Both P1S Printers Suddenly Failing Prints and Clogging

Bambu Lab P Series Troubleshooting
1

Hello everyone!

I have two Bambu Lab P1S printers, and for the past two months, both of them have suddenly started behaving strangely.

What is particularly strange is that both printers started developing essentially the same problems around the same time. I am experiencing issues such as:

  • Nozzle clogs

  • Filament getting stuck in the extruder

  • Prints continuing “in the air” — the printer continues moving as if everything is normal, but at some point it stops extruding filament and continues printing without filament.

  • Increasingly frequent failures, especially when attempting multi-color prints.

What I have tried so far

1. Complete cleaning and maintenance

I completely cleaned both printers, lubricated the axes, and replaced the PTFE tubes.

Result: 0 improvement.

2. Replaced the original extruder gears

I replaced the original extruder gears with BIQU Panda Claw Extruder Gear on both printers.

Result: 0 improvement.

3. Hardened Steel nozzles

Before these problems started, I had replaced the original nozzles with Hardened Steel nozzles. I am mentioning this for information, although the printers worked normally after the nozzle replacement and the problems appeared later.

4. Factory reset

I performed a factory reset on both printers and configured them again from scratch.

Result: 0 improvement.

5. Bambu Studio software

I completely removed everything related to Bambu Lab software from my PC and reinstalled/reconfigured everything.

Result: 0 improvement.

Both printers are currently running the latest firmware.

However, during this troubleshooting period, I also tried downgrading the firmware to several previous versions, from 1.7 through 1.10, testing each version with both small and large prints.

The problems remained exactly the same regardless of the firmware version.

So far, I have not been able to identify any firmware version that makes a difference.

I also completely cleaned both AMS units.

Since I had no idea what else to try, I also reset the AMS IDs.

Result: no improvement.

At this point, I can basically forget about reliable multi-color printing.

Even very simple two-color black-and-white prints can fail. I don’t even consider attempting anything with three or four colors anymore.

One other thing that may be relevant: these printers have quite a lot of operating hours.

  • P1S #1: 3,500+ printing hours

  • P1S #2: almost 5,500+ printing hours

Despite the high number of operating hours, both printers have been extremely reliable until approximately two months ago. The fact that they both started exhibiting very similar problems around the same time is what makes this particularly confusing.

At this point, I am honestly starting to wonder whether there could be a broader issue that I am completely overlooking.

I am even starting to question whether there is any possibility of something similar to “Apple-style product obsolescence” happening here — in other words, whether older machines could somehow be becoming less reliable or less supported as newer models are introduced.

I really hope this is not the case, because I genuinely like these printers. In fact, I have been extremely impressed with the P1S and have no desire to replace them with newer models just because they are older.

I would much rather find the actual cause of the problem and keep using these machines.

So, to summarize:

  • Both P1S printers developed similar problems within roughly the same period.

  • Both have been thoroughly cleaned and maintained.

  • PTFE tubes have been replaced.

  • Extruder gears have been replaced.

  • Hardened Steel nozzles were installed before the problems started.

  • Both printers have been factory reset.

  • Bambu software was completely removed and reinstalled.

  • Multiple firmware versions were tested, including downgrades from 1.7 through 1.10.

  • Small and large test prints were performed.

  • Both AMS units were completely cleaned.

  • AMS IDs were reset.

  • Nothing has solved the problem.

Has anyone experienced something similar with a high-mileage P1S, especially with two machines developing essentially the same symptoms at around the same time?

Could this be related to something other than the obvious mechanical components — for example, AMS communication, sensors, electronics, firmware/software interaction, or some other component that I have overlooked?

At this point, I am open to any suggestions or troubleshooting steps. I would really like to understand what is actually causing this before I consider replacing perfectly good printers.

2

try using the external spool if it fails the ams is probably innocent if it works the ams is the guilty one

3

Tell us about your filament.

4

Sorry, I forgot to mention this but it’s doing the same, with or without AMS.

5

I use AzureFilm, Sunlu, Elegoo, Panchroma and from time to time refills from Bambu. All the filaments are dry, but it doesn’t matter the problems are the same on both.

6

Try an older version of studio.

Make sure your hotend fan is actually spinning.

7

It soinds like you are going through the exact same thing that I am going through. The P1S working fine until it doesn’t.

8

How would you do that? I haven’t seen anything on the wiki about going to a previous version of Bambu studios. Could better results happen through Orca?

9

You have tried lots, a couple more in case you haven’t.

New build plates, they are consumables and cleaning doesn’t keep them running forever.

Have you cleaned then lubed all the axis rods?

10

I tried that as well, but I ended up getting a notification saying that I needed to install a newer software version, and I couldn’t do anything after that. And yes, all the fans are spinning.

11

They are on github, look for “assets”.

When you re-installed studio did you wipe your configs first? If it gives you the option of downloading them from the cloud, I’d say no this time.

12

Would It work for those of us on Linux?

13

I’d double check the connectors since you replaced the extruder, it’s not uncommon to mis connect them.

Also on the P1 people routinely under tighten the head mounting screws, but conversely don’t strip them. I think there is a false bottom people hit that makes them think it is tight but they aren’t.

14

How do you dry your filament and what do you use as an endpoint to know your filament is dry.

With it happening to both printers it’s something common to both printers. That’s going to be software/firmware, maybe some common failure mode (two printers failing the same way at the same time is pretty unlikely), or filament. (and even that isn’t necessarily common but the storage environment probably is).

15

To avoid damaging anything on the printer, I always double-check the Bambu Wiki. The connectors are installed correctly, and nothing has been forced or screwed in too far to the point where it would come out the other side, both for the filament sensor on the extruder and for the sensors on the hotend.