A 3D printer's Z, Y, or X-axis may stop moving due to loose nuts, inadequate lubrication, binding with the lead screw, a loose Z coupler, or faulty wiring. It can also occur due to a worn-out drive belt, a broken stepper motor, or a short circuit in the motherboard. I would test to see if your Z is moving backwards - with Z=0.3 I could see it was printing about half way up - if you move to z=10 it should move the bed down. Does it? I'm hoping it moves the bed up. If so then you can simply swap Z direction (several ways to do that) and swap the end stops. The Z-Axis just seems to be completely disabled during prints. Here's what I tried (none of them solved the issue) Swapping the X an Z axis to see if the stepper motor is broken. Resetting all my settings. Inverting the Z-Axis. Trying new G-Code from Cura as well as the sample G-Code models included in the SD card. Stealthburner. I can't seem to figure out where I've gone wrong. My z axis won't go up, but only while printing. It homes as expected, I can manually (via web/front panel) move it up and down, and there seems to be no rubbing anywhere. It's like it's stuck on the same layer but only when printing. 1) over extrusion. Too much filament so the previous layer too thick (at least in spots) If the Z steps/mm is incorrect for your printer arrangement then that will (obviously) cause issue since the Z is not going 'up' enough. First few layers might clear, but eventually it will fail. Problem: Z-Axis doesn't work during a print. It attempts to work, maybe climbs on the Z-Axis, but screws back down. It whines, too. But, Z-Axis DOES work while not printing. It doesn't matter if the bed and nozzle heating or not, if it's not printing, it works as it should. How to Fix Z-Wobble in 3D Printing? 1. Clean Rust from the Z-Axis Rail A rusty guide rail can cause unsmooth Z-axis movement and contribute to Z-wobble. To resolve this, you can use a rust remover and a dust-free cloth to clean the Z-axis rail. First, move the Z-axis to the highest point for easier cleaning. For the life of me I could not get past the first few layers without the print turning to crap until I realized that the Z axis is not moving during print for layer change, it is printing the first 3-4 layers at the first layer height. I have my steps calculated, and squirting some plastic!! Problem is, the Z axis does not move up while printing! stays at the same level during the entire print. I have to cancel everything. I have full manual control of all axis moving up/down/homing ect, all with manual control. Firmware-related problems Malfunctioning Z-axis stepper driver or motor In the upcoming sections, we will take a deeper look at the reasons behind your Ender 3's Z-axis not moving, go through the potential solutions, and find out the most optimal lubricant choice for the Z-rod that is responsible for the Z-axis movement. Table of Contents iPjzQcP.