Hello,
I have been trying to fix an M200 Plus printer but the extruder motor keeps stuttering and catching in on itself (both unloading/loading material). Looking through the forum, I’ve noticed a key issue to this is usually that material is stuck inside the extruder, but I have already made sure it is empty. It continues to stutter even with no material inserted into the extruder.
Additionally, we have had some previous issues with this printer that might help contextualize the problem. Right before we started having this problem, we had a warped resistor that did not fit in the hot end and threw a critical temperature error as a result. To fix it, we bent the resistor piece back into shape so that it was able to fit well enough into the hot-end that the printer no longer threw this error.
Before this, there was an issue of material getting stuck in the hot-end. This led us to replacing the hot-end.
Is it possible that any of these problems could have had a domino-effect in leading to our current issue?
I read in a previous post that another potential problem could be due to the extruder cable malfunctioning, but was hesitant to order a new one as we haven’t had any problems with this cable in the past, and doesn’t seem to make sense within the context of our history with this printer. Does anyone have any ideas on what my next step should be?
I have included a photo of how the resistor sits inside the hot-end:
Hi @maharshi,
please, have a look at the troubleshooting manual - I believe you will find useful information there. Most of all, if the extruder motor is stuttering/skipping even before you insert the material into the extruder - indeed, this is characteristic of the extruder cable’s failure. You can move the extruder cable in different directions and inspect the extruder motor as shown in the manual. The extruder PCB or motor might also be responsible for this problem, however, as the cable is a consumable part - it is recommended to swap it first.
If the material is getting stuck inside the hotend - most often either the hotend/nozzle is clogged with material residues, or heater&thermocouple are worn-out, hence the material cannot be properly heated in the hotend. It is good that you fixed the problem with the resistor to get rid of the critical temperature error - however, please note that this error could also be caused by a faulty extruder cable or PCB - unless one of these parts short-circuited and has affected one of the parts plugged into the extruder PCB. Over here you will find what components can be responsible for failsafe errors.
Most of all - have a look at the maintenance guide. Point 7 shows suggested part replacement time. Consumable parts tend to wear-out, so it is important to replace them regularly in order to keep the printer in good condition and achieve high quality prints.
Best regards
Karolina
