Ender-3 V3 SE Troubleshooting Guide: Usage & Issues

In this article, we will delve into some common issues encountered while using the Creality Ender-3 V3 SE 3D printer, including X-axis and Y-axis motion anomalies, unresponsive machines, motor issues, temperature deviations, and more.

We'll provide the cause analysis and solutions to these problems to help you get back to printing as quickly as possible.

Ender-3 V3 SE Troubleshooting Guide X-Axis Motion Anomaly Sound 1. Phenomenon Description

Abnormal noise during the movement of the X-axis.

2. Cause Analysis

1. Motor wire bad connection.

2. Belt Over-tightened/Over-loose.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Check motor wires for proper connection, including the transfer board if applicable.

2. Re-adjust the belt tension.

3. Turn off the machine, unplug motor wires, move the axis manually, and check for abnormal noise.

X-Axis Movement Stuttering 1. Phenomenon Description

The X-axis movement exhibits minor/severe stuttering.

2. Cause Analysis

1. Pulley assembly issues.

2. Pulley/profile damage.

3. Loose X-axis belt.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Power off, unplug motor wires, move X-axis manually, and check for jamming.

2. Inspect pulley and profile for damage.

3. Check if the X-axis belt is too loose.

4. Adjust X-axis pulley eccentric nut, and check for improvement.

5. If the issue persists, contact cs@creality.com.

Y-Axis Motion Anomaly Sound 1. Phenomenon Description

Abnormal noise during the movement of the Y-axis.

2. Cause Analysis

1. Improperly connected motor wire.

2.Print parameter settings.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Check motor and transfer board wires for proper connection.

2. Verify printing parameters, especially idle speed (<150mm/s).

3. Power off, disconnect motor wires, move the axis manually, and check for abnormal noise.

Y-Axis Movement Stuttering 1. Phenomenon Description

The Y-axis movement exhibits minor/severe stuttering.

2. Cause Analysis

1. Y-axis motor wire not unplugged during power-off.

2. Transportation collisions causing optical axis deformation.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Move the platform manually after powering on to eliminate the issue.

2. Check lubrication on the optical shaft and apply grease if necessary.

3. Remove the optical axis, check for deformities on a smooth platform.

X-Axis Pulley (V-Wheel) Wear 1. Fault Phenomenon

X-axis pulley shows wear before 50 hours of printing.

2. Cause Analysis

High-speed printing + V-wheel material issues lead to wear after prolonged use.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

V-wheels are prone to wear due to continuous movement and dust accumulation.

After replacement, slight mismatches may occur initially but will improve after wear-in.

Nozzle Clog/Extrusion Issues 1. Fault Phenomenon

Nozzle doesn't extrude material.

2. Cause Analysis

Nozzle/throat clog.

Material jammed in the extruder.

Extruder motor not rotating/E-axis not turning.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Clean nozzle and throat according to after-sales video.

Check for material jam in the extruder.

Follow troubleshooting steps for E-axis motor issues.

Model Adhesion/First Layer Issues 1. Fault Phenomenon

Difficulty in removing thin models (e.g., A4 paper test).

2. Cause Analysis

Discrepancy between Z-axis compensation and actual distance.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Soften the model by heating the bed to 80-90°C.

Update firmware to version 1.0.4 or higher.

Suggest PEI/K1 platform purchase.

Temperature, Heating, and Leveling Issues (V1.0.6) Fault Image

Cause analysis

The printer has not detected the SD card

Troubleshooting and solution

1. Check if there is an SD card inserted into the machine.

2. Check if the SD card in the slot is loose.

3. Reinsert the SD card and check if the machine can read the card normally; if it still doesn't work, please reformat the card.

Fault Image

Cause analysis

During the hotend heating process, the temperature rises within a certain period of time and did not reach the preset value.

Troubleshooting and solution

If you have a multimeter, measure whether the voltage of the mainboard nozzle heating port is consistant during heating.

After checking the above steps, if the problem still cannot be solved, please contact after-sales service

Fault Image

Cause analysis

During the hotbed heating process, the temperature rose within a certain period of time and did not reach the preset value.

Troubleshooting and solution

If you have a multimeter, measure whether the voltage of the mainboard nozzle heating port is normal during heating.

After checking the above steps, if the problem still cannot be solved, please contact after-sales service cs@creality.com

Fault Image

Cause analysis

Generally, power failure resumption/printing resumption or machine restarting can lead to this alarm.

Troubleshooting and solution

1. Check whether the power connection cable is loose. It is best to change the socket and test again.

2. Preheat the heating bed and nozzle separately, keep it for more than 20 minutes, and check whether it will restart.

3. Preheat the nozzle and heating bed at the same time, keep it for more than 20 minutes, and check whether it will restart.

Fault Image

Cause analysis

This issue usually triggers an alarm upon startup, commonly due to hotend thermistor open circuit/thermistor short circuit.

Troubleshooting and solution

1. Restart and Execute Auto PID

2. Unplug and Replug the Hot End Thermistor cable

Fault Image

Cause analysis

This issue usually triggers an alarm upon startup, commonly caused by hotbed thermosensitive loose connection/thermosensitive short circuit.

Troubleshooting and solution

1. Restart and Execute Auto PID

2. Unplug and Replug the Hot Bed Thermistor cable

Fault Image

Cause analysis

After checking the leveling 5 times (the position was different each time), the leveling data difference each time was too large.

Leveling compensation value exceeds preset error.

Troubleshooting and solution

Check the connection between the counter-height module adapter board and the main board for any looseness.

Fault Image

Cause analysis

The hot bed (build plate) is severely uneven which has led to repeated failures in leveling.

Troubleshooting and solution

Refer to After-sales Tutorial https://youtu.be/iaExzAYR_Fo

Fault Image

Cause analysis

CR-touch Self-check Abnormality

Troubleshooting and solution

1. Unplug and Re-plug the CR-touch, and the nozzle adapter board ribbon cable. (Note that both ends need to be re-plugged)

2. Check the status of the CR-touch, whether the red light is flashing / there is no light flashing; whether the probe can be probed normally twice after the machine is turned on.

First layer not adhering/Compression layer/Leveling data error (exceeding ±1.2mm) 1. Phenomenon description 1

The first layer of the printed model is not sticking on the platform or the nozzle is scraping the platform,Compression layer.

2. Cause Analysis

The Z-axis compensation value provided after automatic height detection deviates from the actual distance.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Adjust the Z-axis compensation slightly when printing the first layer;

Upgrade the firmware to version 1.0.4 or above.

4. Phenomenon description 2

The first layer print in specific area does not adhere / nozzle scraping the platform, layer compression; leveling data deviation is too large.

5. Cause Analysis

X-axis assembly offset, hot bed deformation, and slide plate deformation due to transportation reasons.

6. Troubleshooting and Solution

Check whether the X-axis leveled, hot bed, and slide platform are deformed.

Adjust leveling data.

Please refer to the post-sales tutorial for specific operation steps：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaExzAYR_Fo

Unresponsive Machine after Clicking Print 1. Phenomenon description

After selecting the file and clicking print, the device enters the printing interface. The temperature has no preset values (the normal value is 205°C for the nozzle and 65°C for the hot bed), and it is constantly stuck in this interface.

2. Cause Analysis

Gcode file naming contains Chinese/special characters.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Restart the machine, rename the Gcode file with letters or numbers again.

2. Print Gcode files with in the memory card come with machine.

The Print Progress Bar Quickly Ends 1. Phenomenon description

The print progress bar quickly ends.（Link to the malfunction video：https://youtu.be/nZ0lIf_zmNo）

2. Cause Analysis

1. CR-Touch abnormal obe not popping out will cause the progress bar to run very quickly.

2. SD Storage Card/Slicing Issues.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. To do the auto-home and check the CR-touch probe if it is functioning normally, check if the indicator light status on CR-touch is normal (usually, the red light flashing indicates a problem on CR-touch).

2. Format card, Print the supplementary file (In the memory card come with machine) for verification.

Automatic Feeding Function Abnormality 1. Phenomenon description

The auto-feed feature continuously feeds filament without stopping after clicking confirm.

2. Troubleshooting and Solution

Please refer to the after-sales video to update the firmware to version V 1.0.6 and higher. https://youtu.be/8oRuCusCyUM

The Mainboard does not Read the Card 1. Phenomenon description

The machine can not read when the SD card is inserted.

2. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Format the card according to FAT32-4096, If the card is still not readable, you can try to verify with another SD card.

2. Insert the card into the card reader, test the card with a computer to determine whether the card can be read normally.

Motor Abnormal Noise 1. Phenomenon description

Motor noise during movement or printing.

2. Cause Analysis

Poor motor wire connection.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Check and reconnect motor wires, inspect for abnormalities.

Motor Does Not Rotate / Homing Failure / X, Y, Z, E Axis Do Not Rotate 1. Phenomenon description

After clicking on 'Home', the faulty axis motor does not rotate. Taking the Z-axis as an example: Normally, after the XY-axis completes homing, the Z-axis should first rise by 10mm, then descend to complete Z-axis homing. If the Z-axis does not move at all after the XY-axis finishes homing, it indicates that the Z-axis motor is not rotating.

2. Cause Analysis

Motor wires are not connected properly.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Reconnect the motor cable of the malfunctioning axis. (The motherboard end also needs to be reconnected.)

2. Measure Drive Voltage (Only E-axis measurable), Measure Wire Harness Continuity.Please refer to the tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0PsS8H5PXE

Fan does not Work, Fan Abnormal Noise 1. Phenomenon description

Fan doesn't work, Fan abnormal sound, Fan noise.

2. Cause Analysis

1. Fan wiring loose or damaged.

2. Something blocking the fan, Fan blade broken.

3. Fan screw loose, wire interference.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Check whether something is stuck in the fan, clean the fan.

2. Check if the cooling fan screws are loose, tighten the screws again.

3. Check if the fan is broken, No wire interference.

4. If it's the adapter board end of the fan, you can interchange the throat tube fan and model fan wiring at the adapter board end.

5. Use a multimeter to measure the voltage of the fan terminal (mainboard & adapter board port) to see if it's normal (around 5V).

Restart When Clicking Auto-Leveling（Heat and Restart） 1. Phenomenon description

Click to Level, The machine reboots when it returns to the lower left corner after homing/The device reboots immediately after the machine preheats.

2. Cause Analysis

The voltage setting does not meet the local standard for overseas users.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Before powering on, please adjust the voltage to meet the local standard.

2. Please disassemble the base plate and check if there are any loose connections with the power supply and motherboard.

3. Please heat the nozzle separately/heat the hotbed separately, and check if the machine will restart, if unable to heat the nozzle and heat bed simultaneously,Check if the machine will reboot.

The Machine is Stuck on the Startup Interface/Blue Screen Interface/Fail to Boot 1. Phenomenon description

The machine is stuck on the startup screen.

2. Cause Analysis

Firmware update Failure

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Please refer to the after-sales video to re-flash the firmware.https://youtu.be/8oRuCusCyUM

Extruder Noise During Printing/Retraction Anomaly Noise 1. Phenomenon description

The extruder makes a clicking sound while printing.

2. Cause Analysis

The retraction speed is setting too fast.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Modify the printing parameters, changing the retraction speed from 40mm/s to 25mm/s.

Print Layer Texture 1. Phenomenon description

The model shows layer lines.

2. Cause Analysis

1. The print head is wobbling.

2. Belt Loosen.

3. X-axis motion stuttering.

4. Hotend kit loosening.

5. Parameter abnomaly.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Adjust the eccentric nut on the X-axis.

2. Re-adjust the tension of the belt.

3. Check if the pulley/profile is damaged, unlock the motor and move the X-axis to check for any jamming issues.

4. Check if the screws fixing the nozzle assembly are loose.

5. Check if the printing parameters was modified, such as acceleration, outer wall speed, etc., you can test the Gcode files in supplementary file (In the memory card come with machine).

Screen Artifacting、Graininess 1. Phenomenon description

2. Cause Analysis

Electrostatic Interference

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Turn off the power and reboot the machine.

2. Reflash the firmware (both the mainboard firmware and the screen firmware need to be reflashed).

Y-axis Movement and Screw Friction

1. Phenomenon description

Y-axis movement friction with screws, Y-axis platform deformation.

2. Cause Analysis

Packaging/transportation issues.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

Replace Y-axis platform, check machine SN.

Leveling Failure / Height Adjustment Failure(Applicable for versions below 1.0.6) 1. Phenomenon description

1. Pop-up error for leveling failure

2. Build plate scratched by the nozzle

3. Error occurred after only detecting a few points during the 16-point leveling process

4. The nozzle keeps height-adjusting at the lower left corner, after repeating five times it returns to zero without proceeding with the 16-point leveling, Error Occurrence.

2. Cause Analysis

Fault phenomena 1.2 , 1. 4 can be determined as height offset issues. In this case, you can check the Z-axis compensation value. If values like -0.04, 0, -10 are observed(Exaggerated values, normal compensation values range between -1 and -3, some may slightly exceed)， it can be determined that the height calibration has failed.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. For Cause Analysis 1,The high adjustment module can be directly replaced.

2. For Cause Analysis 2, please refer to the after-sales video -- Heat Bed Adjustment Video for troubleshooting.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaExzAYR_Fo

Blue screen after firmware update/How to determine if the firmware update was successful/Firmware upgrade failure 1. How to determine if the firmware has been successfully updated(Reference Video:https://youtu.be/8oRuCusCyUM )

1. Screen Firmware

Inserting the TF card and powering on, firmware update interface will pop up. Once the upgrade progress (percentage) is completed, it will show Update Successful on screen.

NOTE: After updating, you need to shut down and remove the TF card (If the firmware update fails, refer to the after-sales tutorial https://youtu.be/8oRuCusCyUM，repeat this step.).

2. Motherboard Firmware

After inserting the SD card with the motherboard firmware, the boot blue screen display takes longer than normal startup; if the update fails, it is recommended to rename the firmware like 123.bin and update repeatedly/change cards and then update the firmware again.

Note: After the firmware is successfully updated, the firmware in the SD card needs to be deleted.

Large Temperature Fluctuation 1. Phenomenon description

When heating the hotend/hotbed temperature fluctuates significantly (Premise: temperature can reach set value)

2. Cause Analysis

1. The pre-set PID temperature of the machine is not suitable for the local environmental temperature.

2. Insufficient heating power.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Run the automatic heat bed/nozzle PID . (Control - Temperature - Auto PID)

2. If you have a multimeter, measure the voltage on the mainboard hotend/hotbed ports when heating. https://youtu.be/pa26JHvucrs

Solution for the Non-verticality between Gantry and Base 1. Phenomenon description

The gantry is not perpendicular to the base, it tilts towards the back (on the side of the Z-axis motor).

2. Cause Analysis

The inspection measures the perpendicularity of the Z-axis material to the platform, not the perpendicularity of the Z-axis material to the surface of the base.

3. Troubleshooting and Solution

1. Measure the perpendicularity of the profile and the platform using a right angle ruler.

2. Remove the Z-axis profile, check if the profile cross-section is uneven.

Hotbed/Platform Wobbling 1. Cause Analysis

Loose screws between hotbed and linear bearing block.

2. Troubleshooting and Solution

Tighten screws, contact after-sales for bearing replacement.

For specific videos and additional support, refer to provided links. If issues persist, contact after-sales service at cs@creality.com .

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