Joseph Petrasek
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3D Printing Notes: Ender 5 S1 Bed Leveling & SD Card Troubleshooting

3D Printing Notes: Ender 5 S1 Bed Leveling & SD Card Troubleshooting

Mechanical

Why I'm Writing This

I constantly find myself forgetting the small but important steps involved in maintaining my 3D printer. Rather than searching through videos every time something goes wrong, I'm documenting the process here as a reference for my future self.

This guide covers:

  • Re-leveling an Ender 5 S1
  • Calibrating the Z-offset during a print
  • Fixing SD cards stuck in read-only mode

Setting Up and Re-Leveling an Ender 5 S1

Reference Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhX9aAkVFqI

Materials Needed

  • Ender 5 S1 (assembled)
  • A4 or standard letter paper
  • Filament loaded (optional for test print)

Step 1: Reset Printer Settings

  1. Power on the printer.

  2. Open:

    Settings
→ Advanced Settings
→ Reset Configuration

  3. Confirm the reset.

This ensures all calibration values start from factory defaults.

Step 2: Set the Leveling Method

Navigate to:

Settings
→ Leveling Method

Select the leveling mode recommended by the printer and return to the main menu.

Step 3: Home the Printer

Open the leveling screen and select:

Return to Zero

Wait for the printer to move the nozzle into its reference position.

Step 4: Set the Initial Nozzle Height

Place a sheet of paper directly beneath the nozzle.

Using the Z-offset controls, slowly lower the nozzle until the paper can still move but has slight resistance.

Correct Paper Feel

✅ Paper slides with light friction

❌ Paper moves freely with no resistance

❌ Paper is trapped and cannot move

Step 5: Manually Level the Four Corners

The printer will move to each corner one at a time.

For each corner:

  1. Place the paper beneath the nozzle.
  2. Adjust the leveling knob until the same slight drag is felt.

Knob Directions

  • Clockwise → Lowers the bed
  • Counterclockwise → Raises the bed

Check all four corners:

  • Front Left
  • Front Right
  • Rear Right
  • Rear Left

Step 6: Repeat Corner Checks

After adjusting all four corners, return to the first corner and check again.

Changing one corner affects the others, so continue making small corrections until:

  • All corners feel identical
  • Paper resistance is consistent across the bed

Step 7: Run Auto Leveling

Navigate to:

Auto Level (AUTO LVL)
→ Start

The printer will probe multiple points across the build plate and create a mesh to compensate for minor surface irregularities.

Avoid touching the printer during this process.

Step 8: Prepare for Z-Offset Calibration

After auto leveling finishes:

Prepare
→ Set Z Axis = 50 mm

This provides enough clearance for heating and preparation.

Step 9: Heat the Nozzle

Navigate to:

Prepare
→ In/Out

Set the nozzle temperature to:

200°C

for standard PLA filament.

Wait until the target temperature is reached.

Step 10: Start a Test Print

Choose a simple first-layer test print such as:

  • First layer square
  • Bed adhesion test
  • Calibration pattern

Begin printing once the printer has fully heated.

Step 11: Fine-Tune the Z Offset

The first layer provides the most accurate indication of whether your nozzle height is correct.

Nozzle Too High

Symptoms:

  • Filament does not stick
  • Lines appear round
  • Gaps form between adjacent lines

Adjustment:

  • Lower the Z-offset slightly
  • Make the value more negative

Nozzle Too Low

Symptoms:

  • Filament is excessively squished
  • Surface appears rough
  • Nozzle drags through deposited plastic

Adjustment:

  • Raise the Z-offset slightly
  • Make the value less negative

Correct Nozzle Height

Symptoms:

  • Smooth, consistent lines
  • Adjacent lines touch cleanly
  • Good bed adhesion
  • Uniform surface appearance

Make adjustments in small increments:

0.02 mm – 0.05 mm

at a time.

Fixing a Write-Protected SD Card

Sometimes an SD card becomes stuck in read-only mode and refuses to accept new files. Windows can usually clear this flag using DiskPart.

Reference Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htpQlKpjbNw

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Press:

Windows Key + R

Type:

cmd

and press Enter.

Step 2: Launch DiskPart

Run:

diskpart

Step 3: Identify the SD Card

List connected disks:

list disk

Locate the SD card based on its storage size.

Step 4: Select the SD Card

Replace # with the correct disk number:

select disk #

Step 5: Remove Read-Only Protection

Run:

attributes disk clear readonly

DiskPart should confirm that the attributes were successfully cleared.

Step 6: Test the Card

  1. Safely eject the SD card.
  2. Reinsert it into your computer.
  3. Copy your model files onto the card.
  4. Safely eject it again.
  5. Insert the card into the printer.

If the models appear on the printer, the issue has been resolved.

Final Thoughts

Bed leveling is one of those maintenance tasks that feels tedious until a print fails. Spending a few extra minutes ensuring a consistent first layer can save hours of wasted print time and filament.

Likewise, knowing how to clear an SD card's read-only flag can quickly solve one of the more frustrating file transfer issues encountered during 3D printing workflows.