Motor trouble

[tigerprinter]

It's not the belt or a jam or anything (read through my various replies here for more details on it, that video shows the motor behavior after starting a print job and cancelling)--the motor operates perfectly fine when jogging or manually moving it around, and even on a print job for a smaller STL file. I think the problem is software-based, which is what my whole other thread is about--I posted two separate threads thinking I was having two problems but the more I dig into it the more I'm realizing they're related.

[Raimond]

What was the solution to this? I am having the same issue. Works for 1/2 the first layer then skips/vibrates and throws the x axis off by varying amounts. Tried changing the belt tension and checking the roller set screws, no joy. I took the motor out and apart, nothing unusual. Bearings are smooth and tight, winding look good. Carriage is smooth and tight. Tested without the belt installed, same behavior.
It really helps the next person to complete threads like this.
Thanks in advance.

[Mjolinor]

If you dismantled the stepper motor then you now need a new one. They are magnetised after assembly and once they have been apart they will have very little power.

[Raimond]

Odd, I just put it back together and plugged it in and it seems like the same power as before I went into MAcGyver mode. Not saying you're wrong, I appreciate the advice.
I installed it and it moved to home without a problem. Waiting for the bed to warm up now.

[Raimond]

What really happened is a software adjustment I made, nothing at all to do with hardware. I was in RepG and moved the slider for the XY timing too high. Today I installed a new stepper motor and it just hummed and would not move at all.
Reset the slider to 1 and now it is printing very well on the original motor.

[tigerprinter]

Hey Raimond,

So as a last-ditch effort to figure out the problem with my printer, I swapped the X and Y stepper motor wires. Oddly enough, that fixed the problem--it didn't cause the Y motor to have the problem, it just actually fixed the whole printer. I have NO idea how or why that would even be the case but there you go. Might be worth a try, sometimes just taking things apart and putting back together is healthy for the machine.

edit: oops, didn't see you had fixed your problem already. Anyway, for the sake of posterity, ^that is how I fixed my problem. You may want to post the specifics of what software adjustment you made to fix your problem so that when people come back here looking for solutions there's a couple things for them to try.

[Raimond]

I agree that these problems need to be documented and saved for those in the future having similar problems. They can find the answer much quicker than we did.
Screenshot 2015-07-12 09.32.40.jpg.

Here is the adjustment I made to the XY speed, that started the issues I was having.

I tried to print ABS and started having problems again. The only thing that changed was the temps. More detailed troubleshooting and I found two of the motor wires to have an intermittent break. While it was printing I could move the wires and cause it to start skipping. Release them and it would stop. Removed about a 4" section in both wires about 2" from the motor connector, and it is again working without issue. I added a section of heat shrink tubing at the connector and then changed the layout of the wires and let them hang down from the motor with a loop back up to the top support. I then put a section of plastic split loom covering on it. Much less flexing of the wire harness now.