M2 slowly stops extruding on my first layer...

[brannnt]

My MakerGear M2 has stopped extruding correctly. I'm printing with PLA filament on a roll that I've already successfully printed with several times, with the same settings. I'm also having the same issue with another color of PLA.

From a cold start, my bed heats, my extruder heats, and then it begins printing. By the time it gets around the 3rd skirt loop on a fairly large part (210x105mm), its stopped extruding almost altogether.

Here's a pic of what the print looks like. By the time it started on the actual part, I was pushing the filament into the extruder by hand to make sure it's not just clogged.

I have taken the extruder assembly apart, and my extruder motor runs without issue, and I can hear it turning even while assembled when no plastic is coming out. The gears look good. I have also tried adjusting the tension screw.

Could the filament in the extruder be getting too hot? My extruder fan may be the issue, it is running, but it isn't as noisy as I remember it being before.
Any thoughts as to what else it might be? Thanks.

[jdacal]

I had a similar problem last night. I had inadvertently set my Z adjustment below .004" and the nozzle was too close to the bed. After I readjusted it started flowing ok. Not sure if you have something similar. Drove me nuts for a while until I found the problem. It would start printing fine and like you around the 3rd go around it would fade to almost nothing.

[brannnt]

I had a similar problem last night. I had inadvertently set my Z adjustment below .004" and the nozzle was too close to the bed. After I readjusted it started flowing ok. Not sure if you have something similar. Drove me nuts for a while until I found the problem. It would start printing fine and like you around the 3rd go around it would fade to almost nothing.

Thanks for the reply. I don't think that's it, because I can move the bed down 10 steps and it still wont extrude. I really think the filament is getting too hot inside the nozzle. I've got a replacement fan on order. Crossing my fingers it fixes it.

[brannnt]

I resolved the issue. It was not the printer. I had reset my slic3r settings to default by accident and didn't realize that the default extrusion width was too small. I reset the default extrusion width to .42 and I'm back in business.