Clogged nozzle or hotend
27 usi3d guides for “Clogged nozzle or hotend”, each with the likely causes, how to check which one is yours and the step-by-step fix, with each manufacturer's official sources.
5 apply to any FDM printer and 22 are for Anycubic, Bambu Lab, Creality, Elegoo, Flashforge, Prusa, Qidi, Sovol and UltiMaker printers.
Each guide summarises the official documentation and says whether usi3d has already verified it on a machine.
Any FDM printer (2 guides)
- Nozzle clogs or stops extruding mid-print (heat creep)
The printer keeps moving but little or no plastic comes out, often after printing fine for a while.
- PLA in an enclosed printer: it clogs mid-print because the chamber gets too hot
With PLA in an enclosed printer (with door and lid), the print starts fine and after a while stops extruding or extrudes in bursts; the extruder may click and the…
Materials and filament (3 guides)
- Carbon or glass fibre filaments: they wear the nozzle, clog or snap
With PLA-CF, PETG-CF, PA-CF or other fibre-filled filaments (also glow-in-the-dark or wood ones), less and less material comes out as the nozzle wears, the nozzle clogs…
- Silk PLA and PLA+: which temperature to use and why they lose shine, have weak layers or clog
Silk PLA comes out matte or with uneven shine, its layers split easily or it clogs at high speeds; or you do not know which temperature to use for a PLA+ because it does…
- TPU and flexibles: they tangle in the extruder, jam in the tube or the multi-colour system, or string
With TPU or another flexible filament, the filament buckles and tangles in the extruder gears, does not feed through the PTFE tube (especially on Bowden printers or long…
Anycubic (2 guides)
- Kobra 3 or Kobra S1 with ACE Pro: error 11511, 11512 or 11518 (filament will not feed, will not retract or jams)
The Kobra 3 Combo, or the Kobra S1 with the ACE Pro, pauses with code 11511 (on the Kobra 3, «Extrusion abnormal»), 11512 («Retraction abnormal») or 11518 («Filament…
- Kobra S1: little or no filament comes out (hotend clog or error 11518)
On the Kobra S1 the extruder motor turns but little or no filament comes out, the extruder clicks, or the extruded line is thinner than normal and the walls have gaps.
Bambu Lab (8 guides)
- A1 and A1 mini with AMS lite: won't load, won't extrude or won't pull the filament out of the toolhead
With the AMS lite, the A1 or A1 mini stops when loading or changing colour with alerts such as «Unable to feed filament into the extruder», «Failed to extrude the…
- A1 and A1 mini: not extruding or under-extruding (clogged nozzle, slipping extruder or nozzle too low)
The A1 or A1 mini extrudes no filament or too little: the first layer comes out with almost no plastic, the extruder gear clicks and skips, or it turns but nothing comes…
- H2D: extrusion motor overloaded (0300-0900-0002-0001) or one nozzle stops extruding
The H2D pauses the print with an alert saying the extrusion motor is overloaded and that the extruder may be clogged or the filament stuck in the toolhead, or one of the…
- The AMS won't load filament: «Failed to feed», assist motor overloaded or no extrusion
With an AMS (also AMS 2 Pro or AMS HT) loading or a colour change stops with an alert: the filament does not leave the AMS (0700-8005, «Failed to feed the filament…
- The AMS won't unload filament: it won't leave the extruder, won't return to the AMS or «filament broken in the toolhead»
When unloading or changing colour, the AMS stops with an alert: it cannot pull the filament out of the extruder (0700-8003), cannot return it to the AMS (0700-8004…
- The filament cutter gets stuck («The cutter is stuck») or fails to cut
When unloading or changing colour, the printer stops with «The cutter is stuck» (for example 0300-800B, 0700-8002 with the AMS or 1200-8002 with the AMS lite) or with…
- X1 and P1: clogged nozzle or hotend (0300-4006) and how to clear it
The X1 or P1 stops extruding or extrudes little and unevenly, the filament curls when extruded by hand, or the printer reports a clogged nozzle (0300-4006 or 0300-8016).
- X1 and P1: the extruder clicks, chews the filament or is clogged (cleaning and greasing)
The X1 or P1 extruder clicks or grinds, there is dust or filament debris on the yellow gear, the filament comes out chewed or deformed next to the gear, or filament will…
Creality (3 guides)
- Ender 3 V3 SE or KE: no filament comes out, the nozzle clogs or the extruder clicks
On the Ender 3 V3 SE or Ender 3 V3 KE no filament comes out of the nozzle, the filament cannot be retracted, the extruder clicks while printing or its gear does not turn…
- The K1 is not extruding: the gear spins or clicks (jam in the extruder or hotend)
On the K1, K1C or K1 Max no plastic comes out of the nozzle even though the extruder gear turns, sometimes with knocking or clicking.
- The K2 Plus CFS will not load or retract filament (codes FR2833, FR2836, FB2847…)
With the CFS (the multi-material system) the K2 Plus stops when loading, retracting or changing colour and shows a code starting with F, for example FR2833 (feed issue)…
Elegoo (3 guides)
- Centauri Carbon 2 with CANVAS: filament will not load or unload (errors 1241, 1242, 1251 or 1265)
With CANVAS (standard on the Combo), the Centauri Carbon 2 cannot bring the filament to the print head or pull it back: the slot light flashes red, the print pauses and…
- Centauri Carbon 2: no filament coming out, clogged nozzle or errors 1243, 1263 or 1264
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…
- Centauri Carbon: «Extrusion Abnormality» warning or no filament coming out
The Centauri Carbon stops with the «Extrusion Abnormality» warning or stops extruding through the nozzle even though filament is loaded.
Flashforge (1 guide)
- Adventurer 5M, 5M Pro or AD5X: no filament comes out, too little comes out or the nozzle is clogged
The printer does not extrude when loading or starting a print, too little plastic comes out (parts with missing material or fuzz), or the extruder creaks when loading by…
Prusa (1 guide)
- The MMU3 does not load, does not unload or the filament gets stuck
The MMU3 stops at a colour change and the printer shows an error, for example «FINDA didn't trigger» (#04101), «FINDA: Filament stuck» (#04102), «Filament sensor didn't…
Qidi (1 guide)
- QIDI Plus4: filament jams in the extruder or the hotend
On the Plus4 the filament stops feeding or does not come out of the nozzle: it is stuck inside the extruder or in the hotend.
Sovol (2 guides)
- SV06: clogs mid-print or under-extrudes (bi-metal heat break, retraction and gear)
On the SV06 the print fails at a random height because filament stops coming out, or too little plastic comes out and the part has gaps.
- SV08: no filament comes out, the extruder spins without feeding or it clogs mid-print
On the SV08 the extruder turns but no filament comes out, loading works but it clogs during the print, the nozzle does not extrude although filament comes out once the…
UltiMaker (1 guide)
- UltiMaker S: print core not recognised, incompatible or clogged, or the feeder grinds the filament
The UltiMaker S reports that it does not recognise a print core or that it is not compatible with the loaded material; or material does not flow consistently (gaps, thin…
Products that may help
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