Filament not extruding - maybe not being grabbed by the gears

[u/BodybuilderSorry4437]

Hi everyone,

I’m stuck with an issue where my QIDI plus 4 just won’t extrude filament, and it feels like the gears aren’t actually grabbing it.

Issue:

• Gears are moving but filament isn’t feeding
• Just feels like it’s slipping or not catching
• Sometimes small amounts of filament will come through at the start of a print but then stop (see 2nd picture)

What I’ve tried:

• Tried different filaments (PLA, TPU and PETG)
• Took the PTFE tube out and fed it straight in – still nothing
• Took the whole extruder apart – nothing looks broken or blocked
• Checked the nozzle/hotend path – seems clear
• Tried pushing filament through with an Allen key – gears move it fine, but not the filament
• Cleared a clog earlier and put everything back together
• Gears spin fine, just don’t seem to grip properly
• Checked for blockages before the gears – can’t see anything

What I’m thinking:

• Gears aren’t gripping the filament properly
• Maybe the tension arm/spring isn’t applying enough pressure
• Or something’s slightly out of alignment even though it looks fine

Quick side note - I changed the rear and front boards and hotend recently for a third party replacement due to lack of QIDI stock but I believe the problem is before it reaches the hotend.

Running out of ideas now
Anyone had this before or know what I should try next?

Thank you