Centauri Carbon 2: no filament coming out, clogged nozzle or errors 1243, 1263 or 1264
Guide based on the manufacturer's official documentation; usi3d has not yet verified it on a machine.
Technology: FDM · Brand: Elegoo · Symptoms: Clogged nozzle or hotend, No filament comes out, Too little filament (under-extrusion), The printer shows an error code or message · Updated on 10 October 2026
Symptom
The Centauri Carbon 2 does not extrude or under-extrudes, or stops with error 1243 (extrusion failed at the toolhead: check whether it is clogged) or with 1263 or 1264 (extrusion failed: tangled filament, jammed spool or clogged nozzle).
Likely causes, from most to least likely
- The filament: diameter out of tolerance (the PTFE tube is 2 mm inside), tangled, or the spool jammed.
- Slicer settings: a profile that does not match the filament (temperature too low or too high), or «Filament Ramming» enabled in ELEGOO Slicer, which causes 1243.
- Heat creeping up the hotend: a room above 40 °C or a heat break cooling fan that slows down or stops.
- Not enough pressure on the extruder gearbox gears, or filament debris inside it.
- Residue in the nozzle, for example after switching from a high-temperature filament to a low-temperature one without purging.
- The wrong hotend: the Centauri Carbon 2 series hotend is not the Centauri Carbon one and they are not interchangeable.
Checks to tell which one it is
- Measure 1 m of filament at five points with a caliper (Elegoo PLA is ±0.02 mm), or try another spool.
- Check that the spool turns freely and the filament is not crossed or knotted.
- Set the nozzle to 50 °C and watch whether the heat break cooling fan starts or stops now and then.
- With the nozzle at the filament temperature, press ▽ in Control → Prepare: if nothing comes out, the fault is in the gearbox or the hotend.
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
Check the filament and the slicer
Untangle the filament (always hold the end when loading it) and cut off the deformed section. In ELEGOO Slicer, use the profile of the actual material (for PLA-CF or PETG-CF, a 0.4 mm nozzle or larger) and, if «Filament Ramming» is enabled, disable it and re-slice.
Check: With the right profile or another spool, it extrudes normally.
If that does not fix it: Test the gearbox (next step).
Test the gearbox
Switch off and unplug. Remove the 4-in-1 hub (two screws, 2.0 mm key) and the print head front cover, unplug the part cooling fan, loosen the hotend screws (2.5 mm key) and lower it without disconnecting it, clear of the bed and belts. Insert a straight piece of filament into the gearbox hole, power on, set the nozzle to 170 °C (wear gloves: the loose hotend is hot) and press ▽ in Control → Prepare. Do not use Load or Unload: they home the printer with the hotend loose.
Check: The filament comes out below the gearbox.
If that does not fix it: If it does not, tighten the gears (next step).
Tighten the gearbox gears
With the printer off and unplugged, remove the toolhead frame and find the gearbox spring adjustment screw. Turn it slightly anticlockwise so the gears grip harder, without overdoing it, and repeat the test.
Check: The filament comes out below the gearbox.
If that does not fix it: If it still does not, there is debris inside: Elegoo explains how to open and clean the gearbox (mind the cutter blade); if the gears are damaged or do not grip, stop using the printer and contact their support.
Raise the temperature and extrude
Refit the hotend. Set the nozzle slightly above the profile temperature (for a 210 °C PLA, 220-230 °C), close the glass door, keep your head out of the chamber and press ▽.
Check: The filament comes out continuously.
If that does not fix it: If it does not, clear it with the needle (next step).
Clear the nozzle with the needle
Wearing heat-resistant gloves and with the nozzle hot, insert the cleaning needle vertically through the nozzle outlet and move it slowly up and down, without forcing it or moving it sideways.
Check: After cleaning, filament comes out when you press ▽.
If that does not fix it: If the needle will not go in or nothing comes out, replace the nozzle (straight away if its tip is worn) or the Centauri Carbon 2 hotend kit.
Cold pull if it under-extrudes
If it extrudes but too little, extrude some PLA at its temperature, let the nozzle cool to 70 °C and press △ to pull the filament out. Repeat until the tip comes out clean, then level again (Settings → Calibration → Auto Leveling).
Check: The filament tip comes out with no residue or burnt particles.
If that does not fix it: If it is hard to pull, remove the print head housing, release the gear pressure and pull with pliers; if nothing fixes it, contact Elegoo support.
Prevention
- After printing high-temperature filaments, purge the nozzle before switching to a low-temperature one.
- Use filament with a reliable diameter and the matching slicer profile.
- If the nozzle tip is worn, replace it instead of clearing it again and again.
- Keep the printer in a room between 5 and 40 °C.
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.
Printers it applies to
Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2.
Official sources
This guide summarises the official documentation linked here:
This guide is general information: usi3d has summarised it from the official documentation linked here, and it may not match your model, its version or its firmware. If in doubt, follow the manual and the support of your printer's manufacturer. You decide what you do with your machine, and working on it may affect its warranty.