Issues related to 3D printing come in various forms due to the many parts involved in the process, ranging from problems related to the mechanical aspects of the 3D printer to the issues that stem from the software side things, such as print settings misconfiguration.
While the problems directly related to the 3D printer itself are rarer than software problems, they are usually more challenging to fix as well, primarily because pinpointing the cause of the issue is a lot less straightforward in comparison.
Today, we have one of the 3D printer-related problems at hand, known as Ender 3 screen glitching, where the screen of your Ender 3 can randomly flash, switch pages, and text on the screen can end up becoming jumbled and illegible, rendering the screen unusable until the problem is solved.
So, what can cause your Ender 3’s screen to glitch and not display correctly?
There are a few different reasons that can prevent your Ender 3’s screen from functioning correctly and glitch, which we have listed below:
- There are firmware-related problems affecting the screen.
- There are problems with the wiring of the screen.
- Electromagnetic interference is causing a disruption.
- The Ender 3 screen itself is damaged.
- The mainboard of the Ender 3 is malfunctioning.
Moving forward, we will take a deeper look at the potential factors that can cause your Ender 3’s screen to glitch, find out what we can do to fix these problems as quickly as possible, and look at a couple more screen-related issues such as the screen being black, or just showing blue light.
Table of Contents
What Causes the Ender 3 (Pro/V2) Screen to Glitch?
A glitching Ender 3 screen is definitely a critical problem for the health of the printing process, as the screen is entirely responsible for a multitude of things like displaying print information, controlling the printing process, and configuring the 3D printer.
Below are the most common factors that can cause your Ender 3’s screen to glitch alongside their detailed descriptions, which we believe will help spot the one that’s causing the issue in your case:
- Firmware-related issues – Problems with defective or outdated firmware can be the reason behind the Ender 3 screen glitching problem, as the firmware is essentially responsible for the entire operation of the 3D printer.
- Wiring problems – Damaged or loose wiring is perhaps the most likely the culprit behind the Ender 3 screen glitching problem, as even a slight wiring-related issue can prevent the data from being transmitted correctly and cause a malfunction.
- Electromagnetic interference – Electromagnetic interference can introduce noise to the signal carried to the Ender 3 screen and cause glitching problems as a result. The easiest way to find out whether electromagnetic interference is the problem or not is to move the screen assembly to different locations and see if the glitching disappears or changes behavior.
- Damaged screen – The screen itself being damaged is another factor that can cause the glitching problem, but it’s a lot less likely than the issues mentioned above.
- Malfunctioning mainboard – Finally, while a malfunctioning mainboard is the least likely culprit to cause the Ender 3 screen glitching problem, it’s still one that we need to keep in mind, especially if everything else appears to be okay.
How to Fix the Problem of the Ender 3 (Pro/V2) Screen Glitch?
Due to the possibility of a few distinct factors causing the problem of the Ender 3 screen glitch, fixing this issue is not always a straightforward process, especially if you are not sure about the exact cause behind the glitch.
Below, we have listed the solutions for the most common causes behind the problem of the Ender 3 screen glitch, which can help resolve the issue even if you don’t precisely know which one is the cause in your case:
- Re-flash the Ender 3 with updated and authentic firmware. We highly recommend downloading the newest version of Marlin firmware from its source and flashing the firmware to your Ender 3, ensuring there won’t be any issues on the firmware side.
- Double-check the wiring of the screen. We highly recommend disconnecting all the wires, thoroughly checking them for any signs of damage (including bending, flattening, etc.), replacing the damaged cables, and carefully re-connecting them to their appropriate positions while ensuring that they aren’t loose.
- Protect the screen from electromagnetic interference. There are many ways to shield the screen and its wires from electromagnetic interference, such as grounding, using shielded cables, or applying wire shielding (such as aluminum foil) to the wires.
- Replace the screen of your Ender 3 with a new one. As it’s possible to buy a replacement screen for your Ender 3, you can quickly replace it without needing to replace the entire printer due to a screen glitching issue.
- Replace the mainboard of your Ender 3 with a new one. Similar to the screen, it’s also possible to buy a replacement of the mainboard of your Ender 3, which you can directly obtain from Creality’s official store.
Ender 3 Showing Blue Screen – What to Do?
Another issue that can trouble the Ender 3 is the blue screen problem, which refers to a state where it’s only possible to see the blue light that illuminates the LCD screen with no text, making it impossible to interact with the screen.
The issue of the Ender 3 showing a blue screen can be a result of wiring problems, screen problems, and mainboard problems, which makes it a purely hardware-related issue that requires solutions on the hardware end of things, primarily involving replacements of the faulty components.
We recommend thoroughly checking and re-doing the wiring that connects the screen to the printer, ensuring that the screen’s functionality works by clicking the knob and listening for feedback (and replacing it if it’s faulty), and finally replacing the mainboard as a last resort.
Ender 3 Showing Blank Screen – What to Do?
The final Ender 3 screen-related issue is the appearance of a blank screen, which is the state where the screen is entirely powered off with no light or text visible, which is essentially how the screen looks like when the Ender 3 is not on.
If the Ender 3 display is not lighting up at all and showing an entirely blank screen, it means that the display is not being powered at all, which can be either due to the mainboard not supplying the voltage or the screen not being able to receive it.
In this case, we would recommend checking the voltage of the screen connector pins on the mainboard to see if it equals 5 volts as the first step. If the voltage is correct, replace the screen; if it’s not, replace the mainboard.
Wrapping Up
As the Ender 3 screen glitch problem is one that is both critical and challenging to resolve at the same time, it might not always be possible to get your Ender 3 back in working condition without needing to send it in for a repair or replacement.
To quickly recap, while problems with hardware components of the Ender 3, such as improper wiring, electromagnetic interference, a damaged screen, or a damaged mainboard, create the majority of the culprits behind the screen glitching problem, firmware issues can also be the cause in some scenarios.
Due to the highly technical nature of this problem, we would recommend sending the Ender 3 for a repair if you aren’t too familiar with the hardware-related side of things, as it’s possible to cause more damage to the printer while attempting a solution.
Happy printing!
Mike started his 3D printing journey with the Anet A8 when it first came out back in 2017, and has been obsessed with 3D printers ever since. Nowadays, he primarily uses his Ender 3 to print functional parts that make his life more convenient whenever possible.