<p>Printer: Monoprice Select V2.</p>

<p>I've done several prints already and swapped out filaments many times but in my most recent swap, I can't feed my PLA through any more.</p>

<p>I first preheat my extruder for PLA temps (185&nbsp;&deg;C). Then I press the plastic thingy to allow me to push as much of the filament into the hole as possible. Then I adjust my extruder position to try to suck it in. Usually after a few mm, I start to see the filament come out of the extruder and I also feel a pull on the filament from the top. But nothing is happening now.</p>

<p>However, if I adjust the extruder position in the opposite direction, it eventually pushes the filament back up and out, so I guess the "stepper motor" (is that what it's called?) is working (at least in one direction).</p>

<p>I'm getting ready to open the extruder module up to see what's going on, but wanted to see if anyone had any simple ideas for me to try before I unscrew anything.</p>

[{'answer_id': 7984, 'author': 'silver', 'author_id': 12950, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/users/12950', 'pm_score': 0, 'selected': False, 'text': '<p>Maybe some PLA is stuck in the throat above the heat break. Can you feed a very small wire all the way through it, or see light through the filament path?</p>\n\n<p>185 is a little on the cold side. I would suggest trying to feed at 195 before taking more drastic measures.</p>\n'}, {'answer_id': 7990, 'author': 'BanksySan', 'author_id': 13813, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/users/13813', 'pm_score': 0, 'selected': False, 'text': "<p>Try turning the temperature up to 260&nbsp;&deg;C and pushing it through.</p>\n\n<p>Also, cut of a few centimetres for I'm the end of the PLA in case the drive wheel isn't able to grab it due to a greasy bit of filament.</p>\n\n<p>If you get it all working, run cleaning filament throughout it and to a cold pull with it.  That removed an annoying but of grit from my Monoprice. </p>\n"}, {'answer_id': 7996, 'author': 'kane', 'author_id': 13712, 'author_profile': 'https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/users/13712', 'pm_score': 4, 'selected': True, 'text': '<p>I figured out the issue. I think I was shoving it in the wrong hole.</p>\n\n<p>I took apart my extruder component. There\'s a good video on it <a href="https://youtu.be/37df_c2hqYE?t=194" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>.\nBut basically, you just have to loosen the two bottom screws on the side fan like this:\n<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/KAO15.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/KAO15.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>\n\n<p>I checked everything out first. I cleaned the extruder head with the included pin. I also shoved the filament through the heated area and filament came out ok.\n<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/uLz5D.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/uLz5D.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>\n\n<p>But then I discovered the filament could go in the wrong way sometimes through the extruder.</p>\n\n<p>This is the correct way for the filament to go through. It should come out of that plastic hole.\n<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/m0aaR.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/m0aaR.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>\n\n<p>But once in awhile, I accidentally pushed the filament through this way.\n<a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/1BxoK.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/1BxoK.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>\n\n<p>If the filament was bent and I pushed the lever too hard, it would often find its way down the wrong path.\nSo I played around with how much force I should be holding down the  lever and how hard I should be pushing the filament through.</p>\n\n<p>I don\'t know if other 3D printer extruder feeders are designed this way, but seems error prone. Or maybe it\'s just me.</p>\n'}]
['https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7982', 'https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com', 'https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/users/13712/']