Diagnostic Basics:

[MustangGT66]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I am always trying to read the forums for things to add. If I am missing something you feel needs to be here send me a message. Please feel free to add on or pm me to do an edit. I am thinking of a quick chart for folks to look at when having problems.
Basic Parts:

Atty:
Before diagnosing it is suggested to have removed the primer coating by running the atty under hot water. That taste is bad enough.

No vapor or throat hit –
• If the atty is getting warm/hot your ok. If the atty remain cold, now is the time for your spare ( you do have a spare right?) Check your juice level in the cart and give it a go.
• Make sure your inner cart is seated properly. You can use a paper clip to adjust it in the cart. Just go from the end you place your lips on. Insert the paper clip or similar tool till you feel some resistance from the atty making contact. If you do this with a cart full of juice, then when you push it up it pushes juice out and you might get it in your mouth. If the draw becomes hard, don't worry. Just pull the atty out, push the inner cart back in and try again. It takes practice.
• If your dripping/dipping and your getting a gargling sound, you flooded it. Just blow it out by placing the threaded end between your lips or using compressed air in a can. Just remember to be gentle if you take that route. Then try again.
• You might need to fluff the filler or flick it like a thermometer. To fluff the filler take a paper clip or other tool and lift the filler up so it makes connection with the mesh on the atty. Flicking like a thermometer is where you hold your Volcano by the cartridge end and swing it downward like you are preparing a thermometer for use. This is so you move the filler towards the atty.
• Check battery connection. Blow out the hole on the bottom of the battery. This is the area with the threads. Once again use some compressed air in a can and being gentle blow out the area. The LED should light up or blink.

Very little vapor/throat hit and/or poor performance-
• Clean your atty. Chances are its clogged.
• Check your juice level in the inner cart.
• Check your inner cart is seated properly.
• Fluff the filler. Try the thermometer flick.
• Change your battery. It might be getting low on the charge.
• Check battery connection.
• How long have you had your Volcano? These take a while to break in.

Burnt taste –
• You might be low on juice. Check your inner cart is seated properly. Drip/dip again. Give it a go. If that fixed it great! If not, clean out your atty pretty good and then try it again.
• Polyfill might be getting into the atty. Try to reposition your atty in the inner cart.

Wire mesh coming off-
• Carefully, and I can’t stress that enough, press it back on with a paperclip or your finger nail. This can be caused by using your atty to break through the foil.

[MustangGT66]

Battery:
Before diagnosing have a full charge on it. Leave it on the usb or in the v-pack till the lights quit changing colors or blinking. Use only the Volcano charger (This goes without saying).

Short battery life-
• Let fully charge. Remember, these batteries only last for 1 hour or so of constant use. Eventually they do wear out.
•Unplug and replug in the charger. Could have been a false charge.

Not charging-
• If your using the usb, try the v-pack. If your using the v-pack, try the usb. Try a different usb port. Did the LED blink at all? If not, call customer service.

LED blinking defined (thanks to A.Jay)
"5 - Battery has started charging
15 - Cutoff
30 - Battery needs charging

Never seen 20, so that must be the cool down thing."

V-Pack
This bad boy takes a while to charge. Aprox 4 hours. When you charge the V-Pack itself, the light on the cord lights up. The LED on the side is only for the Volcano battery on the inside.

[MustangGT66]

Maintenance/Draw/Performance
Reason this is all lumped in together is that one part of the equation seems to affect everything else.
• Clean your threads in the battery and atty with a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a q-tip.
• There are many ways to clean your atty. Sonic cleaners, rubbing alcohol, boiling water, just hot tap water. Just make sure to blow them out afterwards and let them dry on a paper towel. Overnight is preferred if you can.
• Use longer, light draws. It’s not possible to suck your LED into your atty so please don’t try. You won’t be happy with the results. Mouthful of juice is the worst.
• It might be necessary to use “primer puffs” before you take a good draw. Two or three quick little puffs. The fish face Ash describes or like puffing on a cigar.
•Spare parts are always good to have on hand for diagnostic purposes. That and back ups are a nice "just incase"
•Ash's post to some really fantastic tips: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=59

These are just some basic diagnostic tools to help out. They are not gospel according to Mustang. There is a learning curve to everything and I hope this helps.

[Jazzie]

WOW!!...Good work...I have wanted to do this, but haven't had the patience or the time it must have taken you...I used to write technical manuals...so I respect what you have done...good job! Some more detail in some areas...I know what you are saying, but a "newbie" may not...

That being said...Great Work...I'm going to bookmark this "4 sure" so I can refer people to it down the road!!

Thanks for your hard work...

[MustangGT66]

Thanks Jazzie! Would you mind sending me a pm of areas to work on? I have some time tonight.

[Jazzie]

Thanks Jazzie! Would you mind sending me a pm of areas to work on? I have some time tonight.

I'll send you a PM with some details...it might be in a few messages, as I think through it...probably better you do edits than keep making the thread so long...so I will do that...

This is sort of organic...the more you think about it, the more detail comes to mind...I've copied and pasted into a Word doc, so I can read it at one long doc...

Will be back to you soon...

[Arclight]

awesome work so far guys!! keep it up!!

[Evil Ernie]

Awesome 'stang!!!!!!!!!!!
Methinks a troubleshooter flowchart would be really cool!!!!

[AnnLove]

Wow, so much great information! This would have been infinitely helpful to me when I was the newest of newbies, but I still learned a lot. Thanks for taking the time to put something like this together!

[MustangGT66]

Not a problem Ann. After I finish the flow chart, the next version will be for the Magma.