That specific symptom - fires when pressed, fails when released - is nearly always a contact problem rather than a dead device. The message means the device cannot read a clean electrical connection to the pod, and pressing down is temporarily forcing a connection that is not being made on its own.

Work through it in this order:

1. Clean both sides of the connection. Take the pod out and wipe the bottom of the cartridge and the contact pins in the device with a clean tissue or cotton bud. E-liquid residue and condensation build up there with use and are the single most common cause. If there is liquid pooled around the pod port, let it dry fully before testing.

2. Reseat it firmly and straight. Not at an angle, and pushed properly home.

3. Then swap the pod, because the pattern tells you where the fault is. If it happens with one pod only, that pod is worn, flooded or faulty. If it happens with every pod after cleaning, it is device-level - pins, sensor or board - and that is a support and warranty conversation rather than something to keep fiddling with.

One thing not to do: never scrape the pins with anything sharp or metal. You want to lift residue off, not bend the contacts, and a bent pin turns an intermittent fault into a permanent one. Full walkthrough is on our No Atomizer and Check Pod guide.