CR Motor Failure and Power Supply Concerns on DTF Pro Inspire A3: How to Troubleshoot and Fix

Question:
I have a problem with my DTF Pro Inspire A3 printer; the CR motor is not working. So, I verified the CR motor by sticking to the directions and added a fan/heat sink set up for an RC car motor to aid in cooling. I’ve noticed this in your videos and figured it might be helpful since the motor is the new model motor, but it got hot after running it. After installing the printer, it worked fine for two prints, and I started getting an “unable to unlock carriage, possible paper jam” error. Nothing appeared out of order with the carriage, and I cycled the printer on and off. It printed another job without issue, but when the carriage went to park at the end, it threw the CR motor failure error again. I reviewed your videos and saw that the encoder ribbon in your videos wasn't as deep as my encoder ribbon. I wiped it down with alcohol wipes, but nothing came off, so I pulled the ribbon out and let it soak in rubbing alcohol for ~5 minutes. A lot of ink was released from the ribbon, and now it appears empty. I reconstructed it all and printed eight more jobs without glitches, though there was a little alignment blip where a color faded into white. The printer appears to be alright, but I’m worried about the power supply since I’m getting more voltage out of it than rated. The power supply is meant to deliver 36V, and I consistently see 41.5V. Output drops to 41.4V when the internal heater is on; should I worry about this? Or as long as it works fine, is it all good?
 
Answer:
Thanks for writing in with your question! Sorry for the late reply and your patience. Printer problems can seem pressing, and I want to ensure I provide the most detailed and accurate information possible. You can have a look at our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies. We appreciate your response and support. We rely on your feedback to improve and expand our technical knowledge and skills.
 
That first part about cleaning the encoder ribbon did a good job of sorting out the initial issue with the CR motor. That sounds as if you did what you needed to do, and it’s great that you could circumvent that problem so successfully. This CR Motor failure is typically associated with either mechanical obstruction or encoder signal issue; cleaning the encoder ribbon and ensuring that the motor has proper cooling is sufficient to resolve it. Your ability to print multiple jobs without errors after your fix indicates you are on the right path.
 
About the power supply issue: Under normal conditions, the power supply on DTF Pro Inspire A3 is designed to operate in the voltage range of 41.5V to 42.5V. 36V is the nominal rate for the power supply; the actual operating voltage is higher depending on the printer's components and load requirements. The power supply works correctly since you are measuring 41.5V, within the expected range.
 
It’s also worth noting that if you’re using an aftermarket or third-party power supply, it’s pretty standard for the output voltage to differ from what you’d expect with an OEM unit. The important thing here is that it is in the expected range, and you will be fine as long as the voltage stays within the upper limits (just under 42.5V). As you've mentioned, the voltage decreases slightly to 41.4V when the internal heater runs, which is perfectly normal, as power draw increases under different operating conditions.
 
Printer issues are inherently hands-on, making troubleshooting somewhat tricky. So, we can’t remotely troubleshoot, suggest, and help people to fix printers. Our local diagnostic service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) provides an in-house check/ repair service, and we work on a first-in, first-served basis as required. It will take a couple of weeks to get your printer for drop-off. Our services are designed so that the complete printer can be repaired or only the system, along with the processor, with proper instructions about the following. Yes, we are aware that we do not have the cheapest rates. Therefore, we strongly suggest you take the self-help route through online research. You can begin with YouTube while checking out our YouTube channel homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) and searching specific videos using the search icon next to "about" on the right side of the menu bar. I get dozens of questions a day asking about videos on specific topics. With nine years of video behind us, it can be difficult to recall every video we have made. So YouTube’s search function would be the most efficient way to do this. Additionally, YouTube may recommend videos from other channels that could help.
Thanks again for your great questions and your continued support of our channel! Happy we could help out.