How to Change the Coil in a SMOK Nord

Key Takeaways

• The Nord coil is press-fit: it pulls straight out of the bottom of the pod and the new one pushes straight in, with no threads.
• SMOK makes two coils for the pod, a 0.6Ω mesh coil for sub-ohm draws and a 1.4Ω regular coil for mouth-to-lung draws.
• On a Nord 2 only the pod marked NORD on its rubber plug takes these coils; the pod marked RPM takes RPM coils.
• SMOK's support page says a fresh coil should sit about 15 minutes after filling before you fire it.
• The original Nord carries an 1100mAh battery and the Nord 2 a 1500mAh battery, so a coil change is also a good moment to top up the charge.

The SMOK Nord keeps selling because the coil is the only part that wears out, and it takes a minute to replace. The whole job is pull, push, fill, wait. The part people get wrong is the wait, and the second most common mistake is pushing a Nord coil into a pod that was built for a different series.

This guide covers the original Nord and the Nord 2 that followed it, using SMOK Nord coils and SMOK Nord 2 pods from our shelf. Every number below is SMOK's own, from its product and support pages.

What You Need

• A Nord or Nord 2 with a pod that is empty or close to it.
• A fresh coil from the Nord series. SMOK lists the 0.6Ω mesh coil as designed for sub-ohm vaping and the 1.4Ω regular coil for mouth-to-lung, and also mentions a ceramic coil for the Nord pod.
• A bottle of e-liquid and a paper towel. A dry cloth helps grip a coil that has seated hard, which is SMOK's own tip for a stuck coil.

Which Coil Goes in Which Pod

On the original Nord there is one pod and the answer is simple: any coil sold as a Nord coil fits it. SMOK's kit page describes the 0.6Ω mesh coil as having a large mesh inside for faster heating and bigger clouds, and the 1.4Ω regular coil as the one for throat hit on a tighter draw. Pick the 1.4Ω if you fill with salt nicotine and the 0.6Ω if you fill with freebase and want a looser draw.

The Nord 2 ships with two pods, and this is where the mix-ups start. SMOK says the two can be told apart by the text on the rubber plug, RPM or NORD, and that the pods take RPM series coils and Nord series coils respectively. A Nord coil will not seat in the RPM pod. If you are holding a Nord 2, flip the pod over and read the plug before you buy a coil.

How to Change the Coil, Step by Step

1. Pull the pod out of the device with a firm, straight pull.
2. Turn the pod upside down over the paper towel. If liquid is left inside, let it drain or tip it out into the bottle.
3. Grip the old coil by its base and pull it straight out. It is tight on purpose; if your fingers slip, wrap the dry cloth around it for grip, as SMOK suggests for any coil that will not come free.
4. Check the rubber seal at the base of the pod for a tear or a shred of cotton. A seal that is not clean is the usual cause of a weep after a coil change.
5. Push the new coil straight in until it stops. Do not twist; the coil is press-fit, and twisting rolls the seal.
6. Open the rubber plug on the side of the pod and fill slowly, watching the level through the e-liquid window SMOK built into the pod. Close the plug firmly.
7. Stand the pod upright and wait. SMOK's priming page says to let it stand for 15 minutes so the organic cotton is completely saturated. Its burnt-taste page adds that a few draws with the device powered off help pull liquid into the wick.
8. Seat the pod and fire. On the original Nord, SMOK says five fast presses of the button powers the device on and a long press fires it. SMOK's advice for the first several puffs is a low wattage, which on the Nord 2 means setting the screen to the bottom of the coil's range before you work up.

Reading the Light

The original Nord has no screen, so the LED around the button is your battery gauge. SMOK's page lists red below 30 percent, orange from 30 to 70 percent, and green from 70 to 100 percent. A coil change is a natural pause for a charge; a fresh coil on a red light gives a weak first impression that has nothing to do with the coil.

Symptom, Cause and Fix

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Burnt taste on the first draw	Fired before the cotton soaked	Replace the coil and give the next one the full 15-minute wait SMOK recommends.
New coil will not seat	Wrong series for the pod	Read the rubber plug: NORD takes Nord coils, RPM takes RPM coils.
Liquid in the device bay after the swap	Seal rolled or dirty, or the coil not fully pushed home	Pull the coil, wipe the seal, push straight in until it stops.
Gurgle and spit	Too many unpowered draws, or liquid in the chimney	Flick the pod downward onto a towel and wipe the contacts.
Weak vapor on a fresh coil	Battery low, or power set too low after priming	Charge to green; on the Nord 2, raise the wattage after the first few draws.
Flavor fades over time	Coil at end of life, sweetener on the mesh	Swap the coil; this is normal wear.

Which Coil for You

Pick the 1.4Ω regular coil if you draw like you would on a disposable and fill with salt nicotine. Pick the 0.6Ω mesh coil if you fill with freebase and want a warmer, looser draw with more vapor. Keep a spare pod from the Nord 2 pod set on hand if yours has gone cloudy or the seal has torn, because a worn pod undoes a good coil. The SMOK shelf and our pod systems page hold the rest of the lineup if you are ready to move up from the Nord.

FAQ

How Long Should I Wait After Installing a Nord Coil?

SMOK's priming page says 15 minutes, so the cotton is completely saturated before the first draw.

Which Nord Coil Is for Salt Nicotine?

The 1.4Ω regular coil, which SMOK describes as the mouth-to-lung coil.

Do Nord Coils Fit the Nord 2?

Yes, in the pod marked NORD on its rubber plug; the pod marked RPM takes RPM coils instead.

How Do I Turn the Original Nord On?

SMOK says five fast presses of the button powers it on, and a long press fires it.

WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.