Three red flashes on a Relx means the battery is flat — charge it for 30–45 minutes. Five flashes means the pod is not being read: remove it and wipe the gold contacts with a dry cotton bud. Leaking is almost always overfilling or heat, so leave a few millimetres of headroom and store the device upright.
What do the Relx indicator lights mean?
Relx devices use their signature circular LED indicator (or single LED dot on the Essential) to communicate battery health, draw duration, and connection status. If your device refuses to hit or flashes red, don't panic. In 95% of cases, the issue is easy to resolve in less than two minutes.
What Do the Different Red Blinks Mean?
1. Blinking Red 3 Times While Inhaling
The Cause: The battery is completely depleted (< 10% charge remaining). The device's internal safety cutoff prevents the lithium cell from over-discharging.
The Fix: Connect your device to a standard 5V/1A Type-C wall charger or computer USB port. Avoid ultra-fast 65W/100W phone chargers, as high-draw adapters can trigger the over-voltage safety circuit. The LED will pulse smoothly while charging and stay solid white once fully charged (usually 35 to 45 minutes).
2. Blinking Red 10 Times Rapidly
The Cause: Continuous draw protection. If you take a single puff lasting longer than 5 seconds, the safety chip automatically stops the coil to prevent overheating.
The Fix: Simply wait 5 seconds. The device will reset automatically. Try taking shorter, gentler draws of 2 to 3 seconds.
3. Blinking Red 3 Times When Inserting a Pod (Device Won't Fire)
The Cause: Connection error between the device pins and the pod base. This is the most common issue Australian vapers encounter.
The Fix:
- Remove the pod from the device.
- Look inside the device well: you will see two spring-loaded gold pogo pins and a rubber air-sensor membrane.
- Take a clean, dry cotton bud (Q-tip) and gently swab the interior of the well to remove any accumulated e-liquid condensation or pocket dust.
- Inspect the gold contacts on the bottom of the pod. Wipe them clean with a tissue.
- Reinsert the pod firmly. On the Infinity and Artisan, you will feel a crisp magnetic snap and a subtle haptic vibration confirming a secure connection.
How to Fix a Leaking or Gurgling Pod
If you experience e-liquid bubbling, spitting, or leaking into the mouthpiece:
- Don't inhale too aggressively: Relx pods are engineered for a gentle Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) draw. Pulling too hard creates negative pressure that forces excess liquid into the central airway chimney before the ceramic coil can vaporise it.
- Clear the chimney: Remove the pod, place a tissue over the bottom air holes, and blow gently through the mouthpiece. Any trapped condensation will clear onto the tissue.
- Avoid extreme temperature swings: Leaving your vape in a hot car during an Australian summer causes e-liquid to thin out and expand, leading to leaks. Always store your device in a cool, shaded environment.
Still Having Issues?
If your device still refuses to fire after cleaning and charging, our Melbourne customer support team is on standby. Reach out via our contact page or live chat for assistance.
Reading the indicator light
Relx devices communicate almost everything through the LED, and knowing the pattern saves a lot of guesswork. Behaviour varies slightly between generations, but the common patterns hold.
| Pattern | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Three red flashes on draw | Battery critically low | Charge for 30 – 45 minutes |
| Five red flashes | Short circuit or pod not recognised | Remove pod, clean contacts, refit |
| Ten flashes / rapid flashing | Draw exceeded the safety timeout | Release and take shorter puffs |
| Steady white or green while charging | Charging normally | Nothing |
| No light at all on draw | Flat battery, dirty contacts, or airflow sensor blocked | Charge, clean, then clear the airway |
| Light on but no vapour | Pod empty, coil flooded, or wick dry | Check level; clear condensation |
How do you fix the most common Relx problems?
1. Device does nothing when you draw
Work through these in order. Most devices are back in service by step three.
- Charge for at least 30 minutes on a known-good cable and adapter. A device that has been flat for weeks may take several minutes before it shows any light at all.
- Remove the pod. Wipe the gold contacts on both the pod base and inside the device bay with a dry cotton bud. Residue here is by far the most frequent cause.
- Check the charge port for pocket lint. Clear it with a dry toothpick, never anything metal.
- Blow gently through the pod airway to clear condensation from the airflow sensor.
- Try a different pod. If a second pod works, the first one has failed.
2. Pod is leaking
Leaking is nearly always a pressure or fill problem rather than a defective pod.
- Overfilling. Filling to the very top leaves no air gap, and any warming or pressure change pushes liquid through the airway. Leave a few millimetres of headroom.
- Temperature and altitude. A pod that travelled in a hot car or on a flight will often seep. Wipe it out and let it settle.
- Drawing too hard. A tight MTL pod needs a slow, gentle pull. Hard suction floods the coil.
- Storing on its side. Store the device upright.
- Liquid too thin. A high-PG liquid in a pod designed for 50/50 will weep through the wicking ports.
3. Burnt taste
If it appeared suddenly on a new pod, it was not primed — leave a fresh pod standing five minutes after filling before the first draw. If it came on gradually, the coil has reached end of life, which for sweetened flavours can be as little as three or four days. Once cotton is scorched it does not recover.
4. Gurgling or liquid in the mouth
The coil is flooded. Remove the pod, cover the airflow inlet with a tissue and blow firmly through the mouthpiece to clear excess liquid. Then draw more gently and give the wick a moment between puffs.
5. Weak vapour or faded flavour
Check the battery first — output drops as charge falls. Then check the pod age. Then check the airway is clear. If all three are fine and the device is more than a year old, the cell has likely degraded.
Preventive habits
- Wipe the pod and device contacts weekly with a dry cotton bud.
- Keep the device upright and out of hot cars.
- Fill to the shoulder, not the brim.
- Charge before the device is fully flat rather than running it to zero every time.
- Keep a spare pod on hand so a failure is an inconvenience rather than a problem.
When it is not fixable
A device with a swollen casing, one that gets hot to hold, or one that will not hold charge beyond an hour or two has reached end of life and should be retired and recycled at a battery drop-off point. Pods are consumables — a pod that fails authentication, leaks persistently from the base, or tastes burnt from the first draw should be replaced rather than nursed.
Replacement pods are in our Relx pods range, and complete devices in pod kits.
