If your Geek Bar is flashing red, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands because it most likely means that your device isn’t working at all – even if the screen says that you still have plenty of vape juice left. If you haven’t ordered more vapes recently, you might feel a little desperate because the device that you’re trying to use is the only one you have.
When a Geek Bar Pulse, Geek Bar Pulse X or other recent Geek Bar vape blinks red, it usually means that the battery is critically low or that you’re exceeding the device’s built-in puff timer. Both of those are easy things to resolve. It could also mean that your device is in Pulse Mode, which isn’t actually a problem at all.
The bad news is that when a Geek Bar flashes red, it could also indicate a critical problem that’s not so easy to resolve. In this guide, we’re going to help you tell the difference and explain what you should do next.
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Your Geek Bar Could Be in Pulse Mode
You’ll see a red ring around the display when your Geek Bar Pulse is in Pulse Mode.
If you’re using a Geek Bar Pulse for the first time, it’s important for you to know that the animation on the screen actually changes when you put the device into Pulse Mode. In the normal vaping mode, you’ll see a green ring around the edge of the screen. In Pulse Mode, the ring changes to red, and an orange rocket appears in the center of the device’s display. If you see the red ring and your device seems to be working normally, it’s just in Pulse Mode; there’s nothing to worry about. The switch on the bottom of the device allows you to toggle between the standard mode and Pulse Mode.
You Could Be Exceeding Your Geek Bar’s Puff Timer
If your Geek Bar cuts off and flashes red during long puffs, take shorter puffs to avoid tripping the puff limiter.
Another common reason why a Geek Bar may flash red is because you’re taking very long puffs and are tripping the built-in timer that’s designed to prevent the device from overheating. Like all modern vaping devices, a Geek Bar will automatically cut off and display a flashing indicator if a puff exceeds a certain number of seconds. To avoid that situation, you just need to take shorter puffs.
The Battery Could Be Critically Low
A Geek Bar will flash red when the battery is dead.
Ordinarily, all recent Geek Bar devices show battery indicators on their screens as you vape. The indicator will tick down slowly while you use your device. When it reaches the bottom, it’s time for a recharge. It’s possible to encounter a situation, though, in which your device’s battery is so critically low that the screen shuts off. In this case, your Geek Bar will flash red – but nothing will appear on the screen – when you try to vape. Try charging your vape by connecting it to your computer. If the screen comes on, your Geek Bar will probably work normally after the battery is fully charged. If the screen doesn’t come on, click this link for troubleshooting information.
If your Geek Bar’s battery indicator falls to “0” as soon as you remove it from the charger, that could indicate a failure with the device’s battery. It’s possible for this to happen because of damage to the device. It could also potentially indicate that you’re using a fake vape. Always buy your vapes carefully and treat them well. If any vaping device has symptoms suggesting a potential battery failure, you should recycle that device because it isn’t safe to use.
Your Geek Bar Could Have a Transient Firmware Issue
Try turning your Geek Bar Pulse or Pulse X off and back on if the device encounters an unexplained issue.
Every vaping device has firmware, which is essentially a set of instructions hard coded into a memory chip on the device’s logic board. Firmware is basically like software, but it’s stored in the device permanently. Over the years, the firmware for disposable vapes has become more and more complicated as the manufacturers have given the devices more features – and few vapes have more features than a Geek Bar. Sometimes, the firmware may encounter a transient issue that causes the device to stop working. In other words, your Geek Bar can crash.
What do you do when your computer crashes? You probably turn it off and back on – and if you’re using a Geek Bar Pulse or Pulse X, you can actually to the same thing with your vape by moving the switch on the bottom of the device to the “Close” position. That turns the device off, and you can turn it back on by moving the switch to either of the other two positions. People have reported great success when using this trick to fix a wide variety of unexplained issues with the Geek Bar Pulse and Pulse X.
The Puff Sensor Could Be Stuck
Try blowing firmly through your Geek Bar’s mouthpiece if the device blinks red on its own.
If your Geek Bar flashes red on its own when you aren’t using it – especially if the device makes a hissing noise at the same time – it’s likely that the device is auto-firing. In other words, it’s hitting on its own because the puff sensor is stuck in place. When that happens, your Geek Bar will flash red repeatedly because the auto-firing condition is causing the automatic puff limiter to trigger over and over.
The phrase “puff sensor” sounds like it might refer to a fairly complex component. The truth, though, is that it’s usually just a mechanical switch or membrane that moves in response to an air current. The puff sensor can become stuck in place if vape juice gets on it, which is actually not that rare since disposable vapes are so cramped on the inside.
If you have a Geek Bar that’s hissing and flashing red, you can usually fix the problem by blowing firmly through the device’s mouthpiece. This pushes the puff sensor back to the “off” position, which should stop the device from auto-firing. If that doesn’t work, try tapping the Geek Bar firmly against your hand a few times.
Is your Geek Bar still auto-firing after you’ve tried blowing through the mouthpiece and tapping on the device? Flip the switch to the “Close” position and recycle the device. If you can’t fix an auto-firing vape, it isn’t safe to use because the battery is at risk of overheating.
You May Have Dropped Your Geek Bar
If your Geek Bar is flashing red because of physical damage, it may not be possible to fix the device.
Are you here because you dropped your Geek Bar in water or on a hard surface, and it began flashing red afterwards? Geek Bars are pretty durable devices, but there’s a limit to the amount of physical trauma that any vape can withstand. If the device has been dropped on a hard surface, the internal components could be dislodged – and if you’ve dropped your vape in water, residual moisture could still be inside the device. In either case, your Geek Bar may be blinking because it now detects a short circuit. You should stop using the device and turn it off until you’ve evaluated the issue.
If your Geek Bar is flashing because it’s physically damaged, it probably won’t be possible to fix the problem because the device’s internal components have likely been dislodged by the impact. Recycling the device is the safest thing to do in this case.
Water in your Geek Bar, on the other hand, is a problem that you can potentially fix. Hold a paper towel over the device and tap it against your hand several times with the mouthpiece facing down. Turn the device over so the intake vent faces down and tap it several times again. This process should remove most of the excess moisture. Turn the Geek Bar back on. Is it still blinking? Seal it in a plastic bag with desiccant packets or unscented cat litter for a day or two. If the device is still flashing red after that, turn it off and recycle it.
Is Your Geek Bar Fixed?
As you’ve learned from reading this guide, there’s no reason to panic if your Geek Bar flashes red. In many cases, it’s a normal part of using the device and simply indicates that your device is in Pulse Mode or has a dead battery. In other cases – if the puff sensor is stuck or the firmware has crashed, for instance – you can usually resolve the issue quickly.
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