1 Topic by durk

  • durk
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Topic: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

Hello,

It seems my stepper motor may have burned out but I am not sure.  It is not responding to extrusion or retraction commands from repetier, soliprint, and Simplify3d.  It was before it stopped all together working.   And right before this happened it was rotating with commands but with the commands it was clicking and not moving very fast and only in 1 direction.

I thought it might be loose so I checked the extrusion wheel and that was tight.  Then I thought it might have something stuck in it so I removed the wheel and it seems clear. 

Apparently Solidoodle has not paid their bills because when I try and submit a ticket it says they have not paid zendesk and the account has been shut off. 

Can anyone help me?  I really regret buying this piece of garbage! 

I have had this printer for 2 months and already its broken even with good care.

2 Reply by durk

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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

I have hooked the motor up to the Z power/command cable and the motor spun freely and worked.  So it appears the issue is in the motherboard or wiring.  What else can I test?  I have no idea where the extruders stepper motor connects on the mother board.

3 Reply by durk

  • durk
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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

I have hooked it back up to the motors power/command cable for the extruder.  It gets the commands now but its clicking and the post wiggles back and forth trying to move as it clicks like it is stuck.  What could be causing this?  It was working perfectly fine earlier.

4 Reply by durk

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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

So I took it off again and spun it around and it moved freely.  So thinking it was fixed put it back in and now its doing the same thing.  It was working when it got put on its end now back in the proper position its not doing anything again except clicking like and going right to left really fast like its stuck again.

5 Reply by richsphire

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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

Hmm.. I am not sure. Looks like you troubleshot it well. You might try posting it on the Solidoodle Reddit forum. You might have some luck there: https://www.reddit.com/r/solidoodle

6 Reply by Chapin (edited by Chapin 2016-02-01 14:58:55)

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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

My printer had the same problem it sounds like. In my case, it was the connector at the end of the cable on the extruder. Its not secured anywhere on that side, so when it moves about, its pulling on the connector wires, which actually broke one of them in my case. I had to initially solder the wire to the connector which only worked for a little while. I was lucky enough to have them send me a new cable which I installed and secured with zip ties so it wasn't pulling on the wires any more.

7 Reply by durk

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Re: Extruder wont extrude or retract?

Chapin wrote:

My printer had the same problem it sounds like. In my case, it was the connector at the end of the cable on the extruder. Its not secured anywhere on that side, so when it moves about, its pulling on the connector wires, which actually broke one of them in my case. I had to initially solder the wire to the connector which only worked for a little while. I was lucky enough to have them send me a new cable which I installed and secured with zip ties so it wasn't pulling on the wires any more.


this cable was zip tied to the heater power cable it has a black tube around it.  But yes it seems like it may be that point.  There isnt a lot of cable to work with.  I am still looking into it.  Though my CC company may be getting me my 700 back that I paid for this thing.  I will be happy then and probably just buy an ultimaker instead.