Having a bricked Ender 3 means you got some kind of issue with your printer’s firmware, making it non-responsive and not working, this can happen in different types of Ender 3 printers so I decided to write this article to teach how to fix a bricked Ender 3.
Keep reading for more details.
How to Fix a Bricked Ender 3 (Pro,V2,S1)
Here are the main ways to fix a bricked Ender 3:
Update Mainboard Firmware
Update Screen Firmware
Replace or Re-Format the SD Card
Upgrade your Mainboard
Contact Creality Support
1. Upgrade Mainboard Firmware
If you end up bricking your Ender 3 and are not sure how to fix it, the first step would be figuring out exactly the right firmware for your mainboard as running the wrong firmware may cause the Ender 3 to brick.
You should check your board to figure out its serial number so you can find the right firmware for that board as the Creality mainboard won’t work with other firmware.
The serial number is located right at the center of the mainboard, below the Creality logo, and should read something like V4.2.7.
Another important thing to be aware of is you will need to change the name of the firmware file to something never used before.
This is because the Ender 3 won’t be able to read a firmware file that uses the same name as a previous one. Also, do not use any special characters or have the name be too long.
Getting the right firmware for your board and renaming the file has helped many users who accidentally bricked their Ender 3.
If you have a 4.2.2 board, make sure you are using a 4.2.2 firmware version, since it won’t work with the 4.2.7 version, and vice versa.
Renaming the file seemed to do the trick to help a user fix his bricked Ender 3 S1 Pro.
One user had an issue with a bricked Ender 3 and ended up fixing it by flashing a previous version of the firmware, but by changing the name of the .bin file. You can simply add “1” to the end and it will be a different name or another letter.
Other users said it worked for them also.
Check out this great video with further instructions on how to update the firmware on a bricked Ender 3 (Pro/V2/S1):
For the Ender 3 S1 an issue has come about with potentially bricking it due to having two versions of the motherboard.
The main processor should either be an STM32F1 or STM32F4 which can be checked by looking at the firmware version. For an F1 chip, it will show as 1.x.x, while an F4 chip shows as 3.x.x.
If you have an F1 chip, the firmware files on the Creality site (1.0.5, 1.0.6) works fine and other custom firmware.
If you have an F4 chip, these same files will brick the board.
In this situation, you can revert it by going to the Creality Download Page and download the “Accessory Firmware > CV Laser Module” firmware from 19th Jan 2022, then open the UPDATE.rar file and go to the “STM32F4_Update” folder.
You should see a file called “Ender-3s1_hw24s1_301_V3.0.3_F401_20220104.bin” which you want to flash using the Creality guide and it should work as normal.
You can also find the file here in this Google Drive.
2. Update Screen Firmware
Another potential fix to try in order to get your Ender 3 working again is updating the screen firmware. Sometimes people update the mainboard firmware but not the screen and end up with a bricked printer.
So, you will need to update the screen firmware as well to be able to see if the mainboard firmware update did in fact work.
A user was suffering from this issue and even posted a video on YouTube, where other 3D printing hobbyists suggested he updated his screen firmware as well, after doing it, he finally got his Ender 3 S1 Pro working again.
Check the video he recorded below.
3. Replace or Re-Format the SD Card
Formatting your micro SD card is another option for trying to fix a bricked Ender 3 as sometimes just replacing the file in the micro SD card is not enough.
Your Ender 3 will read all files automatically, a process known as “auto flash” and if the card isn’t properly formatted, the printer may not be able to read the file.
Users recommend working with a small sized SD card, avoiding large ones such as 64GB or 32GB and going for 8GB or less. In some cases, when you format a SD card, especially large ones, tiny portions of it may not be properly overwritten which can cause firmware problems.
One user said he tried flashing it with a 64GB SD card and it didn’t work, but using an 8GB SD card had it working perfectly. Another user did mention that some boards allow up to 32GB to flash the firmware.
It is also recommended to check if your micro SD card is in the FAT32 format. When it’s in any other formats, it may cause problems with the Ender 3 reading the content.
4. Upgrade Your Mainboard
If any of the solutions and fixes listed above don’t work then you probably will have to upgrade your mainboard.
Users recommend the BIGTREETECH SKR Mini E3 V3.0 which you can find on Amazon. It has an increased heat sink, that improves the heat dissipation performance and features three CNC fans to reduce your Ender 3’s temperature when working.
The mainboard is available on Amazon with great reviews from plenty of users.
Check out this great video about upgrading your Ender 3 motherboard to the SKR Mini E3.
5. Contact Creality Support
If none of the fixes listed work and upgrading your mainboard is not an option then you should try contacting Creality service center as they can try providing a solution specific to your bricked Ender 3 and its issue.
Creality has a Full Service Center on their website ready for you to get in contact with and find out the best possible solution.
Michael Dwamena is the founder of 3D Printerly, a platform dedicated to simplifying 3D printing for hobbyists and professionals alike. Owns over 20 3D printers (filament and resin) and has plenty experience 3D printing. Michael has authored over 900 articles, helping millions navigate the exciting world of 3D printing.
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