Seth Gekko
Sunday, May 23, 2004 6:29:00 PM
My Colibri lighter is now about 2 years old. . . . it has gas, and sparks, but it will not ignite. . . I can ignite the flame with another open flame, but not on it's own. . . . . is it necessary to clean these things? Do they need flint replacements, or something else? It's a nice lighter, and it'd be a shame to have to replace it. . .
MichaelPCo
Sunday, May 23, 2004 6:38:00 PM
I have a Colibri. Cost about $150. Worth about .99 cents. 😞
Cavallo
Sunday, May 23, 2004 10:56:00 PM
seth, is it a torch? i can't speak for flint lighters, but the flintless colibris do require some lowkey maintenance. please email me at BBELTRISI at ec.rr.com and let me know what kind you have.

i've had the exact same problem in 2 colibri lighters. i thought they were POS, but my tobacconist helped me out with them. first off, EVERY time you refill, you should bleed the fluid bladder completely. to do that, take an eyeglass screwdriver, a pipe tool reamer, etc. and depress the nozzle where the fluid goes in until there's no more "hiss."

secondly, when you refill, you should ONLY use a filtered fluid, such as colibri brand, lava, etc. (i personally love the lava product - 5x filtered as opposed to 3x with colibri's own fluid, and cheaper to boot).

also, when you refill, but sure to set the lighter on the LOWEST flame position. where the + and - engravings are, turn it down towards the - as far as it will go. then refuel and reset the flame position where you like it to be.

finally, get a can of "canned air." you can find them at office supply stores. when you refuel, bleed the bladder out and then take the air can and blow around the area where the flame comes out. this will help get rid of any residue or dirt that might be hinking up your lighter.

if none of these resolve the problem, i'd suggest taking it in to an authorized colibri vendor and having them look it over. if it's still under warranty, they can send it in to colibri for them to fix it at no cost. however, many vendors will just look it over and fix it right there for no or very low cost (as in couple of bucks). my tobacconist fixed mine twice at no charge -- just needed a good cleaning and a slight readjustment that i didn't know how to do.

hope that helps!

Seth Gekko
Monday, May 24, 2004 4:11:00 AM
Tony, it is a torch. . . . I forgot to mention that. . . Thanks for the cleaning info. . . looks like a lot of it is preventative maintenance I should have taken care of all along. . . . the shop is right down the street, I'll stop by, have a cigar, and see if he can clean it or send it back. Thanks!
hdking
Monday, May 24, 2004 4:37:00 AM
i dont know if this will help.

i have one that would not light every time.

i had a small soft wire brush, about the size of a toothbrush.

i cleaned the inside around the spark

and now it lights every time.

hdking

snowwolf777
Monday, May 24, 2004 5:41:00 AM
I have cleaned/purged mine using the above directions and it worked. But I, too, prefer the "lazy man's" way. I go to my cigar shop, fire up a stick, and Jay purges, cleans and fills my Colibri for freebo. He should, for what he charged me for it. LOL. My "2 for $6" torches I maintain myself and they work fine all the time.