Filling a Zippo, replacing the wick and the flint

Filling a Zippo

A new Zippo comes empty: you fill it yourself with Zippo lighter fluid. Do this away from any flame or source of fire.

1. Hold the lighter in one hand and pull the insert out of the case with the other.
2. Turn the insert over and lift the felt pad underneath. If it is hard to lift, use an unfolded paper clip.
3. Pour the fluid slowly onto the packing. Stop as soon as the fluid reaches the top of the packing or the packing changes colour.
4. Put the felt back, slide the insert into the case and close the fluid can.
5. Wipe the lighter and your hands dry before you light it.

Never overfill: according to Zippo the lighter will then leak fluid. If there is fluid on the outside, do not put it in your pocket. If you get fluid on your skin, wash it with water and mild soap.

Why your Zippo runs dry on its own

Lighter fluid evaporates, even when you do not use the lighter. So always keep the lid closed. Zippo advises refuelling before you go out.

Replacing the flint

According to Zippo, an average user replaces the flint roughly every few weeks. You notice it when the wheel still turns but no longer sparks.

1. Take the insert out of the case.
2. Unscrew the flint spring at the bottom with a small screwdriver or a coin. The spring is under tension: hold it.
3. Tap the insert gently on a hard surface to get the rest of the old flint out.
4. Put a new Zippo flint into the tube and screw the spring back in.

Note: the brass tip at the end of the spring looks like a flint, but it is not one. If the wheel binds after a new flint, turn it backwards a few times. You can keep a spare flint under the felt pad.

Trimming the wick

If the wick has turned black, pull it up about 1 cm with tweezers until you see clean wick. Then trim it level with the chimney. According to Zippo you do this once or twice a year.

Replacing the wick

A new Zippo wick is almost 10 cm long. After two or three trims it is used up and you replace it, just as when the lighter does not light properly.

1. Empty the insert: the flint spring screw, the felt pad, the packing and the old wick.
2. Thread the new wick through the hole in the chimney and bend the top part over the chimney.
3. Put the packing back in small pieces, weaving the wick between them in an S shape.
4. Check the flint is still in, put the felt back and screw the spring in.
5. Trim the wick level with the chimney and slide the insert back into the case.

If your Zippo will not light

• No spark: the wheel turns freely but does not spark? The flint is used up.
• Wheel stuck: turn it back and forth a few times or tap the lighter gently on a hard surface.
• Spark but no flame: refuel. If it still does not light, pull the wick up a little and trim off the burnt part.

Lifetime warranty

Zippo gives a lifetime warranty on every Zippo windproof lighter: if it stops working, it is repaired or replaced free of charge. The finish and decoration are not covered. In Europe you send the lighter empty, without fluid, to Zippo's European repair clinic in Germany; no proof of purchase is needed. The address is on Zippo's website.

Flying with a Zippo

Under IATA's international rules you may carry one lighter on your person, never in checked baggage, and no lighter fluid at all. Some airlines, such as Brussels Airlines, refuse fluid lighters like a Zippo. So always check with your airline first.

Frequently asked questions