CR-10 SE repeatedly scratching build plate after calibration – how to completely disable piezo sensor?

CR Series Creality CR-10 Series
1

Hello everyone,

I’d like to share an ongoing issue I’ve been experiencing with my CR-10 SE, in case someone has faced something similar or can offer guidance.

After purchasing the printer, I initially encountered Z calibration problems. Creality support provided a replacement piezoelectric sensor and build plate, and after installing them I was only able to complete around a dozen prints before the issue appeared again: the nozzle scratched the build plate.

Shortly after that, I had to stop using the printer because I moved, and I couldn’t set it up again until a few weeks ago.

Recently, I replaced the build plate once more and completed about 10 additional prints, but unfortunately, the same problem has returned. After running the calibration process, the printer attempts to print the first layer—supposedly at 0.2 mm—yet the nozzle ends up scratching the build plate, causing visible damage.

One important detail is that during calibration, the machine pushes the build plate down by roughly 1 mm while trying to trigger the piezo sensor. Over time, this behavior seems to worsen until the sensor eventually fails, at which point the printer interrupts the calibration process entirely, making that feature unusable.

Because of this, I do not consider replacing the piezo sensor to be a viable long-term solution.

What I really want to know is:

  • Is it possible to completely disable the piezo sensor, so the printer does not even attempt to use it?

  • Can the Z-offset be configured manually?

  • Is it possible to rely only on the CR-Touch sensor for probing and calibration?

If anyone has managed to fully disable the piezo sensor at the firmware or configuration level, or knows whether this is officially supported (and how to do it), I would really appreciate detailed guidance.

Thanks in advance for any help or insights.

Post written with the assistance of ChatGPT.

2

It scratched my plate too, but I got there early and pulled the plug.

3

I contacted Creality support, and they confirmed that the piezo sensor cannot be disabled. I also tried physically disconnecting it, but in that case the calibration process simply stops—the firmware does not detect that the sensor has been disconnected and aborts calibration entirely.

As a workaround, I am currently configuring the Z-offset directly from the printer’s display. This process is quite tedious, because the value can only be adjusted while the printer is actively printing. To avoid further damage to the build plate, I have to “trick” the print head during the homing phase by placing an object under it, so the printer ends up printing in mid-air and gives me enough time to manually edit the Z-offset.

The M851 command has no effect either, even when combined with M500 and G28.

For now, this is the only way I can use the printer, but I have completely lost the automatic bed leveling functionality. I will continue investigating whether there is a better solution, but it does not seem reasonable that a machine in this price range suffers from this kind of issue so frequently—especially when the replacement part needed to fix it is not even available locally here in Argentina.

Post written with the assistance of ChatGPT.