Extruder Clicking: What to Check When It Happens

If the extruder makes a regular "click" during a print, the motor is trying to push the filament but something is resisting. When the motor cannot overcome that resistance it skips a few steps back and makes the sound. The sound itself is not the problem; it is a symptom. Looking at when it happens makes the cause fairly easy to find.

What the sound means

When a stepper motor meets resistance it cannot overcome, it skips back a few steps. That sudden skip makes the "click". Sometimes the gear grinds the filament and notches appear on it along with the sound. The result is less plastic coming out of the nozzle, that is under-extrusion.

Look at when the sound happens

1. Clicking on the first layer: Z offset

If the nozzle is too close to the bed, the plastic has nowhere to go and the extruder clicks. The first layer then looks very thin, translucent and rough.

• Move the nozzle away from the bed by raising the Z offset in steps of 0.02–0.05 mm.
• Details: Z offset and First layer not sticking.

2. Clogged nozzle

A partial or full clog is the most common cause.

• Take the filament out of the extruder and push it by hand. If the plastic does not come out easily, the nozzle is clogged.
• Fix it with a cold pull or a nozzle replacement. Detailed methods: Clogged nozzle.

3. Temperature too low

Plastic that has not melted enough needs more force to flow through the nozzle.

• Raise the temperature by 5–10 °C.
• Make sure the temperature on the screen really reaches the target and stays steady. If it swings, do a PID tune.
• Print a temperature tower to find the right temperature.

4. Speed too high

The hotend can melt only so much plastic per second. At speeds beyond that limit the extruder clicks.

• Lower the print speed, especially the infill speed, by 20–30%.
• If you have increased layer height or line width, the speed limit is reached sooner.
• In the slicer, set the maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s) to a limit suited to your hotend.

5. Extruder tension and gear

• Tension: If the arm is too loose the gear slips, and if too tight the filament is crushed and jams in the Bowden tube. Use the manufacturer's setting.
• Dirty gear: Plastic dust in the teeth reduces grip. Clean it with a brush.
• Worn gear: Brass gears wear with long use. Move to a hardened steel gear if needed.
• Cracked arm: Cracks are common in plastic extruder arms. A cracked arm cannot press the filament as it should.

6. Heat creep

If the cold side of the hotend heats up, the filament softens, swells and jams there. The sound usually begins in the middle of a print.

• Make sure the hotend cooling fan works. Replace it if it has stopped or slowed.
• When printing PLA in an enclosure, open the enclosure door.
• Do not overdo the retraction distance. See Retraction settings.

7. Filament path

• The spool should turn freely and the winding should not be tangled.
• The inner diameter of the Bowden tube must let the filament pass easily. If the end of the tube has melted and narrowed, cut it or replace it.
• If the filament diameter is too large (for example 1.85 mm in places instead of 1.75 mm), it jams. Check with calipers.

Sounds that are not clicking but resemble it

• Motor hum and vibration: Normal, varies with the driver and motor type.
• Rattling from fans: A fan blade may be rubbing on a cable or the duct.
• Clicking from the axes: The X or Y axis may be hitting its limit. See Layer shifting.

Frequently asked questions

Does the clicking damage the extruder?

Short clicks do not, but if it goes on for long the gear grinds the filament, plastic dust builds up and the motor heats. It is best to stop the print when the sound starts and find the cause.

I fitted a new nozzle and now it clicks. Why?

The new nozzle may have a different length and sit closer to the bed. Reset the Z offset. Also, if you do not tighten the nozzle properly while hot, plastic leaks through the gap and disrupts the flow.