# Issue with filament/Extruder **URL:** \ **Category:** LulzBot TAZ\ **Created:** [February 15, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953 "2016-02-15T03:39:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ASerdar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@ASerdar](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/ASerdar)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 3:39am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/1 "2016-02-15T03:39:41Z")
Hey all, After a brief stint of successful prints, I seem to have run into an issue with my extruder getting stuck and grinding a notch into the filament, which stops the extruder for the rest of the print. I thought it might be the cheaper filament I ordered, but I switched back to what little filament I had from lulzbot, and got the same result when printing a test piece. Attached is a photo of the notch that gets created in the filament. Do I need to clean out the extruder? Is there something else I need to do to fix this? Thanks for your time, ~~Adam ![IMG_20160214_204713.jpg](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/lulzbot/original/2X/8/8c5324dced66baf9ff5dcebbbd659d8e942b4d99.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![piercet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.lulzbot.com/piercet/32/12_2.png) [@piercet](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/piercet)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 4:29am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/2 "2016-02-15T04:29:23Z")
Check your idler arm tensioners, the distance between the two washers on either side of the springs should be 8mm. Also check your extrude motor small setscrew and make sure it isn’t loose. You may also be trying to print too close to the bed now. Move the nozzle up a bit and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![kcchen\_00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kcchen\_00](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/kcchen_00)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2016, 6:10am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/3 "2016-02-15T06:10:42Z")
That’s really not enough information to go on… What type of filament? What is the extrusion temp? Can the filament be pushed through by hand at extrusion temp (no idler)? ---
**Author:** ![ASerdar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@ASerdar](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/ASerdar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 2:06am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/4 "2016-02-16T02:06:06Z")
@pierset I shall check the idler arm tensioners. Thanks! @kcchen_00 Letsee… White ABS filament. This problem showed up when using IC3D filament from amazon, but happened again when using what was left of my Lulzbot spool. The extrusion temperature was 250c I was able to push the filament through by hand. Thanks for your responses! ~~Adam ---
**Author:** ![ASerdar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@ASerdar](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/ASerdar)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/5 "2016-02-22T01:21:29Z")
It does appear that the tension arms were incorrectly set. I adjusted them to just a little smaller than 8mm and that seems to have done the trick. Thanks very much for your time! ~~Adam ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@John\_Mc](https://forum.lulzbot.com/u/John_Mc)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/issue-with-filament-extruder/2953/6 "2016-02-22T13:24:13Z")
Yuo’ve probably already thought of this, but if you’ve ground a few notches in the filament, make sure you clean out the plastic chips that are probably loaded up in the grooves of the hobbed bolt.