Issue with Lavabox M

[kayne_21]

I currently have a Lavabox M which is having some issues.

When I put in A battery the mod won't power on. The screen will come up when I plug it in to my PC. If I open up the device monitor, the pack voltage fluctuates between 3.8v and 4.2v, even with no battery installed.

If I press the fire button, the mod resets. This happens regardless of having a battery installed or not. 

This is the 3rd device that has popped up with this same issue. The two previous ones were sent back to Volcano for RMA and they claimed they couldn't find anything wrong with them, and they operated fine. They sent replacements anyway, thankfully.

Tonight, it happened when I swapped batteries.

Originally I'd thought it was a blown fuse, but Volcano assured me it wasn't.

Anybody have any ideas of what's going on here?

I've attached a recording of the device monitor for this issue.

Lavabox_m_failure.csv

[dwcraig1]

The DNA75 has no fuse but does have reverse polarity protection built onto the board. Not trying to be a wise guy but are you sure the battery is being inserted with the correct polarity?

[kayne_21]

Absolutely positive, even tried it with multiple batteries.

[dwcraig1]

So I hooked my SDNA75 up to EScribe without battery and it jumps quickly back and forth from 3.78 to 4.10.
Not that that's of any help I guess.

[kayne_21]

Actually it is, it tells me that what I'm seeing in escribe is probably normal operation. I'm kind of leaning toward a faulty connection in one of the battery leads as the issue.

Just odd that it's happened 3 times on 3 different Lavabox M.

[dwcraig1]

I'd say you are on the right track with it but if it's got a warranty....well you know..

[xddaavveex]

I'm having the exact same problem with my Lavabox M. Were you able to get yours repaired? I was mid-puff on relatively fresh battery and a reliable 0.3ohm SS316 coil on a Goon 22 RDA, in no-preheat temp control, set to 480° at 40 watts.

[Nick]

If it has a warranty through Volcano make use of it first. I have seen a couple here though that were either a board grounding issue, or a wiring/soldering issue. A few had a very, very loose ground screw for the top left board mounting screw since this is the main ground for the device. I've seen a few where the wire popped off the battery contact as well, but again, I'd try to utilize the warranty before tearing into it trying to find possible issues.

[xddaavveex]

Thanks for the prompt response! I contacted Volcano about their warranty, because it's less than 6 weeks old, but I haven't heard back yet. I purchased it from MyFreedomSmokes and the Volcano website implies that they only warranty items bought from their own website, so I'm not sure what to expect. Fingers crossed while I go back to vaping like a damn caveman without your chip.

[engmia]

[quote=xddaaweex]Thanks for the prompt response! I contacted Volcano about their warranty, because it's less than 6 weeks old, but I haven't heard back yet. I purchased it from MyFreedomSmokes and the Volcano website implies that they only warranty items bought from their own website, so I'm not sure what to expect. Fingers crossed while I go back to vaping like a damn caveman without your chip.[/quote]Absolutely correct. If you purchased the device through a retailer and not the OEM, you contact the person (retailer) who sold the item to you.

From there they resolve the issue according to their own policies and agreements with the OEM. But you can't go straight to the OEM for support (unless you purchased it directly from him obviously), your receipt is the proof for your purchase, and you wouldn't be able to keep track of devices otherwise.

[engmia]

[quote=xddaaweex]Unfortunately, the retailer does not offer more than a few days warranty, so... Anybody know what Volcano will charge me? 
I'll be consoling myself with my new HexOhm V3. No PCB, no worries. Well, maybe a few.[/quote]It's not possible for the retailer to offer less warranty than the OEM.

Maybe they offer a couple of days warranty on devices that don't have OEM warranty, but on devices that do, the correct procedure is contacting the retailer with description of the problem, pictures and receipt.

[xddaavveex]

I shouldn't have been so cynical (or impatient) after all: MyFreedomSmokes is helping me swap out the broken unit. Nick, thanks again for the technical insight here.

[greenj22]

I have a Lavabox M and have been having similar problems.  It's the battery contacts.  They don't hold as tight after time.  It sounds obvious, but just try and move around the battery as you have a battery inserted until you (hopefully) have full contact.  After that, (AT YOUR OWN RISK) a small piece of copper/brass slid between the negative terminal and the battery should work as a temporary fix.  Just make sure it's not too big, but the inside of the lavabox battery bay is all plastic anyway.

[LonelyRR]

Did anyone find a fix for this issue yet?   My Lavabox M did this the other day and I was able to troubleshoot the issue.   It looks like it might be a bug with the software and I was able to fix it.  I'm still testing to see if the fix stick.

[lavaboxMUser]

I am having the same issues with my Lavabox M, and I can't seem to get an answer from Volcano about the warranty. And the place i bought it won't do a refund as well (efun.top), they told me to contact Volcano for the warranty, as they don't do warranty.

Did you manage to fix it yourself, and how did you do it?

[kayne_21]

I actually did finally get around to fixing it last week. I had two broken Lavabox M's with the issue, on both the negative battery wires had become separated from the negative battery pin. I took them apart and soldered it back in place.

[lavaboxMUser]

Ah, ok, guess i need to learn how to solder then.

Thanks for the info.  

[2clicker]

i just ordered one of these lavabox m mods and its waiting for me at home.  this will be my first DNA chipped mod.  got the lavabox m for $50 shipped so i figured its a cheap way to get my feet wet with a DNA board.  

anyway if the issues stated in this thread happen to mine id love to know how to fix it.   @kayne_21 do you have any pics of your device taken apart?  or how to take it apart?  

im pretty damn excited about this DNA journey.  im used to joyetech chips only and got tired of the weak TC they provide.    

thanks!

[lavaboxMUser]

On 08/12/2017 at 10:47 PM, 2clicker said:

i just ordered one of these lavabox m mods and its waiting for me at home.  this will be my first DNA chipped mod.  got the lavabox m for $50 shipped so i figured its a cheap way to get my feet wet with a DNA board.  

anyway if the issues stated in this thread happen to mine id love to know how to fix it.   @kayne_21 do you have any pics of your device taken apart?  or how to take it apart?  

im pretty damn excited about this DNA journey.  im used to joyetech chips only and got tired of the weak TC they provide.    

thanks!

I don't have any pictures, but it's pretty easy (I have never soldered before myself). There's two screws behind the battery, that, when removed enables you to pull out the cover that gives you access to the board. After that it's pretty easy to find the loose wire (it's the wire that is loose ).

Yeah, DNA devices are pretty sweet. I came from joyetech TC myself.