Hi everyone,
I bought my first prusa I3 and got my fisrt problem "_". I flashed marlin RC3 correctely and everything work excepted my extruder stepper motor. When I want to extrude pla (100mm) my stepper motor doesn't turn. There the same case when I launch a printing.

Does someone have an Idee ?
Thank You !

Is your hotend up to temperature when you try to run the extruder? Most firmware won't allow the extruder to run below a minimum (often around 170C)

Also make sure it is turning in the right direction!!! Very simple to overlook!

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Folger Tech 2020 i3 and FT-5 as well as modified JGAurora A5 with direct drive E3D/Titan. All running the BLTOUCH.
Great kits. Having fun and running the heck out of them.
Running Marlin 1.1.0 RC8 on the i3 and FT5. Custom firmware on A5.
Folger Tech Wiki board >[folgertech.wikia.com]

Hi,
thank you for your reply.all is good with the connection with the stepper motor. The nozzle is also hot.

Have you tried the following?

1. Don't load filament. Get the hotend up to working temperature (say 200C), then send a command to extrude. The extruder should run (in the right direction!). If it does run, perhaps a blockage is stopping the extruder. If it doesn't run, you have a wiring or firmware problem.
2. Load filament, get the hotend up to working temperature, then manually turn the extruder. If the filament goes through then the filament path is clear. If it doesn't there's a blockage.

I forgot to ask earlier - what controller are you using? RAMPS with Marlin firmware, or something else?

Hi david,
I already tried to do with (and without) filament and the problem is the same.
I'm using a Ramps 1.4 board with marlin RC (latest version).
What do you think about a "dead" stepper driver ?

Thank you for your replies.

Bad driver, bad motor, bad wire, bad ramps board are all possibilities. You will have to swap parts around (easier if you have spares!) to narrow down the cause. You can send M302 to allow the extruder to move even when the hotend is cold. Don't forget to turn off the power before disconnecting the stepper motor or removing a stepper driver.

It's very weird ! it's like my ramps 1.4 doesn't have any extruder to move ! When I try with the X axis stepper the extruder doesn't turn. and with the extruder stepper driver on the x axis the x axis doesn't work "_" !
So when it's normal (stepper driver of the x on x axis and extruder on extruder), i put the motor on the x driver and it's work "_" !
What does I have to do ?

OK, so if I follow you correctly, you've proved the extruder motor is working by connecting it to the X axis, so that's one thing ruled out.
The fact that the X axis stops working if you put the extruder stepper drive there indicates something is wrong with the driver. Have you checked the V-ref setting on the driver? Do you have a spare driver? If not, you should probably get a couple as they are easy to break.
The fact that the extruder still didn't work when you put the x axis driver there suggests that there is something else wrong as well, which is a shame as it's harder to fix two problems than one. Do you have a spare wire so that you check that? Ideally you want to take a known good stepper drive, wire and motor and connect them to the extruder ramps socket and see if that still works. If not there's a problem with the ramps/mega2560 or the firmware.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2016 09:29AM by JamesK.