Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
I got everything set up tonight and after finally calibrating my Mini, I was able to successfully print the whistle and a battle axe for my son's action figure. However, when I tried printing something with supports, about 70% of the way through, the filament stopped coming out and when I tried to purge and then unload it, nothing happens. It seems like I have to remove the brass nut and then manually unclog the nozzle/extender, but I wanted to be sure first. This is my first 3d printer, so I'm definitely new to this. Thanks for the help..
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
I just had almost the exact experience. Came across this post looking for a solution. I have gone through a number of the trouble shooting steps in the manual to no avail. Set-up and first part print went fantastic.
Jim
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
We really need an FAQ , this is probably the #1 question.
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
I probably should have searched a while before posting.
https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/assembly-and-first-prints-troubleshooting/extruder-failure-blockage/
Jim
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
Well, I was able to take apart some of the "hotend" (I think I'm using that term correctly) and there was a piece of filament broken off and sticking out the PTFE tube. I couldn't pull it out, but I cleaned the nozzle, then heated it up to 260 and manually pushed the filament through. I was able to manually push some additional filament through (like a chase wire forcing any older filament out) and manually back out the spool. I thought I was in good shape and put everything back together, but now, when I try to load filament through the sensor, the motor doesn't seem to want to pick it up...I don't even hear the motor start trying to grab the end of the new filament as I'm loading it.
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
@sturmie
If you get a clog like this again, consider opening the Bondtech idler door and then pushing a 1.5mm Alen key down the filament hole, and onto the top of the broken filament, then when the nozzle is heated to extrusion temperature, you should be able to push the remaining filament through with the Allen key.
for today's issue, if you look in from the side, can you see the Bondtech gear turning whilst the printer is trying to load?
Are you using Auto Load, or Manually selecting Load Filament off the LCD?
Does the filament status sensor show 1 or 0?
if the filament sensor is showing 1 and you are trying to use autoload. then it won't work because the controller thinks it's already loaded...
if this is the case, then your filament sensor might be out of adjustment...
Regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
So, it would appear that my extruder motor isn't running at all when trying to load filament. I popped open the little hatch at the top to expose the gear, and that doesn't move at all when I load filament from the console.
(Sorry for the double reply, I couldn't edit my last post).
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
@sturmie
If you get a clog like this again, consider opening the Bondtech idler door and then pushing a 1.5mm Alen key down the filament hole, and onto the top of the broken filament, then when the nozzle is heated to extrusion temperature, you should be able to push the remaining filament through with the Allen key.
for today's issue, if you look in from the side, can you see the Bondtech gear turning whilst the printer is trying to load?
Are you using Auto Load, or Manually selecting Load Filament off the LCD?Does the filament status sensor show 1 or 0?
if the filament sensor is showing 1 and you are trying to use autoload. then it won't work because the controller thinks it's already loaded...if this is the case, then your filament sensor might be out of adjustment...
Regards Joan
Where do I see if the autoload sensor is showing a 1 or a 0? I looked in the LCD under the various menus and couldn't find it.
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
try 'Support' then 'Sensor Status'.
if yos have a mk3S
below Pinda and Finda, the bottom item should be IR: o, or IR: 1
IR: 1 means that the printer thinks it has filament loaded...
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
@joantabb
I have a Mini...I don't see a menu for "Support", sorry.
RE: Prusa Mini - filament stopped coming out, won't purge or unload now
After live chatting with Prusa support, it would appear that my extruder went bad (didn't even last 6 hours, that's a bit discouraging). They're sending me a new one...I'm definitely learning A LOT about 3d printing :).