Extruder motor not functioning on Geeetech i3

Hello

I am experiencing a problem with my Geeetech i3 pro B: The extruder motor will not activate when I tell it to move via the prepare menu on my 3D printer (prepare>move axis>extruder).
However, I know for a fact that the motor is not faulty, as I have tested plugging the X axis cable from the motherboard into the extruder motor. Then, when I go back into the prepare menu and select move X axis (prepare>move axis>X axis), the extruder motor does work. I have also tested the cable. The ports on the motherboard and the motor are clean. I have not checked if it works while actually printing, but I doubt it and from videos I've seen this should work.

It seems like the problem could be no signal being sent from the motherboard to the extruder to tell the motor to move. I was wondering if this could be a problem with the firmware of the printer.
I would like to avoid changing/updating the firmware as it seems like a difficult and potentially dangerous job. The firmware on my printer is Marlin.

Please respond with any suggestion or advice that comes to you, even if it seems obvious to you as I am new to 3D printing.

cs09

Hello. There is a minimum temp threshold that must be reached before the mainboard will let the extruder motor turn. this is usually around 180 but the setting can be changed in marlin. If there is a problem with the temp sensor, that is if your display does not show the extruder temp or if it shows a low temp then you will end up in this same place. If the temp does show the extruder heating up and achieving temp and the extruder motor doesn't turn and you have made no changes to marlin since before it failed then you most likely need a new stepper driver. Your printer should have a GT2560 mainboard with either red A4988 stepper drivers or purple DRV8825 stepper drivers. You can try swapping stepper drivers with an axis like x or y and see if the extruder works and if the axis work. Process of elimination. Report back on the state of your thermistor for E and the results of your stepper driver swapping. FWIW the stepper motor needs to get really hot for the coils to go short and stepper motor failures while they do happen are rare. I have a geeetech i3 pro b myself. It was the first printer I bought. 3 years ago, now. Mine has gone through waves of reworking and has just been a great little machine for years now. Here is what mine currently looks like..
https://i1050.photobucket.com/albums...oWiz/54_10.jpg

Also if memory serves on the MK8 extruders with the plastic parts your spring might not be strong or long enough to apply the correct amount of pressure on the filament against the hobbed gear. If the hobbed gear spins and the filament doesn't move then you need to print out this spacer and install it under the spring in your extruder: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3126822

It also will only extrude if set to 0.1 or 1 mm at a time.

basically the control panel features are completely useless.
just use a good slicer and control from usb.