XL freezing

100 views
Skip to first unread message

3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 8, 2026, 11:09:50 AMJan 8
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
This is a new issue. After solving a slicing problem related to color, now the XL is freezing. First time it happened I sent the file to it via Prusalunk, so the assumption was corrupted gcode. Sliced it again and put it on a thumb drive and it froze again. Resliced it again and switched to a new thumb drive and it froze again. Each time it freezes it’s within four or five layers of the same z height…. This indicates that its an issue with the fw or the board. Next I’ll downgrade the fw and try again.

Kurt

unread,
Jan 8, 2026, 3:06:05 PMJan 8
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Maybe this is a Dumb suggestion. But, did you recently do a Slicer update? Maybe try slicing in another slicer (although - that's probably not an option - as it's for the XL - But, I don't really know)...

-K

3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 10, 2026, 1:00:24 PMJan 10
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
I went back to an earlier firmware build and now it works fine.

Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!

unread,
Jan 10, 2026, 4:18:33 PMJan 10
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Awesome - Good to see the FW rollback fixed your issue!!!

That being said - it HAS to be a known issue - happening to MANY Users - and Prusa MUST Know about the problem! Have you seen any bug reports about it???

Yeah - I'm just really curious...

-K

Alan B

unread,
Jan 10, 2026, 4:46:27 PMJan 10
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks, Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!
Xl on latest release firmware, no hangups noted.


--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "3D Printing Tips and Tricks" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to 3d-printing-tips--...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/3d-printing-tips--tricks/67b9c746-16e9-4c9d-a4ea-971ea5ead12an%40googlegroups.com.

Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!

unread,
Jan 10, 2026, 8:19:53 PMJan 10
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
So - Alan - you're saying - you got a Firmware release AFTER the one Andy installed?

I'm keeping a close eye on this thread - as it's a VERY Curious thing to me - the error Andy reported - and interesting that it was Firmware related. Am not Shocked by this kind of problem - but, I WILL Admit - I think it is something that is Software related that should have been Caught before it was released. Yeah - I know it's actually FW - but, it's basically SW on the HW. 

Enough said...

And - yeah - that's coming from ME - a SW/Programmer guy by day...

-K

Alan B

unread,
Jan 10, 2026, 10:21:48 PMJan 10
to Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!, 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
I have 6.4.0, the current version, and have not had issues with my 5 head XL. It was built as a single head, upgraded to two, and then to five. I've used various versions of Prusa Slicer with it and not experienced hangups. Just a data point that might or might not be useful.

Alan


3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 11, 2026, 1:21:25 AMJan 11
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Yes, that was the version I was using when the freezes occurred.
It happened on prints that were over 24 hours in time and with over 1000 toolchanges. All the same object. I’ll be sending the 3mf to Prusa tomorrow.
Look for the Roots Pot in Makerworld.
The tree elements are printed with textured coloring of brown and black as I did with the colored can holder last Oct.

Alan B

unread,
Jan 11, 2026, 1:47:40 AMJan 11
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
We have had some over 24 hour prints on this firmware, but not that quantity of tool changes.


Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!

unread,
Jan 11, 2026, 5:08:17 PMJan 11
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Yeah - I bet you it's really the large amount of Tool Changes that is causing the problem. Oddly, from a programming standpoint - it's almost like there is some kind of a Memory stack that gets filled up - and then the printer hangs up. But, I have no idea why there would be a saving of a large amount of data that would cause something like this. But, yeah - I'm just kinda spit balling here...

Definitely post the Roots Pot creation/link here - once you make it live on MakerWorld Andy! I really wanna see that  - cause those colored Can Holders last year you posted were Awesome!!!

-K



3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 11, 2026, 10:27:37 PMJan 11
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
I agree… it’s probably eating memory that the latest firmware used. Whoops. It’s more than 1k toolchanges by a lot. The coloring on the wood is textured with the crevices all black and the surrounding trunk brown. Like the can holder it looks like a real wood tree. The bottom and top bowls I’m printing in Rainbow silk, My sixth attempt is about 80% done. Major learnings on this print! 
The object was downloaded by me from Makerworld. Go there and search for Roots Pot.

3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 12, 2026, 12:35:22 PMJan 12
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
I know I’m pushing the XL, but I am dissatisfied…
it crashed at 91% complete and knocked it off the bed…
IMG_0589.jpeg

W'Ren

unread,
Jan 12, 2026, 3:08:43 PMJan 12
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
That’s gorgeous 

---
W'Ren
Phoenix Acoustics Relaxation
Rise with Rest
Nanaimo BC


Alan B

unread,
Jan 12, 2026, 4:22:08 PMJan 12
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks, W'Ren
amazing and frustrating. 

with something that large and fragile constant temperature might be quite important, else the print change dimensions and get bumped by the printhead. is that done with the enclosure?


3D Printing Tips and Tricks

unread,
Jan 12, 2026, 9:22:18 PMJan 12
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks

No enclosure. It may have worked better with the enclosure. Silk has a reputation for expanding and the brown stuff drooled at the start of every layer. I learned an interesting lesson with the XL which I’ll post when I get the chance.

Kurt A 3d

unread,
Jan 20, 2026, 6:21:00 PMJan 20
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks

PRUSA XL and 6.4.0 a mess with Phase Stepping Calibration


6.4.0 firmware with the Prusa XL has bad Phase Stepping Calibration -   If you need to run Phase Stepping Calibration after upgrading to 6.4.0 I strongly suggest you downgrade ( https://help.prusa3d.com/article/how-to-downgrade-firmware-core-one-mk4-s-mk3-9-s-mk3-5-s-xl_725930 ) to 6.2.6 then run phase stepping calibration then re upgrade to 6.4.0




TLDR:


I did my XL regular maintenance, including cleaning dust off all the rails and lubeing everything.  I used the Prusa Lube(white tube) on the vertical screws, and the print heads.    I used the Rail lube (black tube) on the linear rails.  Of course since it’s a first gen XL, I have to just lay down a line on the rails since there are no lube ports (as support directed me to do months ago).


I adjusted the belts, and reran; x,y,z axis calibrations,  dock calibration, tool offset calibration and reran the input shaping calibration.

Printing seemed to be ok - BUT printer was making an awful noise…


https://share.icloud.com/photos/00cmKqJANY6AmOxIq8RFU_bBw


https://share.icloud.com/photos/04250J88eBGGinF9_btz8kE3w


I became very concerned something serious was wrong and contact support last Thursday around 9;30pm through 12:30 am…. They had me redo lots of what I had done my rails are now dripping in expensive lube.


Noise did not get better… I have tons of videos of this - they said that they would escalate to XL experts and I would get an email.  


Sunday I figured it out…..

Ok, so I had updated the firmware to 6.4.0.   Printed the last chunk of the dollbed.    Then I did my maintenance. 

*) Cleaned everthing.  

*) Lubricated the Z axis screws with the white lube

*) Lubricated the toolhead brass bolts with the white tube lube

*) Cleaned an Lubricated all 5 of the rails with the black tube lube

*) Recalibrated the belt tension

*) Recalibrated the dock positions

*) Recalibrated X,Y,Z axis

*) Reran phase stepping calibration

Plus a bunch of other stuff. 


Printer started to make horrible noise on Y axis print moves….


Called support was working with them over 3.5 hours.  Cant begin to tell you how much of the above we did over and over and over again

 

Still awful!


Waiting now 3 days for an email from Prusa because my case was in theory escalated to XL experts.


Today I get an idea.  Maybe it’s firmware 6.4.0?


So I downgrade to 6.2.6 (the previous firmware).   I then run print again STILL NO JOY still terrible sound


But…. You know what was strange was when I had run Phase Stepping Calibration with 6.4.0 instead of being like 98% on X and Y it was MUCH lower.  And Y was much less than X…. So let’s run Phase Stepping Calibration 6.2.6.   I run Phase Stepping Calibration, (get high 80s  on X and  on Y) try print again.   Hey this sounds GREAT!  Hum…. 

Let me see something


I reinstall 6.4.0 …. I DO NOT RUN Phase Stepping Calibration I try print again SOUNDS GREAT!!!


I believe that PRUSA with release 6.4.0 has broken PHASE STEPPING CALIBRATION - you will only find this out if you run PHASE STEPPING CALIBRATION after you upgrade to 6.4.0 


Searching around … LOOK WHAT I FOUND: https://github.com/prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy/issues/4813



Kurt-A

Alan B

unread,
Jan 21, 2026, 9:33:52 AMJan 21
to Kurt A 3d, 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Hi Kurt,

I reran all calibrations after upgrading and did not notice effects like those you described. I did not lubricate.

Alan B

Kurt A 3d

unread,
Jan 22, 2026, 10:25:23 AMJan 22
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Interesting….   I wonder what vintage your XL is, mine is one of the last ones shipped with 0.6mm nozzles.  

I can tell from the bugreport on GitHub I am not the only one.   I guess if you dont have an issue thats great, and probably is one of the reasons Prusa missed it in their testing.

Just to be clear, I love my XL - just sharing to help people

Kurt-A

Kurt The 3D Printer GUY!!

unread,
Jan 24, 2026, 1:55:00 PMJan 24
to 3D Printing Tips and Tricks
Yo Kurt - in regards to your one comment - " Just to be clear, I love my XL  " - according to one of my relatives years ago, when I was a kid - and they told me - you CAN NOT Love an Inanimate Object - which obviously your printer is! 

So - Sorry - I just HAD to Invalidate your comment!!!

-K

Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages