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Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part  

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Uija
 Uija
(@uija)
New Member
Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Hey!

I have a broken filament-sensor. Between 2 prints (and with that around 32h without printing) it seem to stop working. Suddenly the printer stopped a print after a few minutes, moving to the front right corner, telling me to change the filament. I tried it several times, and it didn't work. As I printed around half a roll of that filament before, and have the same issue with black and orange PETG from the prusa shop, it seems to not be filament related.
I turned of the sensor and printed after that for several hours without any issue!

Than the "support torture" began. I told the support what the issue is. They told me to check all connections and for broken cables. If I cannot find anything, they would send me a new sensor.
So I went and checked the cables. When I came back some days later, the told me "fine, have you disassembled the parts and looked at the sensor if it might be too dusty". I told them "no, because I bought a prebuilt one, because and didn't want to break warranty" but they told me okay.
So I went and disassamled some parts, took out the filament sensor, found it, that it is clean, cleaned it some more and built it back together.

Now they tell me, that I need to change the firmware first, before they can exchange the sensor...

WTF? It worked for hours. I have no issue with the printer, why should I update a system that is running? The sensor was running without an issue on that firmware. As a software and hardware developer I cannot think about an issue, how a firmwareupdate should fix a previous working and now not working sensor.

For me it sounds prusa doesn't want to send replacement parts. That is a really big bummer for me. I spent alot of money for a good printer, that I choose because of prusas support. I recommended the printer to several others. This behaviour lets me rethink that.

Any idea, where I can get a new sensor myself, so I can get it back to running, when Prusa doesn't want to fix the machine?

Thanks, Jens

Napsal : 24/05/2018 3:28 pm
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Hi Jens.

There have been sensor sensitivity improvements in firmware updates recently.

This may resolve your issue. Quickly. And if it doesn't. You have ticked the box. Preparing for a replacement from Prusa
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

Napsal : 24/05/2018 4:55 pm
JoanTabb
(@joantabb)
Veteran Member Moderator
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Oh.
Forgot the original request. To the best of my knowledge these sensors are created by Prusa. So the only other place you can get one. Is the prusa eShop.

I believe the information is open source. But building your own would be more expensive overall.

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

Napsal : 24/05/2018 4:59 pm
stahlfabrik
(@stahlfabrik)
Honorable Member
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

What Joan said and: it is completely normal to ask for a firmware update - especially if it improves exactly that function that you have problems with.

I also cannot wrap my head around how anybody could NOT want to install the latest 3.2.x release.

LA, and all the improvements.

Napsal : 24/05/2018 6:32 pm
SBeide
(@sbeide)
Active Member
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

I just had the same problem with red colored PLA(+) filament.
That is, why I was looking for a solution in this forum.

The suggestion to update the firmware solved my problem !!!

Thanks for solving my problem. 😀

Stefan

Napsal : 25/05/2018 12:05 pm
SBeide
(@sbeide)
Active Member
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Err... dear Joan,

first, I was quiet happy with the solution. Just an update, and the filament sensor issue is fixed.
Today, the printer was running out of filament... without noticing it ?!
So this update fix has a bad taste for me.

Is it save, to switch the filament sensor on again, or is it still activated but useless now?

Any help apreciated.

Stefan

Napsal : 04/06/2018 1:28 pm
SBeide
(@sbeide)
Active Member
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Another Update of the update

Switched the Filament sensor back "on" again, with the
result the printer stopped printing last night after 5%
(~20 min.) progress.

I had no problems, with the firmware before the last older one.

Does it help, to switch back, or is this a hardware related problem
with the Sensor ?

Greets

Stefan

Napsal : 05/06/2018 8:08 am
SBeide
(@sbeide)
Active Member
Re: Filamentsensor issue and no replacement part

Well, in my case it looks like the problem was a defective filament sensor.
I got a spare part yesterday and after changing it, I had no problems
during 4 or 5 hours continuos printing.
I cleaned the old one (almost no dust) and changed it back for testing purposes,
but with the "old" sensor, the problems remained.

Anyway... with the new sensor, everyting is fine now.

Greets

Stefan

Napsal : 20/06/2018 10:29 am
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