MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
Hiya!
So I recently purchased an i3 MK3S and have had it in my possession for two days now - I just printed the Batman benchmark print included on the SD card, and, after removing the filament, I cannot put any more in. Every time I press 'load filament' it moves about a quarter of a centimeter, and then it makes a clicking noise, and it does not extrude anything. I consulted the manual and I have put the acupuncture needle into the nozzle and heated it and left it for a minute or two to potentially clear blockage, but only a minute amount of filament came out, hardly enough to cause an issue. The pulley in the access hole is also clear. The Self Test came back okay, but this is seriously concerning me, and I was wondering if anyone had a fix for this, since I'd like to get back to making fun stuff in Prusa quality. Would I need to take it apart? Should I keep the heat on for longer? What do I do?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.
RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
Post photos of the Bondtech area with the door open ...
Generally you've left some melted filament in the heat break or PTFE and the new filament won't fit. But manually inserting filament can get past the remnants plugging the path.
But a couple of other questions: what was the filament you were printing with that you unloaded? And what is the filament you are trying to load? And, did you buy a prebuilt or is this a kit?
RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
[...] after removing the filament, I cannot put any more in. Every time I press 'load filament' it moves about a quarter of a centimeter, and then it makes a clicking noise, and it does not extrude anything.
Sounds like you've got a good old fashioned clog. These aren't a big deal. Try this:
- Raise Z to max.
- Open the extruder housing door.
- Inspect the top of the white PTFE tube below the gear. If you can see the top of the snapped filament, use tweezers to pull it out.
- Set nozzle temp to 285C.
- Use a 6in/15cm 1.5mm rod (e.g. brass available from hobby stores) or a small hex wrench to poke down from the top, past the open Bondtech gear and into the PTFE tube. With any luck, you'll be able to push the stuck bit down into the hotend where it'll melt and be extracted, or at least far enough you can feed filament down after it. Brace the extruder with your free hand to avoid twisting, and don't press too hard.
- You can also try removing the nozzle and poking from above or below.
- If you encounter an obstruction that won't ease out, try holding the rod with pliers and pushing from below. The rod will heat up and hopefully melt whatever's blocking the path, poking up and out of the PTFE tube to where you can grab it.
If the filament path is clear, you may have a clogged nozzle. Read up on cold pulls to clear it or replace it with a known-good one. Be sure to follow E3D's recommended nozzle changing procedure.
I've got some pics of the process here. If this doesn't work, you may need to tear the extruder down and possibly replace the PTFE tubing. I haven't had to in over 18 months.
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RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
Yes this used to happen to me a lot. Try to clean it, in case it is a jam. if that doesn’t work try tightening the extruder-idler to get a better grip on the filament. If it isn’t tight enough sometimes the bondtech won’t engage and move the filament enough, causing it to click.
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RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
Some more details - I removed red Hatchbox 1.75 mm PLA and attempted to put in Silver Prusament PLA.
I'll remove the nozzle and take a quick look, and thanks again for everyone's advice.
RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
My initial thought is switching filaments from PETG to PLA ... and the PETG isn't melting at PLA temps ... a simple clog. And my questions above.
RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
Some more details - I removed red Hatchbox 1.75 mm PLA and attempted to put in Silver Prusament PLA.
I'll remove the nozzle and take a quick look, and thanks again for everyone's advice.
Be sure to follow the E3D nozzle change procedure, or Prusa's (the 45 degree move done after removing the hot nozzle is confusing, but can be helpful), or you will only be adding to your problems.
RE: MK3S Nozzle Issue(?)
I got it fixed! Thanks everyone for the help! (I used a brush to push the broken filament scraps to the nozzle :D)