I have no idea how this is happening and I really need som help! Every time I try to load filament it makes it all the way to the extruder and then the buffer start clicking like this. I’ve replaced the buffer, made sure the ams and it’s ptfe tubes are good, the ptfe tubes between it and the extruder are good, and just finished making sure there are no clogs and the gears are good in the extruder head. Even got a brand new extruder but Idk what else it could be, I can hold the tube going to the printer from the buffer and it will load and can manually feed filament too. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
My guess is there’s something wrong with the buffer or the filament sensor in the print head. Can you manually load filament using the external spool bypassing the buffer? Things you can try, reseat the cables from the AMS and buffer (basically unplug them and plug them in again to be sure they are connected properly. Failing that I’m betting the filament sensor in the buffer and or the print head has failed.
What is going on in the AMS? filament is coming off all of the reels at once!
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Without trying to print anything, try loading and unloading from each slot of the AMS one at a time using the same reel of filament.
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You say " I can hold the tube going to the printer from the buffer and it will load and can manually feed filament too"?
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How long are the PTFE tubes? mine were too long and caused problems. I made them all long enough to properly work with no kinks or sharp bends and it helped. It almost acts like the AMS motors arn’t strong enough,(or maybe the PTFE tubes are too long).
When you determine which slot you want to use and when loading the filament, gently grasp the filament at the AMS throat where the filament goes down, and GENTLY apply a little pressure to help the filament to go down. Does the filament load then? I frequently have to do this with two of my 3 AMS units, don’t know why, just started doing this, same filament I have used for the past year, and it happens on one of the original AMS and my new AMS2-Pro.
So I’ve tried those solutions and it still happens. I’m curious about the filament sensor in the head though, as this is basically a brand new extruder(I’m not sure where the sensor is)
- I have tried that, all be it different rolls, and I’m not sure why it does the weird filament everywhere (btw it only does it for the roll that is being loaded at the time) it seems the ams is pulling the filament back faster than it spins the roll
- Yes I can hold the tube going from the buffer to the printer because it’s what is moving back and forth in the bufferz that would sometimes allow the filament to be pushed into the extruder and load
- I’ve only ever trimmed the short one from the buffer to the printer, that one is maybe 12 inches long and the other being 18 or 20 I would say. I will have to try the helping from the ams though, but I wouldn’t want that to be the permanent solution
Did you try just loading and unloading one slot at a time? (#1 above, trying to isolate the problem to slot, common tube or even common AMS if you use more than one)
what were the results?
As fo gently applying pressure to “help the filament go through” I really don’t know why that happens, but think it has something to do with the length of the PTFE tubes.I’ve grown used to it though,
Yes trying each slot individually resulted in the same problem, so do you think I should trim the tube from the ams to the buffer?
Most likely the filament sensor in the print head is not sensing the filament reaching it. I would triple check the connections in the print head to make sure they are seated all the way. I had a PTFE length of around 30 inches from the buffer to the AMS and it never behaved like this.
I’m basing this on the fact that the buffer is compressing all the way in it’s stroke. That tells me the filament is hitting something (most likely the extruder) and since the sensor isn’t detecting the filament it’s not engaging the extruder. New or not, something most likely is wrong with the sensor.
I’m thinking it could be that because I’ve always been worried about the glue and possibly tearing a wire loose. I did double check the sensor cable and notices some glue got into the female end of the plug so maybe it would fix it but no dice. I did order a new sensor though just to be sure. Any other ideas?
Try manually loading the filament and watch your screen to see if the switch lights up. If it does the the switch is fine.
This may not be your issue, but one of my AMS units kept loading, then unloading several times in the middle of a print even, that is why I suggested you gently apply a little pressure when loading. Well, I got to thinking, took the AMS unit into the kitchen table where I could see it better, removed the 2 screws that hold the innards into the main case (This AMS is an AMS series one, or the original AMS, not the AMS2-Pro) removed the internal PTFE tube from every one of the slots, and discovered a 1/2 inch piece of filament that fell out of the internal 4 into 1 manifold or what ever you call it. (This is the device that has all of the springs and magnets inside of it). I think it possible that that piece of filament was actually moving around inside, which made the problem seem to move from slot to slot. Again, I’m not saying this is your problem, but maybe something to look at after checking what LarryCnAZand others say above.
If you do take the 4 screws out of that manifold, beware, small springs and magnets inside go flying, the magnets must go in a certain way check the wiki for instructions first!!!
I have seen the similar problem. For me the sensor at the nozzle is triggered. before disassembling try breaking it up into smaller sections. Nozzle, nozzle-back of the machine, Back to AMS, and each of the AMS slots. Then with an different color filament then recently used. push the filament trough till it comes out. for the nozzle you will need to heat it up. The PTFE tube has spots that ware out so pushing through might not show. But pushing though is a good first step. If you used a bad roll of filament it can break off a small piece in the tube. It pushes through fine unnoticed. but when pulled it stays there.
So I got a new sensor and tried it and still the same problem, so I decided to try the giving a little help to the ams again and that made the filament load, so I’m currently double checking all the tubes and gears right now. Did find a descant bead between the gears of the first slot so hoping that was the problem. Going to double check the 4 to 1 hub though too
Welp the bead seemed to be the problem! In my early days of printing I didn’t use containers until I found the ones I could print and that came back to bite me later lol
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You’re lucky. I probably took my AMS 2 Pro apart a dozen times before they sent me replacement parts 
. It’s been working flawlessly for a month now. Good luck.
Welp I thought it solved my problem as I loaded the first two slots individually and they worked fine but then it started again and now the first slot won’t load by itself with out gentle help. I’m not sure if this relates to this issue but when I have the first slot loaded to the tool head and try to just get the ams to read a filament in the second slot it says this “Cannot read filament info: the filament is loaded to the tool head,please unload the filament and try again.”
When loading filament, look at the AMS 2 Pro Feed Unit from the front. Does it spin when the filament comes out the back?
It should stop when the filament reaches the AMS 2 Pro Internal Hub. The AMS 2 Pro Internal Hub should then continue to operate.
Sorry I appreciate the help but this is the first generation ams
The system is essentially the same. I just had exactly the same experience.