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Bambu Lab X1C and AMS Maintenance

Maintenance checklist for the Bambu Lab X1 Carbon printer and its two filament units, the AMS 2 Pro and the original AMS (Gen 1). It follows Bambu Lab's guides:

How often

Interval What
Every 3 to 5 days if ABS is printed often Clean the Micro Lidar window
Every 2 weeks Check AMS desiccant and humidity
Monthly (every 5 rolls if printing ABS/ASA) Clean carbon rods and re-tension belts
Every 2 months (monthly with abrasive filaments) Replace AMS PTFE tubes
Every 3 months Grease Z lead screws; replace the activated carbon filter under heavy use
As needed Nozzle wiper, nozzle, silicone sock, build plates

Supplies

  • IPA (90% or stronger) and lint-free or microfiber cloths
  • Grease for the Z lead screws (Bambu suggests Super Lube 92003 or Lucas 10533, or the grease from the Bambu accessory box)
  • H2.0 hex key and the X1 accessory box tools
  • Compressed air, brass brush, tweezers
  • Spare nozzle wiper, spare PTFE tube (4 mm OD), fresh desiccant if available

Do NOT grease the X-axis carbon rods. Grease causes abnormal resistance and makes cleaning harder; the bearings are self-lubricating. Power off and unplug the printer before any mechanical work.

X1C printer

1. Before you start

  • Unload filament from the AMS units.
  • Note the firmware versions (printer, AMS 2 Pro, AMS) in Bambu Studio or Bambu Handy.

2. General cleaning

  • Vacuum or brush debris from the chamber floor, bed area and purge chute.
  • Empty and clean the purge waste bin area.

3. Carbon rods and belt tension (do these together)

Procedure: Bambu Wiki: Carbon rods clearance and cleaning

  • Loosen (do not remove) the four belt tensioner screws at the back of the printer.
  • Press on the belts next to the toolhead and confirm the tensioners move.
  • Wipe each X-axis carbon rod with IPA on a lint-free cloth. Repeat 2 to 3 times until the cloth comes away clean.
  • Move the toolhead to the center of the build area and retighten the tensioner screws. This re-tensions the belts.
  • With the printer off, move the toolhead by hand from corner to corner. Motion should be smooth with no grinding.

4. Z-axis lead screws (every 3 months)

  • Wipe dust and plastic off all three Z lead screws.
  • With the bed homed (at the top), apply a thin coat of grease.
  • Lower the bed, apply another thin coat, and home again. Repeat a few cycles to spread it.
  • Wipe off excess grease that builds up near the lead screw nuts. Too little is better than too much.

5. Nozzle wiper

  • Check the wiper for filament debris and a damaged PTFE side. It must sit horizontal.
  • Replace it if the plastic structure is deformed or cracked, or if it slips (Bambu nozzle wiper part).

6. Hotend and extruder

  • Heat the nozzle and brush residue off the nozzle and heater block. Inspect the silicone sock and replace it if torn.
  • Do a cold pull if there are any signs of partial clogging (see the X1 nozzle clog troubleshooting page on the Bambu Wiki).
  • Inspect the nozzle tip for wear, especially if carbon fiber or glow-in-the-dark filaments have been run on the stock nozzle.
  • Open the extruder idler and brush filament dust from the drive gears.

7. Micro Lidar

  • Clean the Lidar window with IPA on a microfiber cloth.

8. Activated carbon filter and fans

9. Build plates

  • Wash each plate with warm water and dish soap, and dry it fully.
  • Note any worn or scratched plates.

10. Cables and PTFE path

  • Check the toolhead cable and flat ribbon cable for kinks or wear.
  • Inspect the PTFE tube from the AMS hub to the toolhead for wear or kinks.

AMS 2 Pro and AMS (Gen 1)

11. PTFE tubes

  • Inspect all AMS PTFE tubes (slot to hub, and hub to printer) for wear grooves, kinks or loose ends.
  • Replace them about every 2 months under normal use, or monthly if printing abrasive filaments (carbon fiber, glow-in-the-dark).
  • Confirm every tube is fully seated in its connector.

12. Feeders and filament path

  • Remove any broken filament pieces from the feeders and hub. Pushing a good, non-brittle piece of filament through the first-stage feeder pushes debris out.
  • Check the feeding funnels for wear. Replace them if badly worn and causing feed or retract errors.
  • AMS 2 Pro: clean the filament hub per Bambu's hub cleaning guide (AMS 2 Pro hub). If a feeder needs replacing: Replace feeder unit.
  • AMS Gen 1: check that the spool rollers and support shafts spin freely, and clean dust off the rollers.

13. Desiccant and humidity

  • Check the desiccant and humidity indicator in both AMS units. Dry or replace the desiccant as needed.
  • Confirm the lids seal.

14. AMS test

  • Load one spool in each slot of both units and run a load and unload on every slot.
  • Run a short multi-material print that pulls from both AMS units.

15. Recalibrate the X1C

  • Power on and run the full Calibration from the printer screen (bed leveling, vibration compensation, motor noise cancellation, Micro Lidar).
  • Update firmware for the printer and both AMS units if they are behind.
  • Print a small test part and inspect the first layer.

Afterwards

Record anything you found, what you did about it, and whether follow-up is needed. If the printer is not safe to use, tag it out of service: see Shop Safety: Tagging a Tool Out of Service and Reporting It.

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