Cart Not Hitting? How to Fix a Clogged, Burnt or Dry Cart

If your cart suddenly stops hitting, don't throw it away yet. Most of the time the oil is fine and the fix takes a minute. Here are the usual causes, from the most common to the least.

The battery isn't making contact

Make sure the battery is charged. Then unscrew the cart and screw it back in gently. Too tight can push the contact down, and too loose means it never touches.

If that doesn't help, clean both ends with a cotton swab and a little rubbing alcohol. Let them dry before you put the cart back. If your battery blinks when you pull, check its manual. Every brand uses different blink codes.

The oil is too thick

Thick oils like live resin clog easily, especially when it's cold. You'll feel a hard pull and get little or no vapor.

Hold the cart in your hand for a minute to warm it up. If your battery has a preheat button, use it. If oil has collected in the mouthpiece, clear it with a pin. To avoid clogs, keep carts upright and at room temperature.

It tastes burnt

A burnt taste means the coil got too hot for the oil around it. It usually happens when:

• the power is set too high
• you take hits back to back
• the cart is new and the oil hasn't soaked in yet
• the cart is almost empty

Lower the heat and wait a few seconds between hits. Once a cart tastes burnt it usually stays that way, but the next one will last longer.

It's almost empty

When the oil gets low, the cart can't pull it in anymore and you get dry hits. Tilting it can give you a few more. After that, it's done.

It might be the cart

Try your cart on another battery, and another cart on your battery. If your cart fails on both, the cart is the problem. Contact the brand that made it.

How Slyder Pro helps

Slyder Pro is a handheld device with a touchscreen. It works with any standard 510 cart through its Smart 510 Adapter, and a few things work differently:

• You set the heat in degrees (240 to 420 °F) instead of volts, and it stays the same from a full cart to an almost empty one.
• Preheat warms thick oil for a few seconds before your first hit.
• Heating stops after 20 seconds of continuous pulling.

It can't tell when a cart is running dry, so the tips above still apply. If you use live rosin or live resin, see our guide to the best temperature for live rosin carts.