filament not coming out of extruder (prusa i3)

Ok so when I go to print something everything works great and the extruder moves in the shape of the object and rises after every layer as it should but theres no filament coming out.

Lets start with a few questions to trouble shoot.

Are your firmware settings correct?

Is the stepper motor driver set correctly, not too much or too little power.

Does the extruder motor turn when you tell it to?
You can send a command to turn the extruder motor via gcode or use something like pronterface, see the wiki for the gcodes.

Can you turn the extruder motor by hand?
Before doing this make sure you disable / power off the motors.

Did you tighten the idler enough?
You need a good bit of pressure on the idler to make the filament move.

Release the idler and turn on the extruder.
Can you push the filament trough by hand?

Hope this helps.

I also have this issue, but my extruder stepper is operating backwards, pulls the filament out instead of pushing it through. I even reversed the connections in the plug per advice from another forum, but it still operates backward.

A few question!
What Extruder?
what electronics?
What Firmware?
Is the filament pushed into the hot end?

Quote
Grimes_1999
Ok so when I go to print something everything works great and the extruder moves in the shape of the object and rises after every layer as it should but theres no filament coming out.

Did it extrude when you ran the calibration test?

Quote
dewdaddy57

I also have this issue, but my extruder stepper is operating backwards, pulls the filament out instead of pushing it through. I even reversed the connections in the plug per advice from another forum, but it still operates backward.

May sound like a stupid question, but have you got the extruder connected to the correct driver?
I only ask because you said that you reversed the wiring and nothing changed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2015 01:46PM by GRAYWOLF.

did this get fixed? I have a similar problem running a Riorand RepRap Mega 2560 Ramps1.4 board with marlin 1.0.2 firmware on a printrbot simple. I've tried with both repetier and pronterface everything was working fine then all the sudden the extruder wants to run backward. it's runs reverse pushing either button on both programs so if I try to feed it, it pulls out and if I try to pull it out, it pulls it out. so it's not a wiring issue. I run a heat sink and fan on the extruder motor that keeps it cool so I don't think it's the stepper motor. the board I've only had a week but it's been working fine.

What slicer software are you using?
if cura, are you using the correct settings?
Is your hot end heating?
Have you pulled out the filament to check that it hasn't slipped or chewed?
Is the tension correct of the feeder?

I think they're both using slic3r. don't even need to put the filament in I can watch it turn the wrong way

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Wurtle38
I think they're both using slic3r. don't even need to put the filament in I can watch it turn the wrong way

And you tried reversing the connections on the ramps board?

You have connected it to the correct driver have you?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2015 04:01PM by GRAYWOLF.

I didn't reverse the connection because it would still be wrong. and it is connected to the correct driver, it's working now but was working a few minute ago and "flipped" again mid print

Quote
Wurtle38
I didn't reverse the connection because it would still be wrong. and it is connected to the correct driver, it's working now but was working a few minute ago and "flipped" again mid print

Flipping mid point?
Have you tried a different slicer app?

Apart from getting a magic sword and going gremlin hunting, this is odd!

I also have this happening with my newly-built Geeetech i3B kit. It all works fine for a few layers, and then suddenly the extruder begins to make a clicking sound and pushes filament back out the top instead of pulling it in; the extruder motor seems to change direction mid-print. If I fully remove the filament, I can see that the end is slightly enlarged. Cutting off this slight enlargement, and re-feeding the filament brings me back to an operational state, but not for very long before this issue reoccurs.

The printer is using a shangualolou (or some such spelling) controller board, and Repetier-host V0.90D software. I'm not sure if this is right, but the software reports it as having Marlin firmware 1.0

can anyone tell me how to get this thing to stop reversing the extruder motor please?

Quote
jal741
I also have this happening with my newly-built Geeetech i3B kit. It all works fine for a few layers, and then suddenly the extruder begins to make a clicking sound and pushes filament back out the top instead of pulling it in; the extruder motor seems to change direction mid-print. If I fully remove the filament, I can see that the end is slightly enlarged. Cutting off this slight enlargement, and re-feeding the filament brings me back to an operational state, but not for very long before this issue reoccurs.

The printer is using a shangualolou (or some such spelling) controller board, and Repetier-host V0.90D software. I'm not sure if this is right, but the software reports it as having Marlin firmware 1.0

can anyone tell me how to get this thing to stop reversing the extruder motor please?

Sounds like the filament is jamming inside the nozzle. Is there proper cooling of the nozzle/fins?

Steve

I bought the printer as a kit, and the extruder has a fan and a heat-sink, so I would assume that cooling is adequate but cannot be 100% certain.
Here is a video demonstrating the issue: [youtu.be]

Quote
jal741
I bought the printer as a kit, and the extruder has a fan and a heat-sink, so I would assume that cooling is adequate but cannot be 100% certain.
Here is a video demonstrating the issue: [youtu.be]

Not sure what controller board it uses but did you check the vref voltages/adjust the pots on the stepper drivers? Are the drivers overheating causing missed steps?

Steve

I'm not sure how to do that on this printer. I don't have any information about what voltages are supposed to be where on this "Sanguinololu " controller, or how to adjust them.

This is the printer kit i just assembled: [www.geeetech.com]

I still haven't figured mine out, but I ordered some new stepper motors to see if that's the cause. I tried turning the plug around and it still acted weird, I hope it's just the motor

In my case, I found the cause and solution. @SteveRoy, thank you for pointing me in the right direction with the motor controller voltages; it was what was causing the issue. By manually adjusting the potentiometer on the motor controller board, I was able to both force the problem too re-occur (motor driver set too high - extruder motor ran in reverse), and fix the problem (reduced motor driver - issue resolved).

Not knowing what to do with the motor driver (what voltage to measure where, during what operation), I did some searching and found this very helpful information: [rigidtalk.com]

@Wurtle38, I hope you find this useful also.

- James.

The 2nd Q&A post by cyberfly here is so good it should get pinned somewhere in the forum if it's not there already.
It just covers everything, and I've just resolved a similar issue (and I was a bit in a panic) looking point by point to this Q&A. It was both firmware (not the good settings for my extruder) and idler (not enough pressure) related for me ...
So, thanks cyberfly and everyone involve here.

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Plan B : Print Plan A again until it works.

Hi, I have a kit built i3 clone.
I've cleaned my nozzle and relevelled the Hotbed but filament doesn't extrude. Also the carriage crashes into x end stop on homing. Any ideas please? Keep it simple as I'm old and slow.

Hi, I am new here. But had the problem with the Mk8 hotend that ships with most china clones.

The issue was not enough cooling on the coldend of the setup making the plast jam the extruder. Fixed this with allways have fan on around 90% and it works, but I am not able to get over about 180 degrees celsius. But I bet this is heater related.