My printer makes a grinding noise when it starts printing

If your printer is making a grinding noise, there are a few things that could be at play.

Firstly, please make sure the wire at the top is not tucked into the side of the case. Often, we tuck the wire into the side of the case to make for easier shipping, but if this wire is stuck under the case, it can prevent the printer from reaching its home position correctly and cause shifting/grinding issues. Please see the image below:

If the wire is already untucked and free this usually means that for some reason, the switches that determine the ‘home’ position aren’t being triggered. Please find the 3 switches (X,Y,Z). Look at the picture for guidance. When pressing on those switches, they should make a "click" noise.

1. Unplug your printer so it is completely off
2. Make sure there is no plastic stuck on the nozzle, if there is, please remove it. Be careful not to burn yourself, the nozzle can stay hot for minutes after being turned off. It’s best to use a tool like pliers and lightly remove the plastic
3. Move the extruder head with your hand to the center
4. Move the extruder all the way to the right side with your hand. Make sure there is a “click” noise
5. Move your extruder all the way to the back of the printer. Make sure there is a “click” noise
6. Place your hand under the print platform and move the bed all the way to the top. Make sure there is a "click" noise. Note: if there is any hardened plastic on the bottom of the nozzle, please remove it, or else the bed won’t make it to the switch
7. Very carefully bend the metal piece of the switch like the picture below. This will add some extra length and allow the switch to be hit by the extruder. Be careful though, if the metal part of this switch breaks, we'll have bigger problems...
   

8. If this is on the Z axis (The print bed switch). Then you will likely need to calibrate your printer. Please refer to the calibration instructions in this article: What is calibration and how do I calibrate my printer?

If you're not able to resolve the grinding sound, please reach out to us at [e-mail] with a video showing the sound and a description of what troubleshooting you've tried so far. We will see what we can suggest from there!