3D Printer extrusion problems

[cropwell]

I have been having print quality issues and have done everything I can think of to solve it. New nozzles, different extrusion temperatures, new extruder gears etc, etc...

In the event I had a look at the motherboard and changed the A4988 drivers round, but no difference. Then I installed new drivers and in doing so I moved the wires in the crimped connector for the extruder cable and one wire just came out, so I took out the insert and soldered the wire on, reassembled and tested.

The problem was solved - print quality back to normal.

So I reckon it was missing steps and not pushing the filament through evenly due to a poor connection, which was either intermmittent,high resistance or both.

Broken wires to steppers seems to be the most frequent answer to problems on this forum. That I can understand with a lot of constructers, but this was a manufactured cable.

[Neale]

Any kind of strain relief, or just something to stop it flexing close to the connector? I worry a bit about the same thing on my printer although the cables seem reasonably well clamped where they enter moving bits of the mechanism.

[cropwell]

Any kind of strain relief, or just something to stop it flexing close to the connector? I worry a bit about the same thing on my printer although the cables seem reasonably well clamped where they enter moving bits of the mechanism.

It was the connector on the motherboard and not really subject to movement or vibration. The problem was the crimping was not tight enough.

[Neale]

Sounds like bad luck, then.