Centauri Carbon 2: unusual noise or vibration when printing, moving or homing
Guide based on the manufacturer's official documentation; usi3d has not yet verified it on a machine.
Technology: FDM · Brand: Elegoo · Symptoms: Noise or rubbing when the axes move, Loose belts, A fan does not spin or is noisy · Updated on 10 October 2026
Symptom
The Centauri Carbon 2 makes an abnormal noise or vibrates while printing, during idle moves or while homing.
Likely causes, from most to least likely
- The printer is not sitting well: a glass, hollow or unstable table amplifies vibration.
- A fan is noisy or does not spin smoothly.
- The X/Y belts are too tight or too loose, or worn.
- The X/Y rods are dry, dirty or damaged.
- An X or Y motor, its cable or its mainboard output.
Checks to tell which one it is
- Press the four corners: the printer must not move.
- Switch the fans on and off one at a time from the screen to see whether the noise comes from one of them.
- Move only the X axis (X+ and X-), then only Y, to find which one makes the noise.
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
Settle the printer
Place it on a firm, flat table that is not glass or hollow, and pad the feet if it rocks.
Check: When homing or moving idle, the noise is gone.
If that does not fix it: Test the fans (next step).
Test the fans
From the fan page on the screen, switch one fan on at a time and listen.
Check: No fan is noisy or spins unevenly.
If that does not fix it: If the noise comes from one, replace that fan; if not, check the belts (next step).
Re-tension the X/Y belts
With the printer off, loosen the four X/Y tensioner screws (2.0 mm key), move the print head back and forth several times so the tensioners even out the tension, check the belts for missing teeth, cracks or frayed edges and retighten the screws.
Check: The noise is gone.
If that does not fix it: If it remains, check the rods (next step).
Clean and grease the rods
With the printer off and cool, clean the X/Y rods with a lint-free cloth and alcohol, apply a thin, even coat of white lithium grease and move the print head to spread it. Look for scratches, dents or rust.
Check: The print head moves smoothly and quietly.
If that does not fix it: If a rod is damaged, replace it; if not, check the motors (next step).
Check the X/Y motors and their cables
With the printer off and unplugged (never plug or unplug a motor while powered), inspect the motor cables and their connectors on the mainboard. To tell motor from board, Elegoo suggests testing each motor on its own with a homing run and then swapping their outputs on the mainboard.
Check: You know whether the noise comes from the motor and its cable or from the board output.
If that does not fix it: Replace the faulty motor or cable; if the noise follows the board output, the mainboard is faulty: contact Elegoo support with a video of the noise.
Prevention
- Grease the X/Y and Z rods with white lithium grease now and then, sparingly: excess grease attracts dust.
- After many hours of use (especially in warm rooms), re-tension the X/Y belts: they stretch.
- Keep the printer on a firm table.
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.