I did get some drainage out of the air hole. Right now I have it at 4.0 and I'm getting some gurgling and tasting some juice but no vapor

 

[vuJim]

@jeanbird: Is it possible you don't have authentic Nautilus coils?

The gurgling indicates you have juice in the chimney--where only air and vapour are supposed to be. You'll need to take it apart and clear the juice out of there.

This whole thing is just plain odd. Aspire Nautilus tanks, particularly with their new 1.8Ω BVC coils are about as fool-proof as can be, from all I've seen & read.

 

[jeanbird]

VuJim,

I agree...I'm completely baffled and beyond frustrated! Like I said, I bought the exact set ups for my parents also and they work fantastic. And normally I'd just think that it was something I did wrong, but I'm the one that put them together for them. I have only used the coils that came in the box with the tank, so I'd assume they're authentic. So annoying. I'm gonna go back to the store I got them from tomorrow. You guys have been extremely helpful but I don't know what else to do anymore

 

[jeanbird]

Just an update....I kept shaking the hell out of the tank (I figured if nothing else, it would relieve some frustration) and set the air flow to the smallest one and I'm finally getting some decent pulls. Still not as much as the other nautilus tanks in the family, but at least I can get my fix for now. Still gonna go to the vape store tomorrow. I'm probably gonna pick up another tank. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'm really happy with the way my parents' nautilus' work, but I'm disappointed with mine, so I'm torn. P.S. - not sure if you guys are in the states, but Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[stevegmu]

If you got them from a B&M, there is a good chance they are factory seconds/'clones'...

 

[jeanbird]

So you suggest ordering the coils online?

 

[stevegmu]

So you suggest ordering the coils online?

I'd never buy anything from a B&M, unless they have an online presence and are authorized re-sellers. If not, they probably just buy fakes or factory seconds from Fastech..
I've gone through about 20 Nautilus coils without issues...

 

[vuJim]

I'd say it depends upon the B&M. I've been in... four, in my area. Two are tobacco shops that also sell vaping and other gear, the other two were purely vape shops. One of the vape shops seemed a bit seedy, to me. The other was in a low-rent building, but the guys there were cool and their merchandise all appeared to be the Real Deal. They make juice, there, too.

The two tobacconists were clean, orderly, well-run stores. All run by knowledgeable, friendly staff. One of them has quite a significant selection, the other: Not so much. I'd be surprised, very surprised, if either of them were selling non-authentic gear.

But something weird is going on with jeanbird, and no mistake. I, myself, suspect she's not been getting The Real Deal.

 

[Time]

Time,

Thanks for the reply again.

Here's something weird...when I plugged the air hole and blew into it, I didn't get any air bubbles. I did when I shook the hell out of it, but not when blowing into it. I had the same dry hitting situation. So then I just tried putting the tank in the fridge then letting it warm up. I left it slightly tilted over a paper towel and I did get some drainage out of the air hole. Right now I have it at 4.0 and I'm getting some gurgling and tasting some juice but no vapor

If it's gurgling it's flooded. At this point you want to cover the tip with a paper towel or something, hold the tank upside down and fling the extra juice out. Then just vape until you start getting good hits.

 

[Time]

Just an update....I kept shaking the hell out of the tank (I figured if nothing else, it would relieve some frustration) and set the air flow to the smallest one and I'm finally getting some decent pulls. Still not as much as the other nautilus tanks in the family, but at least I can get my fix for now. Still gonna go to the vape store tomorrow. I'm probably gonna pick up another tank. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'm really happy with the way my parents' nautilus' work, but I'm disappointed with mine, so I'm torn. P.S. - not sure if you guys are in the states, but Happy Thanksgiving!

Yeah, the flooding(gurgling) means the coil is wicking now. It should keep getting better while the extra juice from flooding is getting used up. I always just stay patient and vape through a flooded coil. This time of year it happens allot when I come in from out in the cold.

 

[Time]

So you suggest ordering the coils online?

Where ever your parents are getting coils should be fine. They are working great for them, right?

The only advantage to ordering online is price.

 

[vuJim]

@jeanbird: Just picked up a Nautilus Mini for my wife. Juiced it with a 70/30 juice we both like. Let it sit for a few minutes. Carefully hit it. Bumped the voltage up and tried again. Kept bumping it up, tasting for burning. Never happened. First few vapes that produced much vapour had (what I assume was) a "new coil" taste mixed in. That went away and now the tank is vaping fine.