Ender 3 V3 SE: the Z axis does not move when homing, the gantry is crooked or the nozzle height is wrong

Symptom

On the Ender 3 V3 SE, when you press «Home» the Z axis does not move up or down, the gantry leans backwards (towards the Z motor side) or, after the height measurement, the nozzle is too high or scrapes the bed on the first layer.

Likely causes, from most to least likely

1. The Z motor cable is badly connected, at the motor or at the mainboard.
2. The gantry is not perpendicular to the platform, or the Z-axis profile has an uneven cross-section.
3. The Z offset calculated by the automatic height measurement does not match the real distance: normal values are between -1 and -3.
4. Filament residue on the nozzle tip or in the bottom left corner of the plate, where the height is measured.
5. The X axis is not level, or the bed or the slide plate is deformed, for example during transport.

Checks to tell which one it is

• Press «Home» and watch the Z axis: after X and Y homing it should rise 10 mm and then descend to home; if it does not move at all, the Z motor is not turning.
• Use a set square to check whether the Z-axis profile is perpendicular to the platform, not to the base.
• Check the Z offset value after the height measurement: values such as 0, -0.04 or -10 mean the measurement failed.

Before you start

Before taking anything apart, cleaning or adjusting it, switch the printer off and unplug it, unless a step says otherwise, and do not touch the nozzle, the heater block or the bed until they have cooled down. If in any doubt about electricity, heat or moving parts, stop and ask a professional.

Step-by-step fix

1. Reconnect the Z motor

   Switch off and unplug. Reconnect the Z motor cable at the motor and also at the mainboard.

   Check: When you press «Home», the Z axis rises 10 mm and then descends to home.

   If that does not fix it: Checking the cable continuity with a multimeter is only for people who know how; otherwise, contact Creality support.

2. Check the gantry is square

   Use a set square to check whether the Z-axis profile is perpendicular to the platform. If the gantry leans backwards, remove the Z-axis profile and check whether its cross-section is uneven.

   Check: The gantry is square to the platform.

   If that does not fix it: Contact Creality support with photos of the gantry and the set square.

3. Clean and measure the height again

   With the nozzle cold, remove residue from the nozzle tip and the plate, especially the bottom left corner, and run the leveling again.

   Check: The Z offset is between -1 and -3.

   If that does not fix it: Check the X axis and the bed (next step).

4. Check the X axis and the bed

   Check that the X axis is level and that neither the bed nor the slide plate is deformed. If the bed is badly out of level, follow Creality's after-sales bed adjustment video for the V3 SE.

   Check: The height measurement finishes with a normal offset.

   If that does not fix it: Adjust the Z offset by hand (next step).

5. Adjust the Z offset on the first layer

   If the first layer comes out squashed or not stuck, use the knob to open the settings and correct the Z-axis offset while the first layer prints, until there is about 0.1 mm between the nozzle and the platform.

   Check: The first layer sticks and is even across the whole plate.

   If that does not fix it: If the offset comes out way off on every measurement, the height measurement is failing: contact Creality support.

Prevention

• Before leveling, clean the nozzle tip and the bottom left corner of the plate.
• If the printer has been shipped or knocked, check that the X axis is still level and the bed is not deformed.
• Switch off and unplug before connecting or disconnecting a motor.

Still not fixed?

Tell usi3d's AI about your case: choose your printer, describe what you see and add photos if you like. It proposes checks step by step, with their sources.

Tell the AI about your case

Printers it applies to

Creality Ender 3 V3 SE.

Official sources

This guide summarises the official documentation linked here:

• Motor Does Not Rotate / Homing Failure / X, Y, Z, E Axis Do Not Rotate (Ender-3 V3 SE) · Creality
• Solution for the Non-verticality between Gantry and Base (Ender-3 V3 SE) · Creality
• Leveling Failure / Height Adjustment Failure (Ender-3 V3 SE, versions below 1.0.6) · Creality
• First layer not adhering / Compression layer / Leveling data error (Ender-3 V3 SE) · Creality
• Ender-3 V3 SE User Manual · Creality