Zippo, won't light (has fuel, flint, wick, etc)
 

Hi, this is my first post here.

I recently got a Zippo as a present, and the first time I filled it it worked fine. Well, a while later, I decided to pull out a bit of the wick and trim it. Now, it only lights VERY rarely, if at all. Since then, I've taken out all the cotton stuff and repacked it, making sure the wick is wrapped around in there, filled it up to the brim but no dice. It lights every time if I put another lighter to it, so the fuel part works, but why do the sparks not do anything?

What do I need to look out for? is the wick too frayed? too close/far/crooked from the wheel? Flint dirty? It sparks just fine... My thumb hurts...

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

hi look at where the wick is in relation to the flint.after trimming the wick it must be pulled up as well. hope it helps ! good luck and let us know how it goes!!

Thanks for the reply.

The wick is in the dead-center of the chimney, and trimmed flush with the top. No go. :confused:

once in a while, it lights on it's own a few seconds after it's been lit with something else

hello ,pull it up slightly and try again. lighting the zippo is similar to lighting an old wick lamp. the spark from the flint,has to hit about the top middle portion of the wick. the wick in an old lantern can be lit from the top ,as that is where the fire is at. hope it helps.

also when filling the zippo,pull the peice with the hole back and fill from there,works better i have found.

It lit once after I pulled a bit on the wick. After that, nothing.

That sucks. Are you sure you're striking the flint, and not the piece under the flint? Is it striking at all? I mean, is it making a spark? If it isnt, then make sure the flint is in correctly. I think zippo flints are gold/bronze colored, and you ought to be able to see it under the wheel when the whole thing is closed.

If all else fails, check out their website. You can send it in for free repairs, details on the site.

Yes, I get (small) sparks. I've taken it out several times, and there is indeed a flint there.

I'm so down on this, I could chuck it at the wall. I can't feel my two main fingers anymore...

Thanks for the help, I'm not done yet.

I know this is too little, too late, but next time try not to mess with the wick if you don't have to.

I have a zippo I bought when I was 16 (I'm 34 now) and I use every now and then (I'll use it for a couple of months then get tired of refilling it and go back to throw-aways for a couple of months and then back again, etc.). Anywho, I've never touched the wick in mine in the 18 years I've owned and used it... and she lights first/second time every time.

It's been mentioned already, but I believe Zippo will take the lighter back and repair it (free under warrenty, next to nothing if not).

well if ya send it back to the company they'll fix it or send ya a new one... lifetime guarantee on em...

I'm just p***ed off that it doesn't work. It seems so simple, yet so... I feel stupid. Ok.

I really would like to get it working and avoid the hassle. I'm sure there is nothing mechanically wrong with it. It's a box of cotton stuff with a hole for a string and a sparky thing next to it.

Just for giggles, does heat adversely affect flints? I've been tilting it (no pun inteded) to the sides to burn off that blingy brass plating off the chimney. I wonder if the the heat (it got really hot) affected the flint or wheel somehow? Just a thought.

check the wheel where it touches the flint. It maybe got pluged up with oil or watery goo or something. The part that touches the flint should be raspy like a file. If it's smooth, then you have doobie with no fire:eek:
kevin

That's a good observation, because I tried replacing the flint with one from a disposable lighter and it does the same. How do fix or clean up the wheel?

A very small amount of rubbing alcohol to cut the grease and a good number of q-tips or a very tiny, very stiff brass brush.

A brush and alcohol sounds good. I appreciate all your help, everybody.

Rob

It worked for mine. I bought it on the Oriskany about 30 years ago. Still works like a champ.

The wick should only be as high as the top of the striker wheel.

Ashton, that's good advice, but it's not necsessarily true. I've had mine since I was a kid, and I used to put it up about quater of an inch over the wheel, which make the flame CRAZY high...

Yeah, maybe that's not too safe...

I'm off at college right now, so I don't have any tools, but when I go home this weekend I'll put a brush to the wheel and clean it up a bit. If the sparks are still anemic, I'll buy some flints. I'll report back after doing that, because ATM I can't do much except sit here in the dark and cry that won't start. Well, that or work on my projects.

I just wanted to say that I got some flints, and the spark is just as unreliable. I cleaned the wheel with a brass brush and it looks really clean and good (it better, the lighter is new), but it didn't help. Unless anybody has any last suggestions, it's going back to Zippo to fix.

Thanks

Other than sending it to Zippo, which I'm sure they'll fix it for ya, have you thought about just buying their cheapest version ($6-$10) depending where you buy it from, and just use swap out the inards? I'm going on the assumption that you received a Zippo that has a nice outer shell. This would be one of those "if all else fails" sorta thing.

Is the wheel difficult to turn?

If it is, I might have your answer for you :D

Typically, if it is very difficult to turn and you get small or no sparks from it, the flint is likely just wedged up against it too tightly.

You can rectify this by loosening the screw on the bottom that holds the flint in, never have I had a zippo that I used that it was anywhere near close to all the way tight.

If it still doesn't work, leave the screw a bit out of the hole to see if it will spark better than... if it does, you may need to adjust the spring.

Hope that helps - I had the same problem before :D

Keep us updated :thumbsup:

This past week I was able to look at somebody else's zippo and I know now what the problem is. My wheel doesn't bite _enough_. It actually slips past the flint very freely and that's the reason it doesn't make sparks. I also noticed that my wheel is nowhere near as rough as the one in that other guy's zippo. I have no idea what happened, but unless I sit down with an angle grinder and make some grooves in it, I'm gonna have to send it in to get fixed.

I really appreciate all your help guys. With people like you, this forum sure is awesome.

Rob

Hmm....opposite problem from you.
the sparks fly mightily, but the wick (never been touched) never seems to want to catch. I figured I was just out of fuel, but I filled it again and got the same result.
I have been laying it on my stove when not in use, and as my kitchen is unheated that might be a factor. Anyone know whether the fuel in a zippo is affected by changes in temperature?
We could always trade pieces!

Will it never light? Or it more of a "When I try to flip it out and light a cigarette in one smooth motion to impress the ladies, the damn thing harshes all over my mellow by forcing me to sit there and flick at it for 20 seconds."?

If the latter... blow on it, it's probably got the wrong fuel air mixture to light right after being flicked open.

yeah, the latter. I'll try blowing on it, but it'll be pretty rough trying to do that and impress the ladies at the same time....