Ender-3 V3 SE — CR-Touch triggers but Z axis does not stop

Ender Series Creality Ender-3 V3 KE/SE
1

Ender-3 V3 SE — CR-Touch triggers but Z axis does not stop

Printer: Creality Ender-3 V3 SE

I’m having a problem during Auto Home / Z probing. The CR-Touch appears to trigger correctly, but the Z axis continues moving downward and the nozzle then contacts the bed.

What I observe

The sequence in my attached video is:

CR-Touch deploys → probe touches the surface → probe retracts → Z continues downward → nozzle touches the surface → Z does NOT reverse → stepper motor continues grinding.

The important point is that the CR-Touch triggers before the nozzle touches the surface, but the Z axis does not respond by stopping or reversing.

Soft vs. hard surface test

I placed a soft book on the bed.

With the soft book:

CR-Touch triggers → probe retracts → Z continues downward → nozzle presses into/compresses the book → Z eventually reverses.

With a rigid bare PCB plate /hard surface:

CR-Touch triggers → probe retracts → Z continues downward → nozzle contacts the rigid surface → Z does not reverse and the stepper continues grinding.

This makes me suspect that the printer is not responding correctly to the CR-Touch trigger during Z homing.

CR-Touch test

I also tested the probe separately. When the deployed pin is touched with my finger, it retracts and the printer responds by stopping/reversing.

So the probe appears to deploy, trigger mechanically, and generate a response.

Other information

  • Nozzle opening appears clean.

  • Printer was purchased second-hand and the nozzle had already been replaced.

  • Some old filament residue is present around the hotend, but the nozzle opening is clear.

  • CR-Touch mounting appears secure.

  • Printhead carriage has been checked and has no obvious excessive play.

  • Current Z-offset is approximately +0.10 mm.

  • I am avoiding repeated tests on the rigid bed because the nozzle contacts it and the Z motor grinds.

Questions

  1. How much vertical distance should normally exist between the CR-Touch trigger point and the nozzle tip on the V3 SE?

  2. When the CR-Touch triggers, should the Z axis immediately stop/reverse?

  3. Could this indicate a probe signal, wiring, firmware, controller input, or Z-homing problem?

  4. Could the previously replaced nozzle/hotend affect the probe-to-nozzle geometry?

  5. Is there a safe test or G-code command to verify that the controller is detecting the CR-Touch trigger correctly during Z homing?

Creality’s V3 SE firmware uses the CR-Touch for Z homing and defines a nozzle-to-probe Z offset and Z_PROBE_LOW_POINT of -2 mm.

Any advice from V3 SE owners or Creality support would be appreciated.