Mighty+ and Crafty+ Not Heating or Not Charging: Fixes That Work
If your Mighty+ or Crafty+ will not heat, will not switch on or will not charge, work through the simple causes first: a flat battery, an unsuitable charger or cable, a battery that is too hot or too cold, and a blocked cooling unit or screen. The Mighty+ shows an ERR code (001 to 005) and the Crafty+ shows a coloured LED pattern, and Storz & Bickel's own guidance tells you what each one means. Only a code or pattern that points to a faulty device needs the service centre.
This guide follows the manufacturer's manuals and support pages, step by step. Battery facts, charge times and care habits are in our Mighty+ and Crafty+ battery guide, and more device guides are in the Storz & Bickel hub.
- Will not switch on or charge
- Mighty+ ERR codes
- Crafty+ LED patterns
- Heating slowly
- Heating but little vapor
- Reset and firmware
- When to contact service
1. Will Not Switch On or Will Not Charge
Start with the plain explanations, because they account for most cases.
- Check the battery. The Mighty+ manual lists an empty battery as the first cause of a unit that will not switch on: check the six-field battery display and charge it. The Crafty+ guidance is the same: make sure the battery is charged.
- Use the right cable and charger. Use the cable supplied with the device, or another original Storz & Bickel accessory. The manufacturer's ERR 003 and the Crafty+ red/green pattern both mean the charger or USB-C cable is not suitable.
- Match the charger to the job. For general charging, the Mighty+ manual recommends a USB charger of at least 5 V / 2 A. Supercharging needs a USB-C PD charger delivering at least 9 V / 3 A (27 W), and running the device from the wall (pass-through) needs 15 V / 3 A (45 W). If the second line of the display shows "SLO", the charger is low-powered, so switch to a stronger one.
- Do not expect to use a Crafty+ while it is plugged in. Storz & Bickel states that you cannot operate the Crafty+ while it is connected to a power source with the USB-C cable, and you can only switch it on again after it has charged. That is normal behaviour, not a fault.
- Try a supercharger on a Mighty+ with a flat battery. With a 15 V / 3 A supercharger, the manual says the Mighty+ can be operated even with a completely discharged battery.
When the charger is connected, a Crafty+ lights its LED briefly and vibrates, and a Mighty+ vibrates and lights its display, with the charge fields flashing upwards. If you see none of this with a known-good charger and cable, contact the service centre (see section 7).
2. Mighty+ ERR Codes and What to Do
The Mighty+ shows an error code on its display. Storz & Bickel's support page lists these:
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| ERR 001 | Battery temperature too high | Let the device cool down |
| ERR 002 | Battery temperature too low | Move it to a warmer place. Do not warm it with a stove, microwave or lighter |
| ERR 003 | Charger or USB-C cable not suitable | Use original Storz & Bickel accessories |
| ERR 004 | Device is faulty | Switch it off at once, unplug it and contact the service centre. Do not attempt a repair |
| ERR 005 | Exhaled into the vaporizer | Do not blow into the device |
| bl | Firmware could not be verified | Run the firmware update. If it fails several times, contact the service centre |
The manual gives the operating temperature as 5 °C to 35 °C, so a device brought in from the cold, or left somewhere hot, can show a temperature code. Give it time to come back to room temperature and try again. The Volcano Hybrid has its own code list, so do not mix the two: see our Volcano Hybrid error 02 guide if that is your device.
3. Crafty+ LED Patterns and What to Do
The Crafty+ has no display, so it signals problems with its LED. Per Storz & Bickel's support page:
- Red and blue blinking: the battery temperature is too high or too low. Let it cool down or warm up naturally.
- Blue (steady or flashing): the charge level. Steady blue while charging means fully charged, and flashing blue means 30% or below, or empty. See the battery guide for the full set of charge patterns.
- Red and green blinking: the USB-C cable is unsuitable. Use an original Storz & Bickel cable.
- Red and orange blinking: device error. Turn it off immediately, disconnect it from the charger and do not attempt repairs yourself. Contact the service centre.
The Crafty+ also switches off by itself after 2 minutes of inactivity, which can look like a failure to heat if you were not drawing. A short press of the power button resets that timer. If you have extended the shutdown time in the Web App, it can be up to 5 minutes. The Crafty+ has been discontinued, according to retailers (see our explainer), so speak to Storz & Bickel about service options early if you suspect a fault.
4. It Heats, But Slowly
A Mighty+ is specified at about 60 to 70 seconds to heat up, and the manual allows up to two minutes. Storz & Bickel notes that the time depends on the battery charge and the ambient temperature, so a low battery or a cold room slows it down. The Crafty+ is listed on our product page at roughly 60 to 80 seconds. The Mighty+ confirms that it has reached its base temperature with a double vibration, so wait for that before you draw.
If heat-up is much longer than this with a charged battery at room temperature, check that the charger is not the issue (try the supplied cable) and then contact the service centre.
5. It Heats, But Gives Little or No Vapor
This is the most common complaint, and the cause is usually a blockage, not a heater fault. Storz & Bickel's guidance for both devices is to start with cleaning. On the Mighty+ the manual asks you to check the cooling unit before each use and to clean it no later than 7 days after the last use. Follow this order:
- Clean the cooling unit, mouthpiece and filling chamber. Residue builds up from vapor condensate. The manufacturer recommends warm water or isopropyl alcohol, with the brush and cotton swabs, and everything must dry fully before reuse.
- Check the screens. A clogged filling chamber screen must be replaced, according to the manual. A fresh normal screen set for the Crafty, Mighty and Venty is inexpensive. Our Mighty screen maintenance guide explains cleaning and replacing them.
- Do not overfill or pack too tightly. The Mighty+ manual says to fill the chamber up to the plastic rim and warns that over-compressed or overfilled material makes inhalation harder.
- Seat the cooling unit properly. The cooling unit screws onto the Mighty+ with a 90-degree clockwise turn. The manual also asks you to make sure the seal rings are properly seated and the screen is inserted correctly when you reassemble it.
- Test the cooling unit for leaks. This is Storz & Bickel's own test. After cleaning, remove the cooling unit from the base and press a finger over the hole where the air flows through. It should be sealed. Inhale through the mouthpiece, and if you feel an airstream the cooling unit may be leaking and needs replacing.
- Raise the temperature only as a last resort. The manual advises that higher temperatures give a more burnt flavour, so adjust gently, and treat it as an adjustment, not a fix for a blockage.
If everything is clean, sealed and fitted correctly and there is still no vapor, the manufacturer's advice is to register the device for repair (an RMA). Fitting parts from our Mighty and Crafty accessories collection is the quick way to rule out a worn screen or seal first.
6. Reset and Firmware
Be clear on what each reset does, because neither is a general fix for hardware faults.
- Mighty+: holding the ON/OFF button for 10 seconds restores the base and booster temperatures to factory settings, with a vibration and a reset animation. It is a settings reset, not a power cycle.
- Crafty+: holding the power button resets the settings you made in the Web App. Storz & Bickel's Operation page says to hold it for 10 seconds and its Temperature Settings page says about 5 seconds, so hold it until the device confirms with red, green and blue running lights and a vibration.
- Firmware: the Mighty+ "bl" message means the firmware could not be verified and an update must be run. Blinking lights and connection issues are a separate topic, covered in our guide to Crafty+ and Mighty+ blinking lights, Bluetooth and app connection problems.
7. When to Contact Service
Stop and contact Storz & Bickel if you see ERR 004 on a Mighty+, a red and orange pattern on a Crafty+, a repeating code after the device has returned to room temperature, a device that shows no sign of life on a good charger and cable, or any damage to the casing or cable. Do not open the device. The manufacturer states that repairs and battery replacement must be carried out by its Service Center, and attempted repairs invalidate the warranty. The Mighty+ carries a 2-year manufacturer warranty, or 3 years if you register it within four weeks (stated on our product page), but normal battery wear is not counted as a defect. Keep your invoice for warranty questions.
Final Thoughts
Most "won't heat" and "won't charge" problems turn out to be a flat battery, the wrong charger or cable, a battery that is too hot or too cold, or a cooling unit that needs cleaning. Work through those in order, read the ERR code or LED pattern against the manufacturer's list, and leave anything that points to a faulty device to the service centre. For spare screens and fitting parts, browse the Mighty and Crafty accessories collection, or look at the current Mighty+ if it is time for a replacement.
