48 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
48 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
# CR-X Mechanical / Thermal / Extrusion Self-Test
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Non-printing G-code to exercise every subsystem of a **Creality CR-X** before
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running OrcaSlicer calibrations. Run via **OctoPrint** (upload, then print the
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file — nothing is deposited on the bed).
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## Files
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| File | What it does | Heating? | Extrudes? |
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|------|--------------|----------|-----------|
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| `CR-X_selftest_cold_motion_only.gcode` | Homing, X/Y/Z travel, diagonals, corners, speed range | No | No |
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| `CR-X_selftest_full.gcode` | Everything above **plus** bed heat, hotend heat, fan ramp, extrude/retract | Yes | Yes |
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**Run the cold one first.** If motion is clean and quiet, run the full test.
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## Before you start
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- **Stay with the printer** the whole time. Keep the power switch / e-stop in reach.
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- For the **full** test, **load filament** first (the extrude stage feeds ~90 mm total). ABS or any filament is fine — nothing is printed.
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- Clear the bed and gantry of tools/clips.
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## Assumptions (edit if yours differ)
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- Build volume **300 × 300 × 400 mm**. All moves keep a **5 mm margin** from each axis limit and **20 mm** off Z-max.
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- Bed heated to **100 °C** (CR-X rated ≤100 °C).
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- Hotend heated to **230 °C** only — safe for the stock **PTFE-lined** hotend and hot enough to extrude ABS without grinding. Cold extrusion is never commanded.
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- Bowden retraction test uses **6 mm**.
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If your CR-X has a filament runout sensor that halts on the extrude test, disable it for the run or ignore the trigger. (The `M runout ignore` line in the full file is a comment placeholder, not a command — remove it if your firmware flags unknown lines; most Marlin builds just skip it.)
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## What each stage checks (watch the LCD `M117` messages)
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1. **Homing** — endstops seek/back-off/re-tap. Listen for grinding or a crash.
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2. **X / Y sweeps** — full-width and full-depth travel, belts smooth.
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3. **Z sweep** — **both lead screws must turn together**; gantry stays level.
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4. **Diagonals + corners** — combined XY motion, no binding.
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5. **Speed check** — fast then slow moves; listen for chatter/resonance.
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6. **Bed heat 100 °C** — smooth climb on the OctoPrint graph = good thermistor/heater.
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7. **Hotend heat 230 °C** — same, no wild swings (that would mean a PID/thermistor issue).
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8. **Fan ramp 50 % → 100 % → off** — part-cooling fan spins clean, no bearing rattle.
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9. **Extrude/retract** — steady flow, no clicking or skipping on the Bowden gears; the 6 mm retract should visibly pull back.
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10. **Cool down + park** — heaters off, gantry dropped, bed presented, steppers disabled.
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## If something fails
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Note the **`M117` stage name** shown on the display when it went wrong — that pinpoints the subsystem. Common ones:
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- Axis grinds at home → endstop or belt/pulley.
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- One Z screw lags → coupler grub screw or binding rod.
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- Temp graph swings or bails with a MINTEMP/MAXTEMP → thermistor/heater wiring.
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- Extruder clicks → nozzle not hot enough, clog, or filament not loaded.
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After a clean pass, move on to PID tuning and the OrcaSlicer calibration workflow.
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