Centauri Carbon: «Extrusion Abnormality» warning or no filament coming out

Symptom

The Centauri Carbon stops with the «Extrusion Abnormality» warning or stops extruding through the nozzle even though filament is loaded.

Likely causes, from most to least likely

1. The ambient temperature is high and the filament softens too early above the hotend (heat creep), especially with PLA and the chamber closed.
2. The filament is tangled or its path is obstructed.
3. The filament diameter deviates too much from spec, or the slicer profile does not match the filament (for example, PLA-CF with the regular PLA profile).
4. The extruder gear tension is insufficient.
5. There is filament debris or dirt in the gearbox, or the gear is damaged.
6. The nozzle or the hotend is clogged.

Checks to tell which one it is

• Check the room temperature: according to Elegoo, the printer works between 5 and 40 °C.
• Measure the filament with a caliper (Elegoo PLA is 1.75 mm with a ±0.02 mm tolerance) and try a spool you know is good.
• Heat the nozzle and extrude 30 mm from the screen: if it comes out properly, the problem is solved.
• To locate the fault, with the hotend removed from the print head but still connected, feed filament into the gearbox and extrude: if it comes out of the bottom of the gearbox, the problem is in the hotend or nozzle; if not, in the gear or gearbox.

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. Lower the chamber temperature

   If the room is hot, move the printer to a ventilated place within its operating range. With PLA and other low-temperature filaments, open the top cover or the door so the chamber does not overheat.

   Check: Extrusion stays stable throughout the print.

   If that does not fix it: Check the filament (next step).

2. Check filament and profile

   Untangle the filament if it is crossed, measure its diameter and choose the slicer profile that matches the actual material (composites such as PLA-CF have their own profile). Try a spool you know is good.

   Check: With the trusted spool extrusion is normal; if so, the original spool had a diameter, impurity or quality problem.

   If that does not fix it: Do the manual extrusion test (next step).

3. Manual extrusion test

   Close the door and keep your hands away from the nozzle. Heat the nozzle to the filament's recommended temperature (Elegoo gives 220-230 °C as an example for PLA), set an extrusion distance of 30 mm and press the extrude button.

   Check: The filament comes out continuously.

   If that does not fix it: Locate the fault by removing the hotend (next step).

4. Locate the fault: gear or hotend

   Switch off and unplug the printer. Remove the print head housing (disconnect the part cooling fan first), release the PTFE tube and remove the two hotend screws without disconnecting its two connectors. Switch on, feed filament into the gearbox, set the nozzle above 170 °C to disable cold-extrusion protection and extrude. Wear heat-resistant gloves: the loose hotend is hot and must not touch metal, fans or moving parts.

   Check: If the filament comes out of the bottom of the gearbox, the fault is in the hotend or nozzle (step 6); if not, in the gear or gearbox (step 5).

   If that does not fix it: Go to the step that matches the result.

5. Tension the gear and clean the gearbox

   With a 1.5 mm Allen key, turn the adjustment screw anticlockwise a quarter turn at a time to increase the gear tension and test extrusion after each adjustment. If it does not improve, take the gearbox apart (mind the cutter blade), remove the reduction gear, clean off filament debris and dust and check it for wear.

   Check: When you push filament into the gearbox inlet by hand, it feeds normally.

   If that does not fix it: If tightening does not help, the gear may be damaged: replace it.

6. Clear the nozzle with the needle

   Wearing heat-resistant gloves, set the nozzle slightly above the recommended temperature (Elegoo gives 220-230 °C as an example for PLA), insert the cleaning needle vertically through the nozzle outlet and move it slowly up and down, without moving it sideways so as not to damage the orifice. Repeat several times.

   Check: The needle goes in and, once everything is reassembled, the nozzle extrudes normally.

   If that does not fix it: If the needle will not go in or extrusion does not improve after repeating, the nozzle is badly clogged: replace it.

7. Reassemble, test and recalibrate

   Refit the hotend and the housing, extrude to check it and run the auto-leveling calibration (Settings → Calibration → Auto Leveling Calibration) before printing.

   Check: The printer extrudes properly and the calibration completes.

   If that does not fix it: Contact Elegoo support with a video of the fault, a photo of the filament label, the G-code file, the serial number (on the white sticker next to the power switch) and the firmware version.

Prevention

• With PLA and low-temperature filaments, print with the top cover or the door open so the chamber does not heat up.
• Use filament with a reliable diameter and the slicer profile that matches the material.
• Keep the printer in a place within the temperature range Elegoo specifies.

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.

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Printers it applies to

Elegoo Centauri Carbon.

Official sources

This guide summarises the official documentation linked here:

• How to Resolve «Extrusion Abnormality» Issue? · Elegoo