Am having a whale of a time with lighters!!! About a year ago I bought a cheapo $10.00 Ronson lighter and it worked well for about a week. Then it wouldn't light, click, click, click nothing. So I bought a bottle of butane and filled it up, yet nothing. Let it sit for a few days tried it again, would light after about 3 or 4 tries. Then agian, would not light. Refilled it again, nothing. :(

So while in vegas I picked up a Colibhi lighter with a neat little thumb slide starter. It worked fine at the shop, the shop guy even filled it up for me. Took it back to the hotel and it worked every single time I hit it.. Get back home and the damn thing is acting like the other one.. Takes SEVERAL tried, have to play with the flame dial, and it will light but go out within just a few seconds. I have refilled it, no change.

What the hell am I doing wrong here???

bleed the tank.

if that doenst work, get back to us. chances are that is the case.



now that i think of it, you may not know how to do that and there may be a few people reading that dont know how to either.

to bleed the tank on a lighter...
turn the flame adjustment all the way down. turn the lighter upside-down and press on the inlet valve with a tip of a very small screw driver or the pointy tool on a pipe tool (thats what i use personally) a rush of air/butane will come out. make sure not to hit the ignition on the ligher at this point. when it has stopped hissing, repeat. each time you will have less and less hissing to the point when you will no longer be expelling air. If you are a bit on the nerdy physics side, you can place your lighter in the fridge for about 10 minutes then. while it is in the fridge hold on to the can of fuel to warm it with your body heat. then go about filling the lighter as usual.


good luck. if you still have no luck get back to us. well try and get it workin again.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

An update on my end, I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter with a fuel window on the back. Its a basic single torch with a slide ignition on the front. I'll get a pic up sometime when I can find the cable to connect my camera to my comp.


@ kuzi: Can I bleed the tank just by setting the lighter to its leanest setting and then holding the button down, or do I have to poke the inlet valve?

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If you can do a half-assed job of anything, your a one-eyed man in a kingdom of blind - Kurt Vonnegut

Garen B:

I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter

I've never even heard of such a thing. Do post a photo.

Garen B:

do I have to poke the inlet valve?

Ahem.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

urbino:

Garen B:

I ended up going with a Rocky Patel lighter

I've never even heard of such a thing. Do post a photo.

Garen B:

do I have to poke the inlet valve?

Ahem.

Just keep in mind if you poke the outlet valve you should never switch back and forth between the inlet and the outlet...

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Luko:

Just keep in mind if you do, you're pissing off a dude who shaves with a sword.

Garen B:

@ kuzi: Can I bleed the tank just by setting the lighter to its leanest setting and then holding the button down, or do I have to poke the inlet valve?

it must be from the valve. just pressing the button wont work.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

rusirius:

Just keep in mind if you poke the outlet valve you should never switch back and forth between the inlet and the outlet...

So true. A lesson best not learned the hard way.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Here it is in all its shinyiness

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If you can do a half-assed job of anything, your a one-eyed man in a kingdom of blind - Kurt Vonnegut

Handsome lighter, Geebee. Thanks for the pic.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

I've never heard it before, but it's possible. Anything that works based on vapor pressure is going to be affected to some degree by altitude. I wouldn't just accept what the guy told you as an answer, though. I'd talk to the manufacturer.

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Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

idrivea9:

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

i would think that it would work BETTER. less pressure and more gas escapes.
i bet that the valve is clogged a bit. that can be fixed.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

kuzi16:

idrivea9:

Ok I did all the little tricks listed here and this thing just wont work. I dropped in on my local B&M store today and had a talk with the guy there. He says that since we are up in the mountians at 7000 feet the lighter won't work. That is why when I was in Vegas and Phoenix it worked just fine. Any truth to this?

Brian

i would think that it would work BETTER. less pressure and more gas escapes.
i bet that the valve is clogged a bit. that can be fixed.

You're making that assumption based on the lowered atmospheric pressure I'm guessing? The problem there is that with the lowered pressure also comes less available oxygen in the atmosphere relative to what is present at lower elevations, therefore you will not get a proper butane : oxygen ratio for combustion.

edir: Another thing I noticed after a bit of searching is that some electronic ignition systems will not function correctly in higher altitudes.

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When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson

makes sense

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

So what is a guy who has the pleasure of living up in the mountains to do???? I find it takes about 4 wooden matches to get my cigar going... :(

Brian