TurboFlame Lighter ignition issues

[roguekiller23231]

i've been having some issues that i cant seem to find a simular thread about the turboflame lighter.

i bought it a almost a year ago now, but there is one niggling issue that i have had, with all (i've had a few) and it is the same issue, the one i've got now is showing the same problems. the only thing i could find about the lighter was about filling it, never had a problem with that, so hopefully someone on hear might be able to help, or suggest something more reliable.

1st turboflame lighter, lasted 3 months, took it to scotland, survived through camping for a week, come back it was fine, dropped in from about 1 ft high, onto a soft carpet, it was dead! the clicker no longer worked.

2nd one, (these were returned to manufacturer btw) lasted 3 day, normal useage, a few click's and it died, was sent back

3rd one, was working for about 2 months, and now is showing signs of the clicker breaking, as it's occasionally working and then doesnt.

so my question is, am i using it wrong? i mean how may ways are there to press a button!? or is there some kind of design flaw in these lighters??

thinking of sending this one back, but i know after sending 2 of them back, they must have a record of me by now, as the first time i sent back i got a happy message from a manager, all my documentation back, and a new warrenty form, second time, i got nothing but the lighter.

so is there a design flaw, has anyone else had this happen to them with this lighter? is there anything more reliable? is it even worth sending back or should i just bin it and get something better?

 

[maddave]

Get a couple of these.... £1.83 delivered and they rock !!

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.6783

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i've been having some issues that i cant seem to find a simular thread about the turboflame lighter.

i bought it a almost a year ago now, but there is one niggling issue that i have had, with all (i've had a few) and it is the same issue, the one i've got now is showing the same problems. the only thing i could find about the lighter was about filling it, never had a problem with that, so hopefully someone on hear might be able to help, or suggest something more reliable.

1st turboflame lighter, lasted 3 months, took it to scotland, survived through camping for a week, come back it was fine, dropped in from about 1 ft high, onto a soft carpet, it was dead! the clicker no longer worked.

2nd one, (these were returned to manufacturer btw) lasted 3 day, normal useage, a few click's and it died, was sent back

3rd one, was working for about 2 months, and now is showing signs of the clicker breaking, as it's occasionally working and then doesnt.

so my question is, am i using it wrong? i mean how may ways are there to press a button!? or is there some kind of design flaw in these lighters??

thinking of sending this one back, but i know after sending 2 of them back, they must have a record of me by now, as the first time i sent back i got a happy message from a manager, all my documentation back, and a new warrenty form, second time, i got nothing but the lighter.

so is there a design flaw, has anyone else had this happen to them with this lighter? is there anything more reliable? is it even worth sending back or should i just bin it and get something better?

oh ...that's sounding familiar, I think I've the same problem!
I've only used one, but for years it's worked well, then it ran out of fuel, I re-filled it with the appropriate stuff and now it shoots the gas out but rarely lights.
I'll have another look at it tomorrow...

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

Just had a quick look and found this, it has a instruction guide on the page.
http://www.turboflame.co.uk/

 

[hoppinmad]

Hi,
I have had the same problems with the Silva helios lighter, sent back three times..now given up trying to get one that works for more than a few weeks I would not recommend it to anyone
Regards
Stu

 

[Rebel]

My Silva isn't used a lot but it's still working after several refills and a few years use. The little windproof element got damaged though but it still functions. Even so I might buy a Zippo because they are a bit tougher, problem with them is keeping the flint dry. I guess nothing's perfect.

 

[LIFECLERIC]

good bit of info on the turboflame thanks i bought one about 2 years ago while touring in banbury used it for about a week and then it died on me tryed filing it.... nothing chucked it in a drawer never looked at till today realised you have to do the bleeding thing now it seems to work fine ( il get back to you with an update in a week

 

[ged]

i've been having some issues that i cant seem to find a simular thread about the turboflame lighter. ... am i using it wrong? i mean how may ways are there to press a button!? or is there some kind of design flaw in these lighters?? ...
thinking of sending this one back, but i know after sending 2 of them back, they must have a record of me by now... is there a design flaw, has anyone else had this happen to them with this lighter? is there anything more reliable? is it even worth sending back or should i just bin it and get something better?

In my opinion they're the most highly developed piece of junk I've ever had the misfortune to spend my money on. I've had one for about six months. You need special gas, it's a pig to fill, you can't tell how much gas is left in it and it's unreliable. I can't get mine to light at all when it's cold, which is when I need it most! The sooner the manufacturer wakes up to the many, many adverse comments that real life users make all the time on this and other sites the better.

 

[apj1974]

To be honest the only truly reliable gas lighters I have ever used are disposable ones, and the only really refillable ones are petrol.

 

[Whittler Kev]

oh ...that's sounding familiar, I think I've the same problem!
I've only used one, but for years it's worked well, then it ran out of fuel, I re-filled it with the appropriate stuff and now it shoots the gas out but rarely lights.
I'll have another look at it tomorrow...

I remember another thread on this. You have to completely empty them before refilling or they wont fill up properly

 

[mitch66]

hi, i have a delta, windmill and it's been fine, its about 3 years old now. it has a large window in the side so you can see how much gas inside. when its low i just fill it up? cant get my head round why you have to let the gas out before you can fill your lighter up?

 

[ged]

...cant get my head round why you have to let the gas out before you can fill your lighter up?

It's all about pressures. If you have two containers and they both contain both gas and liquid at the same pressure, then if you join the two containers together nothing will flow from one to the other because there's no reason for any flow to happen. If you hold one container above the other you'd think that gravity would help but the holes in the pipe that join the two together in this case are of such a small diameter that there will be no "glug glug" noise as the liquid drains into the lower container from the upper one.

So you have to work the temperatures. If the gas is the same gas in both the lighter and the can of gas, then if one is at a higher temperature than the other it will have a higher pressure. When you let gas escape from the lighter, the gas remaining in the lighter gets very cold. The pressure goes down fast. If you quickly attach the refill can to the nozzle at this stage the higher pressure in the refill can will force liquid (or gas) into the lighter until the pressures equalize. Obviously it will help if you warm the refill can but caution is required. Read the label.

 

[mitch66]

hi, ged. thank you for your reply, i can see what you mean. i have refilled cheep lighters and my windmill and they still had gas in them? but they must have larger valve inlet's allowing liquid movement / displacement. so it's the size of the hole between them ie 2 x1Lcoke bottles joined you will get liquid movment but if the hole between them is 1 thou you will not get liquid movment. makes sence now thanks ged

It's all about pressures. If you have two containers and they both contain both gas and liquid at the same pressure than if you join the two containers together nothing will flow from one to the other because there's no reason for any flow to happen. If you hold one container above the other you'd think that gravity would help but the holes in the pipe that join the two together in this case are of such a small diameter that there will be no "glug glug" noise as the liquid drains into the lower container from the upper one.

So you have to work the temperatures. If the gas is the same gas in both the lighter and the can of gas, then if one is at a higher temperature than the other it will have a higher pressure. When you let gas escape from the lighter, the gas remaining in the lighter gets very cold. The pressure goes down fast. If you quickly attach the refill can to the nozzle at this stage the higher pressure in the refill can will force liquid (or gas) into the lighter until the pressures equalize. Obviously it will help if you warm the refill can but caution is required. Read the label.

 

[roguekiller23231]

after finding myself in need of the broken turbo flame lighter, i've actually found a fix for it.

this will probably void the warrenty, but be a lot less hassle. and this is a fix for the original click breaking problem. only do this if your not going to take it back or return it for a warrenty repair, if the clicker is pressed and makes no sound (meaning 'broken')

you'll need:

1 phillips head screw driver
2 lubricate oil, like WD40 or gun oil (which i used)

1st bleed the gas off until it's empty (although it's no rist doing this, it's just to be safe, and on the last step)

i unscrewed the 2 scews at the top of the turboflame (make sure you do this over a box or something they can fall into, becaue there very small and can just vanish if dropped), and pulled off the burner, the switch falls out and is very easy to place back, the click mechanism is attatched and comes out aswell.

this is were i found out what is actually wrong, the older ones have a better click mechanism, these ones seem to be an extremly cheapo one, the pin that is supposed to move into a little notch to make it ready for another click just doesnt go back into place. so i placed a small amount of oil on the spring and the little pin. put it all back into place and screw back.

then just keep pressing the button and it should get lubed up enough for the pin to move back into place and should work from then on.

mines been going now for about 2 months of quite heavy usage and hasnt failed since. although the clicker isnt the same, you have to partially press it down for it to fall into place, but it still works.