Cricut Repair Info
Cricut Repair Info
One way to get yourself a cheap Cricut machine is to buy a busted one off eBay. Try searching for both "broken cricut" and "defective cricut". Often you can win one for as low as $0.99 plus shipping for a Personal or Create model, or somewhat more for an Expression.
Where to get one
The main dealer of these machines, "websbestdeals," must have some exclusive arrangement with PC, because they seem to have a pretty inexhaustible supply of broken machines to sell.
Have patience and don't get carried away with your bid, it seems there will always be more listed within a few days.
Read the seller's description carefully to see what is included. Usually (but not always), they only include the power supply, but sometimes it comes with everything, cutting mat, blade holder, power adapter, cartridge, overlay and even the manual and warranty card. Once in a while they'll sell two for one, but missing one or both power adapters.
Sometimes the seller's description will tell you exactly the issue, as in the case with a dragging blade. I'm not quite sure yet what it means when "the blade makes a lot of noise", but the broken limit-switch wires definitely cause a horrible noise on startup. Many times they simply say "it has no power," which so far often (but not always) indicates a power supply or broken trace problem.
Mine didn't come with a cartridge!
If you don't have a real cartridge, you can make yourself a "Fake George" to at least get a machine with the stock firmware to start up fully. More details here. Basically, you just need to (carefully!) make something that will short together pins 4, 6, and 10 (or 11, 15, and 17) on the cartridge port, to fool the machine into using its own built-in "George and Basic Shapes" cartridge.
Here are some close-up photos of what a real "George" looks like inside.
Removing the Side Covers
Don't rush to take the sides off the machine. Many times this won't be necessary, and it's hard to get the trim pieces off without doing at least cosmetic damage.
The way I do it is to use a thin bladed putty knife to get in between the trim and side cover (from the outside edge inwards), while pulling outwards with your other hand, to depress the little fingers that clip the trim piece on, one at a time. I've broken off quite a few of them with poor technique, but don't usually bother putting them back on anyways.
Once the trim piece is off you can get access to the 5 or 6 phillips-head screws holding the actual side cover on.
Accessing the Motherboard
Usually all the action happens in the bottom of the machine where the motherboard is located.
To access it, all you need is a long #1 phillips-head screwdriver. Roll the machine onto its back on a towel or something else soft, and remove the 8-or-so most obvious screws around the outside of the bottom cover. Then, tip the cover down and towards yourself like opening a panel. If you carefully tug a little on the wires leading up into the side covers you can get just enough slack to be able to rest it flat on the table while the machine is still on its back.
Problems and Solutions
Here are some of the things I have discovered so far while fixing a bunch of these machines:
Schematic
I don't have a schematic drawn up for these, but one of my Creates is an older model with only a 2-layer board. This makes the circuit far easier to figure out than the 3-layer boards that came later. The Expression board is nearly identical, so this should be of assistance for figuring out those issues as well.
Here are close-up photos of the full front and back side of the 2-layer Create board.
Broken Dials
It seems the dials are pretty easy to break if the machine falls onto its front side. The size dial is expendable if you use Make-the-Cut or other cutting software on your PC, but if you cut with cartridges or the pressure dial is broken you may not have much choice but to try and find a replacement dial.
Bad Power Supply
An Expression I got with a bad power supply would constantly turn on and off, like a turn signal on a car. On, off, on, off. Replacing the power brick with a known-good one from another machine solved the problem.
Broken Inner-layer PCB traces
So far, two Create machines have been suffering from broken traces in the middle layer of the circuit board. Fixing these can be challenging since you can't see the inner layer to know where it was supposed to connect to.
Fortunately, I have a working older revision of both Personal and Create motherboards that are only 2-layers, and there were virtually no changes to the parts connections or positions when PC switched to the 3-layer boards. This means you can visually trace the connections on the older board, and verify those connections on the newer (broken 3-layer) one.
I will be adding specifics here to help with this process for anyone who doesn't have the benefit of a 2-layer board for reference.
1) One machine's power button would light up when you turned it on, but nothing else would happen. This was isolated to two broken inner-layer traces leading from the 5V regulator to two nearby parts.
Edit 4/28/2013:
At long last, I took a photo of the repairs for the "broken inner-layer traces" issue.
First photo shows the front of the board. The broken traces connect one of the inductor leads (circled) to the 5v voltage regulator and to the large capacitor below it.
This next photo shows where the jumpers were placed. Your mileage may vary, but this got mine working.
2) Another Create model would power up and boot fully, but the display would be either blank or show only a single line of pixels. Swapping out the display for another known-good one did not have any effect. This turned out to be a broken +5V power supply line to the OLED display connector. (pin 2, counting from the end with the red stripe). I repaired this one by adding a jumper over to the +5V power supply line on the keyboard connector an inch away.
Disconnected Cables
One expression, when you pushed the power button, would light up, but instead of booting would just beep three times and halt. This turned out to be simply a disconnected keyboard cable. The fix was simply to plug the cable back in to the motherboard.
Broken Limit Switch wires
Two different machines had this problem - they would start up okay, but when the carriage would slide all the way to right, it would crash at the end and make a horrible grinding noise. This indicates a problem with the button located in the right-side hidey-hole or the wires leading to it.
Upon removing the right-side cover, I discovered in one case that the pair of wires from the limit switch had been severed by the sharp edge of the metal motor bracket inside. Repairing the wires solved the problem. In another case, one of the wires had simply fallen off the switch, and I was able to just plug it back in.
Broken Solenoid wire
One Create would operate normally, except the cutting blade would not go up and down at all. Removing the carriage cover revealed the problem to be a broken solder joint at the top of the cutter solenoid. Space is pretty tight, but I was able to solder a short length of wire between the broken lead and the stub on the solenoid to fix this problem.
Blade Dragging
This problem seems to be one of the most common, and the easiest to fix as well. The machine seems to operate normally, except that the blade drags in some places, cutting where it shouldn't, and hangs up in some places, not cutting where it should. Normally, the blade holder should move smoothly up and down. You should be able to push it down with no friction detected, and when released, it should move smoothly and freely back upwards.
In some cases, the lower of the two leaf springs in the cutter solenoid mechanism can get bent, causing a slight misalignment, which creates friction that causes the observed "dragging" behavior.
The fix for this is about the simplest of all: remove 3 screws covering the cutter carriage, and simply pinch with your fingers the upper and lower leaf springs together at the right hinge point. (Where the red circles are in the photo below). This should straighten the bent lower leaf spring and free up the movement.
Replacement Parts
The power brick is an 18v 2.5A switching power supply with a pretty standard cord end, so you could probably find something compatible, but you can get the real thing from PC itself for $9.99.
If you're looking for used parts, Here's one place you could try, or Here's another
I'm not 100% certain, but the US Cutter Refine carriage looks identical from the photo.
Unsolved Machines
I have several machines that I have not yet repaired.
One is a Personal model that will often fail to boot, and show only dark squares on the LCD screen. It was described this way to me before I got it, worked fine upon receipt, but then stopped working again soon after.
Another is an Expression that, when powered on, the power light comes on, but nothing else, and the 5V regulator starts to get very hot. Although replacing the regulator may be the solution, I want to be sure the problem wasn't caused by something else.
(two other Personals have not been checked out yet).
February 16th, 2012 - 20:55
Oh I’m so glad you wrote this! But unfortunately my problem isn’t on here! My imagine powers on but the LCD doesn’t work. Any ideas on how I can get it fixed? Or do you know anybody I can pay to fix it?
Thanks do much for any help you can provide with this!
Nikki
December 18th, 2012 - 13:17
if the machine seems to work normally aside from the screen, make sure the cable is plugged in securely at both ends… If it’s powering on, but not completing the startup sequence with a beep, then you have other issues, probably power related.
April 11th, 2013 - 21:17
Hey there!
any ideas of what else i can try?
Im having the same thing…it powers up but lcd screen doesnt light up. I tried a new plug but same thing
April 6th, 2012 - 16:25
I’m thrilled someone can fix these, however, have you fixed one that says “Cartridge comm error”? PC says only THEY can fix it… great. Frankly I don’t know even who to take one to, it seems its a software issue.
Any help would be great!
April 6th, 2012 - 22:12
Nope I sure haven’t seen that.. The message appears on the cricut screen?
Maybe there’s a problem with your cartridge, cartridge slot, or the cable connecting it to the motherboard?
Will it let you do a firmware update using Design Studio (trial version)?
June 6th, 2012 - 15:07
Great Site! Lots of good info for those of us who won’t take ” Oh well, guess it’s just broken” for an answer. How about info on an Expression that boots up fine but won’t load a mat. It’s like it somehow is slipping in the drive mechanism. Haven’t had a chance to take it apart and look, but thought I would ask….
November 28th, 2012 - 12:57
Did you find a solution to your mat not loading. I was having the same issue and (DUH!) realized I was using the wrong power supply. The one I had accidentally used belonged to my EHD, lower voltage than the cricut needed. I plugged mine in using the correct power supply and bingo it worked perfect.
February 3rd, 2013 - 21:28
I have also been having this problem and no matter what I try it has not resolved. Updated firmware, reset, rolled three times down and then up, etc. Looking forward to any helpful info!
March 27th, 2013 - 03:00
Hi there,i am Tony from the United Kingdom,i too have had this problem.I found by taking the top of my imagine off, i could see on the right-hand side, that the large cog connecting to a smaller cog on the motor had in fact slid back on its spindle thus not engaging with the smaller cog from the motor.Just by pushing the big cog onto the spindle tighter,it engaged the smaller cog,i then tested the imagine and found that it then loaded the mat properly.I then applied some glue onto the spindle and cog so they were fixed more permantely,as it has been made without any securing washer whatsoever.After doing this i reassembled the cricut and have not had any more problems of it slipping.I think provo craft should have a fixing circlip attached to metal rod of this assembly on all their machines as i think this is a design flaw..
I have also noticed another design flaw in the Imagine which is,on the metal bar that the insert mat plastic guide is that there is quite a bit of side to side movement that can effect the calibration and final priciseness of the cutting out of printed images.You need to push the plastic guide to the left and then fit a spacer onto the metal bar to take up gap that is there between the plastic insert mat guide and the washer by the spring.In doing this ,you take up the gap so there is no chance of sideways movement by the plastic insert mat guide so when you calibrate it stays calibrated properly thus given you a more precise cut around your images….
Sorry a bit long winded but i hope this helps…
Tony…
June 29th, 2012 - 10:43
Have you ever repaired the port in the back of a Cricut Expression? Mine is broken and just past the warranty, and of course, Cricut (ProvoCraFt) doesn’t repair them. Or if you know of someone who does repair the port, that would be very helpful. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
June 30th, 2012 - 11:36
I have the same problem as Jennifer. The port on the back (DC 18 V – 2.5 A) that accepts power from the power supply pin/cable has cracked into many pieces. I took out the pieces after gaining access by unscrewing the 7 screws from the bottom of the Cricut. This appears very fixable if I could just get that little part. Is this the “power brick” you refer to above? Where do we find these? Thanks!
December 18th, 2012 - 13:19
I found what looks like the USB port part itself for about $2 on DigiKey, you may be able to desolder and replace it if the board hasn’t broken underneath it..
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/dksearch/dksus.dll?FV=fff40016%2Cfff802e4&vendor=0&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ptm=0&fid=0&quantity=0&PV28=873
February 4th, 2013 - 17:56
Same here, just discovered my port is broken. When I click on the link I see many different parts. Is one on that list better than others? Could you recommend maybe where to take this to? For instance could I take it to a computer repair and they could possibly replace the usb port? Called cricut and they said no go with them.
February 4th, 2013 - 23:34
I’m sorry, most repair places won’t want to deal with this kind of repair.. The digikey link would only be useful if you were thinking of trying to attempt the repair yourself or maybe had a handy friend. Sadly, otherwise, selling a broken machine on ebay and replacing with perhaps another used one is likely to be your cheapest solution.
February 11th, 2013 - 17:53
My husband took it to a local computer repair store and they did indeed fix it! Took a couple of days but I am back to cutting! They gave me back the broken part so for those wondering it isn’t soddered (sp) on. It is possible I may have been able to do it but out of my comfort zone. For the others my same issue, it is worth checking with a computer repair store. Ours said if they could fix it they would charge us, if not no charge. Was worth the shot, glad we took it! Thank you for this blog, I never would have thought it was replaceable without it!
March 9th, 2013 - 16:49
How do you access the USB port to remove it? My port seems busted. I want to try to fix it. I’m devasted that I can’t use my Gypsy and other software.
July 5th, 2012 - 23:17
Mine is just past warranty pink expression and does the dragging thing Cuts the shape weird and makes a graiting noise whilst trying to cut. Not the blade or the housing tried in in my bug. I think it may be the one you have listed above. The easiest to fix. Thanks so much. Hope it works.
July 12th, 2012 - 08:42
So my cricut fell
sad day… the size dial broke. I kind of understand how you say to fix it but not really. Do I need to buy one for parts and do it my self? Do I take it somewhere? What do you suggest?
July 12th, 2012 - 09:39
I have seen at least one place that advertises repair services, but it’s really cost-prohibitive once shipping two ways is included. Your best option is to buy the part and replace it yourself, I linked a couple of possible places you can get a replacement from. Once you get the #@#$ trim strip off, the end cap comes off easily with a few screws, and the broken part can be removed with a few more and some careful wiggling to get around the front door hinge. You’ll also need to open the bottom compartment to unplug the old part and plug the new one in. Always be very careful of the sharp metal edges, both to avoid cutting yourself but also to avoid pinching wires which can also easily be cut.
July 25th, 2012 - 12:54
I have a Cricut Personal that I bought off of Ebay last year. It works great except I can not cut the images from any cartridge that requires the Shift key. The Shift key beeps and lights up, but it will not cut the images from Layer 2. Any suggestions? I am thinking of an Expressions purchase but leery after reading of problems on Cricut help site.
July 25th, 2012 - 13:21
My carriage unit came off of the track and I can’t get all the wheels back on. Do you know how to put it back on? Provocraft couldn’t help me at all. Do I need to unscrew somewhere and then put it back on? Any help would be greatly appreciated since it is no longer under warranty!
August 4th, 2012 - 15:59
I’m having the same issue. I can get the wheels back on but it forward, when it’s on & tries to go into the little cave thing it makes a horrible noise.
August 7th, 2012 - 10:05
Were you able to fix it? I’d really like to use my cricut!
October 11th, 2012 - 22:42
Nope no luck yet. You?
October 12th, 2012 - 02:00
My brother helped me figure it out! If you take the cover off of your carriage there is a small screw most likely with red paint on it below the top wheel, unscrew it & the top wheel will move down far enough for you to place the wheels on the rail. Once on the rail the put screw back into the spot you took it out of!! If you tip your machine back a little it’s easier to get the screw in. Place the carriage cover back on & it should be fixed! Any questions please email! Jennifer.rose112@gmail I’ve cut with mine & it works great! It’s the first time I’ve used it; I got a few months ago as a Birthday present, my mom has an imagine so I’ve just used that. So excited to use my pink expression tomorrow! I hope this can help, especially if the warranty isn’t valid! Good luck & Pls email to let me know if it works!
August 24th, 2012 - 11:26
I have the same issue! Did you fix it?
October 11th, 2012 - 22:41
Nope can’t figure it out! You guys have any luck??
July 28th, 2012 - 13:25
Hello–I dropped my Expression 2 last night. The roller bar that feeds the mat in and out is now off–The pressure is uneven and the mat slides around during cutting. When a cut is finished and I eject the mat, it gets stuck on the cutting blade and won’t come out. My husband could attempt to fix it if he knew what he should be doing…Any help would be appreciated!
December 18th, 2012 - 13:10
I haven’t seen inside an Expression 2 yet, but perhaps if you could inspect inside the two side covers and see if anything looks amiss with the pressure bar and the springs that keep tension on it?
August 4th, 2012 - 13:47
My wife’s cricut expression won’t cut anymore. It powers up and moves around but doesn’t cut unless I push the blade down by hand. We did the standard reset but no luck. The blade doesn’t seem to go up and down. I ripped it open and checked the connectors and power does get to the mechanism (I applied power directly and the blade then went up and down) I traced the cable all the way back to the right hand side of the device(I took the side off and it was fastened securely to the board) Anyone have a solution on how to fix this. Is there maybe a hidden fuse or something that can be easily fixed.
January 13th, 2013 - 10:35
Have you had any luck fixing your problem?? I’m having the same issue!!
January 24th, 2013 - 16:02
No luck so far…I am sure there is a broken trace or something simple like that…
March 8th, 2013 - 15:05
I have the same exact problem, the machine just doesn’t cut. I did the resets and moved the dials back and forth three time like the crikit rep told me to do.
August 12th, 2012 - 13:24
Maybe you can help me!!! My cricut expression won’t cut from day 1. It powers up and moves around but doesn’t cut unless I push the blade down by hand! How can I fix the problem? How do I open the machine? You seems to be the only one who know something and might be able to help!! Thank you ! Avital
December 18th, 2012 - 13:14
If the blade holder moves down when you press on it and bounces up again when you let go, then I would first remove the bottom cover and check that all the cables are securely attached to the main board (and not loose or completely detached).
If you don’t find anything obvious there, try taking the cover off the cutter carriage and inspect the wires that bring power to the carriage and make sure those connections are secure.
You can test for continuity between the terminals on the carriage and the other end where the cable plugs into the main board.
April 7th, 2013 - 00:01
im having the same issue and cant get my *?&%ing this to cut! There are no loose wires, the blade housing moves up and down freely. I’ve done the reset and pinched the ends of the springs together…and updated the firmware and…NOTHING! Pleae help! i have used it so few times, I still have the original blade on!!
January 13th, 2013 - 10:36
Any luck with fixing your Cricut?? I’m having the same issue and have tried everything else! Thanks!
August 13th, 2012 - 17:22
Hello. My Cricut Expression wont load/unload paper. The roller barely moves when you turn it on, but doesn’t budge at all when you load/unload. I called support, they say to buy a new machine. I did their reset. My husband also downloaded the firmware updates. Still no luck. He is taking it apart now to look at cboard, but I was hoping you had some suggestions, or have run into this issue before. Thank you!!
December 18th, 2012 - 13:15
Does it make any noises when the roller bar is SUPPOSED to be moving but isnt? Does the motor inside the left cover hum like it’s trying to turn?
December 28th, 2012 - 13:31
Hi and thanks for this site. This is what mine is doing. It makes a horrible noise when the paper feed mechanism should be turning. What do you suspect the issue might be? Thanks in advance.
December 28th, 2012 - 13:56
Do you have an expression? If so, try taking off the left side cover and see if there’s some problem with the belt connecting the feed motor to the roller bar, or perhaps the roller itself is jammed?
December 30th, 2012 - 16:32
Thanks for your quick response! When I pinch the belt, the roller turns. Do you think it’s as simple as replacing the belt?
December 30th, 2012 - 22:18
Can you tell if the belt is loose because there’s not enough tension, or are there missing teeth? I don’t believe there’s any adjustment possible, so as long as you find something actually wrong with the old belt, and check that the roller doesn’t bind up and cause the belt to strip. I wouldn’t expect it to just fail for no reason, so always best to try and understand the original cause..
December 31st, 2012 - 12:18
Thanks again for the quick reply. There does seem to be a bit of play in the belt. No teeth missing. I will see if I can find a similar belt, likely at a vacuum repair shop. Provocraft doesn’t seem to have that part listed.
August 18th, 2012 - 17:41
I have a Cricut Expression. When I connect to power and turn on, only the “Power” button lights up, the remainder of the keypad and LCD are off. I had the power relay on the keypad circuit board replaced and the problem remains. I now think that this machine may have broken inner-layer traces as described above.
Thanks for the tips.
February 26th, 2013 - 16:47
Hi Jean,
My wife’s Expression, which she has had for years now and has always worked fine, is experiencing the exact same symptom. Power light illuminates only, the rest of the machine is dead.
We’re you able to identify the problem?
Thank you, George
March 2nd, 2013 - 15:17
my cricut is doing the same thing! one minute it is working perfectly fine, the next minute it won’t do anything. the green light on the power button lights up, but that’s it. helllpppp…. i have it all take apart, but i don’t see anything obvious.
karenc
August 30th, 2012 - 08:55
I have a cricut mini & the plastic cradle holding the blade has broken. Can anyone tell me if this part is interchangeable from machine to machine. I can not seem to find a broken/defective mini for cheap but there are plenty of Expressions. If I knew the part off the expression would work, I would buy it and use it to replace the part on my mini. If anyone could help me with this I would appreciate it very much!!
August 30th, 2012 - 09:29
Hi Sylvia- take a look at this thread where someone claims it will work..
http://forum.make-the-cut.com/discussion/12531/my-cricut-broke-his-arm
August 30th, 2012 - 11:16
Thank you! I did run across this the other day. I read that the baby bug and expression are interchangeable but I just wonder about the mini. I might just try it anyways because I am finding them on eBay for around 20 bucks shipped. If it doesn’t work then I haven’t wasted a lot of money and maybe I can use your tips to get it running instead! Thanks for you help and this website is def getting favorited!
September 20th, 2012 - 08:52
So everyone knows, the blades on the Mini and on th expression/baby bug are Not interchangeable, HOWEVER, with a couple passes of electrical tape you can very easily (and inexpensibly) make it fit snugly enough to cut! This was a quick 5 minute fix and it has held up great so far and cut perfectly!
September 9th, 2012 - 10:53
Do you have any guides to fix the Cricut Expression when it powers on but just clicks and then only a few buttons light up and LCD is completely dead?
Thanks!!
September 10th, 2012 - 08:28
This sounds like the “broken inner layer board traces” problem I’ve fixed a few times and described in the FAQ. It requires a little detective work and skill with a multimeter & soldering iron, but should be fixable.
March 2nd, 2013 - 15:30
i think i have the same problem. i can’t seem to find the FAQ. could you post a link. thanks so much.
karen
May 13th, 2013 - 14:23
what is the FAQ and do you have more information on this problem
September 9th, 2012 - 21:59
Wondering if you have ever run into this problem…I have a cricut expression that is dragging the blade just enough to scratch the paper, but not cut it, in the areas that the blade is supposed to not be making any marks at all. In the places that it is supposed to be making a cut, it is only scratching the paper also, and not cutting it, not even a weak cut. If I press down gently on the black arms that hold the blade housing, it then cuts through. I checked with FAQ on the provo craft website and it says that if you have this problem, that your machine needs to be replaced, but my guess is that they would probably say that for most of the problems you seem to be able to solve. Do you have any ideas how I could fix this problem? Thanks!
Rhonda
September 10th, 2012 - 08:26
Read the repair section on the “blade dragging” issue and see if this seems to be your issue. Just a phillips-head screwdriver and your pincer grasp is all it takes to fix if that’s the problem,..
September 10th, 2012 - 10:44
Hey there,
I already tried the “blade dragging” repair you mentioned above, and it is not helping it. It seems to be a bit of a different problem…even the opposite problem. The cutting mechanism will not go down far enough to make a cut, it only scratches the paper, so it’s not really a “dragging” issue, where the blade will not lift high enough and makes cuts where it shouldn’t. Could it be some kind of connection problem with the “pressure” button? I have it set on MAX, but it is definitely not giving me MAX pressure. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Rhonda
September 29th, 2012 - 10:58
I am trying to replace the blade, the old blade came out okay, but when I put the new on in, it wont go in its like something is blocking it. can i buy a new blade housing. Thanks you
November 9th, 2012 - 01:43
Hi Karen, sometimes this happens to me…if paper slowly gets stuffed up there it blocks the opening. I bang mine on the table a few times. you would be surprised what falls out.
October 31st, 2012 - 06:39
Hi
My mum sent me her cricut create when she upgraded. It worked fine before being sent to me so I guess the postal service damaged it when they chucked it over the fence. Anyway the blade housing refused to go up and down and so I have spent months trying to get some resolution from Cricut/Provo. I tried resetting the machine, buying new blades, new housing, new mats etc etc and in the end provo told me it was not repairable. I came so close to throwing the thing out.
I want to thank you because you have saved me a whole heap of money
Then yesterday i came across this page and figured why not give it a go. I squeezed the 2 springs together as suggested and whadyaknow the machine is now up and running perfectly. Thank you sooooooo much.
And to think if I had followed provo/cricut advice I would have purchased a new one all because of such a small problem easily resolved. Provo/Cricut need to stop ripping people off and be honest about fixing these things.
November 9th, 2012 - 01:42
Hi. Do you know of anyone who just does maintenance on the machines? Mine runs 24hrs/ 7 days a week. I have had it for 2.5 years, nothing seems broken just seems to be slowing down…
thanks
November 14th, 2012 - 18:20
How much do you charge to repair machines?
November 14th, 2012 - 22:00
Hi I’m sorry, I don’t repair these for money.. The website is just for a place to share tips on doing it yourself!
November 20th, 2012 - 06:06
Hi, my cricut won’t turn on. There is power to it but when you press the on switch, absolutely nothing happens. Any suggestions?
February 28th, 2013 - 23:14
My machine will not turn on either, just like Denece’s post. No help from provocraft except to say I can always buy another one. Can someone help here? It is not the power brick and I am frustrated. Thank you!
November 21st, 2012 - 20:29
Hi, I recently purchased a cricut expression machine and it came broken. The machine is jammed. The part where the cutting blade is attached is not properly aligned. One wheel is on the track and the other is not. I am a bit afraid to try and take it apart but I beleive it is an easy fix and it is a brand new machine. I am under warranty but they ran out of the machine I bought and want to send me another one. I would like to fix mine if I can. Any tips?
November 21st, 2012 - 23:48
check some of the other comments, I bet you can get it back on there yourself!
April 28th, 2013 - 00:10
Hello, I have the same problem with my new expression, where the blade unit is off tracks and it make a horrible noise when it tries to go back to its starting position. I noticed that the little white wheels are out of the tracks, Cricut told me that i need to replace the part, but i think it can be fixed. Can someone helps me please!
April 29th, 2013 - 14:27
Check out Jennifer’s comment above from October 12th, 2012 – 02:00. She explains how to get the carriage back on the tracks (remove the carriage cover, loosen the screw with the red paint on it, and the wheel should move enough to get it back on the track, then tighten the screw back to where it started).
December 1st, 2012 - 07:12
Hi I just brought my machine off of ebay and I never do that again. The problem with my machine is the screw that tightens the blade in is broken I have no way of keeping the blade in to do any cutting. Do you know were in quees n.y I can get it repaired I’m open to any self made tricks you may know of to hold the blade in.Thank you very much
December 1st, 2012 - 11:24
hmm.. maybe another screw from the hardware with a wing nut on the outside to tighten it?
December 6th, 2012 - 12:50
The symptoms of my Cricut Personal are described exactly in the section Broken Limit Switch wires. I got the right side off, and all the wires seem okay. However, there was a spring rattling around loose: about 3/8″ long with a loop at each end. It looks like it would fit on a moving latch-like part, but it wouldn’t create any tension. Any clues for me?
December 7th, 2012 - 11:00
I just thought of something (haven’t looked inside mine yet to check) but is the loose spring used to keep tension on the drive belt? A loose belt would probably make the same grinding noise as a limit switch problem..
December 14th, 2012 - 22:09
when I use my design studio and push cut it says that the cricut was not found and to check my usb cord and see if its turn on.
December 17th, 2012 - 21:48
The USB port on the back of my cricut broke. It fell off the table. One of the prongs is broken off. I am womdering if I can find a replacement part I emailed the one link for parts you had listed and the other I plan to call tomorrow (the headphones site). Wasn’t sure if you had another source. Or if a computer shop could repair. Thanks!
December 18th, 2012 - 13:00
Wow.. the only “easily” replaceable part there is the whole motherboard itself.. But.. looking on Digikey it looks like you can buy just the connector, assuming you can handle the task of replacing it yourself..
Here’s a link to a selection of similar parts, maybe you can the right one here… Check the datasheets for exact measurements..
http://www.digikey.com/scripts/dksearch/dksus.dll?FV=fff40016%2Cfff802e4&vendor=0&mnonly=0&newproducts=0&ptm=0&fid=0&quantity=0&PV28=873
December 18th, 2012 - 11:54
Do you know where I can just find the carriage arm for the cake cricut. Mine broke last night and I am so upset. Still got Christmas gifts to finish.
December 18th, 2012 - 13:24
Unfortunately I don’t, but I’m working on it!
In the meantime, I don’t know a workaround for you… Perhaps if you have some basic woodworking tools you could try making one from wood.. Or maybe some Shapelock? It’s a kind of plastic that gets soft enough to mold by hand when you drop it in boiling water.. http://blog.makezine.com/2011/09/28/the-many-uses-of-shapelock/
December 19th, 2012 - 10:47
Another suggestion, I bet you could make a serviceable replacement arm from HDPE plastic, aka garden-variety white plastic cutting board. You can buy them in 1/4″ thickness, then rough out the shape with a hand saw and drill for the pin hole. The plastic is quite strong and has enough flex that I bet it would hold up well.
December 18th, 2012 - 16:37
I just fired up my cricut to make a Christmas present as well and wanted to cut some vinyl. It seems the pressure dial is stuck on high and there is no changing the setting. I’ve tried the “re-boot” and still not change. It doesn’t even recognize I’ve have moved the dial. Speed dial works as normal. Everything worked fine the last time I used it … a few weeks ago. Any help would be appreciated.
December 19th, 2012 - 10:49
I don’t have any suggestion about the pressure dial, I know that they do fail occasionally for no obvious reason. If the machine falls over on its front can break it as well.
For the moment, I bet as long as you set the blade height shallow enough not to cut through the backing paper, you should still be able to cut your vinyl just fine…
December 19th, 2012 - 16:49
I tried to adjust the blade height down to 1 and it still cuts through the vinyl backing. Wondering if I open the machine if I can find the problem.. ?
December 19th, 2012 - 16:58
Rats. I’ve never fixed a busted pressure dial. If it’s not broken, but merely dirty, perhaps you could take off the left side cover and spray the guts of the knob really well with electronic contact cleaner, or maybe even just air?
December 20th, 2012 - 23:25
I will have to try that. I tried using heavy cardstock w/it stuck at the pressure it’s at and it cuts all the way through even that. I guess I should be happy that at least it will still cut things for me… I had to make Christmas gifts with larger detailed vinyl letters because the extra pressure makes the small vinyl pieces tear.
Do you happen to know what firmware came on the 2009 models that were sold on Black Friday? I haven’t had any luck finding out. I thought about trying a reset but because of a program I use with it, I can’t afford to have it revert backwards to an older firmware or the program will no longer work with it
December 21st, 2012 - 09:52
There’s no way a reset will change your firmware version. You can only do that with PC’s Design Studio program, so go ahead and try!
I’m suspicious, you say even with blade depth 1 it still cuts all the way through heavy cardstock?
I don’t have this at all, if I reduce the blade depth to 4 or less mine won’t cut card stock cleanly even on the highest pressure.
Can you try a different blade? How far does it protrude on blade depth 1 vs 6? Perhaps theres some paper fluff or junk makign the blade stick out too far?
December 22nd, 2012 - 06:00
Before I pull apart my “Bertie” (Expression) I just wanted to check if his symptoms together mean anything different. He is scratching the surface when cutting, the blade appears to have the usual spring back as normal. His other symptoms are that the dial size will not change and is stuck on 2 1/2″ and the pressure and speed dials only show ‘min’ and ‘low’. The ‘clicking’ increments in the pressure and speed dials have delays – one click usually changes to the next depth or pressure level- when starting at the lowest ‘min’ setting and changing up I am getting one blank click and then a change to ‘low’ then the dial continues to turn until it stops but no change to the setting. (Sorry, trying to describe it best I can). I have changed blades and checked housing, tried other settings like fit-to-page and he adjusts the size to suit that function but still scratches the paper. I have adjusted the blade depth on the blade housing with no luck. I have tried the recommended reset from Provo Craft ( more than 6 times) and also the firmware update using Design Studio trial as I don’t have the full DS. Still nothing. He cut a sheet of stars and then immediately afterwards when a new mat was loaded, began the problems above. He is just shy of 2 years old and out of warranty. I have 3 new cartridges on the way and won’t be able to play if he doesn’t respond to treatment. Thank you for your suggestions above, I will try these if Provo Craft is no longer able to help.
December 31st, 2012 - 18:25
An update, after leaving ‘Bertie’ switched off and unplugged for a week, reset again, I now have the speed and pressure dials working to medium – although medium is as high as the dial goes with non-registering spacing between. The size is still stuck on 2 1/2″ but hopefully by using Craft Room I’ll be able to get around that.
December 27th, 2012 - 20:55
I just received my cricut for christmas… the gray circular thing on the roller bar is ripped off of one side… Do you know how to replace it or any ideas?
December 28th, 2012 - 13:59
Do you mean the little rubber o-rings? You should be OK if there’s at least one or two contacting the cutting mat. To replace the ring, you will need to remove the roller bar and install a ring from another donor machine. I might be able to send you one if you need. The process to remove the roller bar is a bit involved but not terribly difficult; Can you get away without replacing it?
December 30th, 2012 - 21:52
I have a Cricut Imagine that I bought off of Ebay. The carriage for the ink cartridges will not drop down in order to insert ink cartridges. Provo Craft walked thru the update and that did not work. Would you know what the problem would be?
December 30th, 2012 - 22:15
I’m sorry, I don’t have any experience with the Imagine, but broken ones are certainly plentiful on eBay!
January 10th, 2013 - 16:35
On button comes when power pack plugged in, but will not turn off, Can’t upgrade to the craft room for my expression
January 15th, 2013 - 23:02
Thanks for all your time with this! I have a problem that I did not see listed (unless I some how missed it in my break from reading). Here goes … I have a cricut expression that the housing in the machine makes a grinding sound when it returns to the start position. It is a ‘new to me’ machine, and was lightly used before. I made just 3 cuts to try it out and it seems to cut fine. I am just worried that this grinding noise is going to wear the machine out or break/stop cutting soon. Thanks for your time.
January 16th, 2013 - 09:50
Sounds to me like a problem with the button inside the carriage’s hidey-hole in the right side of the machine. Try taking the right side cover off and checking that the wires are securely attached to the button, and that they haven’t been cut by sharp sheet-metal edges. If these look ok, try removing the bottom cover and unplug/replug the cable into the motherboard.
It may work because it assumes the carriage has homed itself after a certain amount of time even without the signal from the homing button.
January 18th, 2013 - 11:23
I just got a cricut create machine which I ordered on line from ebay and it doesn’t have the tightening nut to hold the blade housing closed. I was just wondering if I can find something at the local hardware store or if I should order the part on line?
January 18th, 2013 - 12:03
I’ve wondered the same thing, but haven’t yet heard of a good substitute, please be sure to post a follow-up comment if you are successful!
January 18th, 2013 - 19:34
I have an Expression. I bought it two years ago. I hardly had time to use it. Now that I’ve used it for the 4th or 5th time, I load the mat, the carriage moves or it starts to cut, then it just shuts off. I’ve checked the plug, used a similar plug w/same amps & voltage. Still just shuts off. When I turn it on, then when the carriage moves or the machine jolts, then it just shuts off. Sometimes after it shuts off, I go to hit the power button and it goes on and clicks off. This machine is practically new. My husband, engineer by trade, could probably replace the parts if he had an idea what the problem is. Thank you!
January 22nd, 2013 - 21:06
I purchased a used Cricut Imagine that looks like new. I had a small cricut for years and a lot of cartridges. when I put the cartridge on left side, it reads out that I need a update. I tried to update but it would not load from computer to machine(they tried from cricut to help me) Every thing comes up on screen and seem to be find. I follow instructions to cut out something, I put mat into machine it will take mat and then pushs mat back out. The lady from cricut say it could be a bad port. What do you think? Also if you think it is, where could I purchase one? My husband say just scrap it. What do you think? Thank you so much if you could help me, I would really like to fix it
January 27th, 2013 - 13:03
Thank you! I had the horrible grind upon startup, cartridges and gypsy not recognized and it wouldn’t load paper. I took the right side off, and one of the leads had dropped from the reset button. Plugged it back in, powered it up and voila – everythign was working! Taking the silver trim off and on was actually the hardest part! Thanks for the information!
January 30th, 2013 - 01:49
The vibration of my Imagine caused my Gypsy to take a tumble. The port that connects my Gyspy to my Imagine has disconnected. When calling Provo Craft they simply told me to buy a new one. Any idea where I could get a replacement USB port and how to connect it?
January 31st, 2013 - 14:24
I have an expression. It fell off a table and know when you turn it onanistic the blade moves to the right it makes the awful grinding noise. It won’t recognize cartridges and the LCD screen stays on the copyright screen. None of the other buttons are lit up either. I have taken it apart and all the wires seem to be plugged in and everything looks ok. Is there something else to look for or am I not seeing something that could be wrong?
February 5th, 2013 - 00:38
Highly descriptive blog, I loved that a lot.
Will there be a part 2?
February 7th, 2013 - 13:54
I have included a repair I did, that I didn’t see covered here. Just thought I would address the motor bounce and cricut not cutting through material issue. No matter what setting. Thanks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7LJnfPdd08
Good work with this article.
February 8th, 2013 - 20:21
this is great, thank you!!
February 14th, 2013 - 20:04
I have a cricut mini, about 2 months old. I am having difficulty getting the mat to load in the machine. The rollers don’t catch the mat soon enough so that when it is finished loading, the mat is about an inch or more off of where it should be. Are issues with the roller easy to access and/or fix?
Thanks for your time, you have some really great information here!
February 15th, 2013 - 09:13
Is this a new issue? Could there be some gunk on the rollers preventing them from grabbing the mat?
February 19th, 2013 - 07:51
I have tried to check the rollers carefully and do not see anything on the top rollers, the bottom is hard to see. If I apply pressure to the mat, either a light push or pull, it moves with the rollers. But obviously, not very accurately lol
February 19th, 2013 - 09:26
My daughter have a circuit create machine and and last week when we turned it on It started to make that loud noise when the blade motor moves from left to right and the noise stops when it reaches the far right .i appreciate it I you have any idea what could be causing that loud vibration noise thank you
February 19th, 2013 - 21:09
hi, just want to thank you first for this website…what a kind thing to do for others!! I have a cricut that is just past the warranty. It does not power on at all. I tried a friend’s power cord that we know works and it still does nothing. What should I try now?
February 21st, 2013 - 19:27
I have a cricut personal cutter that will work fine sometimes but then in the middle of the cut it just shuts off (although the power light is still on). I borrowed my sisters power cord thinking that was the problem and that didn’t help. I’ve gone through the standard reset and that doesn’t help. Sometimes if I push the cutting piece back and forth real fast the machine will kick back on and then work for a couple of minutes but then shuts down again. Have you had any experience with this or any idea of how to fix it? Any suggestion would be helpful as I am out of warranty. BTW I love this blog!
February 24th, 2013 - 15:18
My cricut won’t do anything. I can move the motor and make it light up but that’s it. Provocraft says it may be a short but won’t fix it. It’s new pleaae help.
February 26th, 2013 - 17:54
Can’t thank you enough for this site and the help I received here. My baby bug was
cutting across and ripping and tearing anything I cut. I reset it many times with the result that it would be ok for big simple cuts for a few hours. Every other site/blog that dealt with cutting issues said I needed a new machine, that nothing fixed this problem. Best day ever when I stumbled across your site giving clear instructions and photos showing where to press. Can’t believe that just by pressing on the spring thingie made such a difference! Thank you thank you. I don’t have the money to spend on a new machine and I am so pleased that my baby will work.
March 2nd, 2013 - 09:47
Does anyone know how to fix a gypsy device? I purchased a new one, but would like to know how to change the serial number from my old one to the new one? Worst case scenario I have to send them both back to the company to do this. But takes 2 weeks and a bunch of worrying about where it is and when it comes back!
March 5th, 2013 - 11:16
My Cricut has come off its tracks how do i fix it?
March 5th, 2013 - 15:05
Do you mean the belt has come off one or the other of the guide wheels on the ends?
You can take the side covers off by prying off the trim rings and removing the phillips head screws. The drive belt has a metal ring at one end that hooks over a slotted pin on the backside of the cutter carriage. If you unhook the end of the belt, you should be able to get it back over the drive sprockets before re-hooking it on the post. (take the end covers off first to see whats going on there)
March 6th, 2013 - 07:51
Hi, I have a Cricut expression which seems to be mis aligned. It is very noticeable when cutting rounded objects for example when cutting letters like O or e the centre circle is lopsided and has little threads where the cutting hasn’t started and finished in the same place. Also when my cartirdge moves from right to left when loading or placing it in different positions of the cutting mat it is extermly noisly almost juddery (not sure if this is related to the cutting lopsided problem). Any have any tips for resolving this?? Thanks
March 6th, 2013 - 09:32
Hi there- I’ve seen a number of complaints over time about issues like this (oval O’s), and just had a couple of ideas so far.
Ive seen this myself a few times when doing fairly small O’s and I think mostly due to the blade offset as it swivels.
‘
But, if you’re saying that even large circles are oval and the machine is unusually noisy, I would look for some kind of problem with the drive belt(s), or a loss of tension or maybe some missing or broken belt teeth.
The inaccuracy would come from the motors losing steps while moving by being unable to turn, or the belt’s teeth skipping on the rollers.
Try to wiggle the belts, see if either one feels sloppy. (The Expression also has a small belt for the paper feed inside the left cover, but the Personal and Create paper feeds are connected directly to the motor so no second belt.).
If the belts seem tight enough, try removing both side covers and examining the teeth inside the belt, looking for any messed up ones, also just look over the end wheel mechanisms checking for anything loose or sloppy. Try to wiggle the carriage left & right and move it all the way left & right, and see if the belt slips any or skips on the rollers.
Let me know if you find anything!
March 6th, 2013 - 12:11
thanks for your response
There is slight play in the belt that the carriage is attached to (not sure how tight this should be?) Also i have moved the carriage all the way to left and right and doesn’t skip to jump or skip but it doesn’t feel smooth. Not sure how to explain it sort of feels abit sort of juddery like theres abit of resistance and then not and so on (again not sure if this is normal?)
I will try the other suggestions and also try cutting larger items and see if i have the same problem (can’t at the minute as I have just my mats to make sure they are all free of paper debris as seen suggestions on cricut forum that this could be the cause but doubt it as these mats are fairly new). And also I cut a butterfly and both antenna’s should be identical yet the right one was barely there as it cut it so thin, this can be down to mat or blade surely.
March 6th, 2013 - 15:03
My partner has looked at my machine and said that the play in the belt doesn’t seem accessive and has took the sides off and nothing seems amiss there (no teeth missing etc) He seems to think it is something on the rollers at the back of the carriage. Do you know how/if you can take the carriage off or the top of the machine so I can get access to the rollers?
March 6th, 2013 - 15:10
Certainly.. See my blog post entitled “How to Remove the Cricut Expression Keyboard and Use Full Length Pens” at http://everhack.blog.atxhackerspace.org/2011/05/19/how-to-remove-the-cricut-expression-keyboard-and-use-full-length-pens/
This will give you some additional access, and unhooking the belt may give you enough wiggle room to get the carriage off to inspect the wheels for junk. One of the wheels has a spring loaded pivot and I think you can get the carriage off if you can retract that pivot a bit. I have not personally tried this yet, but another person reported being able to re-install one that had fallen off the track.
Be careful of the solder joints on the leads to the solenoid, its hard to access where this wire is plugged in and just unplug it.
March 8th, 2013 - 07:49
Good morning. I have an Expression like the one you described above stating:
1) One machine’s power button would light up when you turned it on, but nothing else would happen. This was isolated to two broken inner-layer traces leading from the 5V regulator to two nearby parts. (specifics TBA)
I would like to have the “specifics” on this to provide to my handy DH to see if he might be able to make an easy repair so that it is working again. Thanks for any insight you can provide.
March 21st, 2013 - 08:14
Well DH took it completely apart but couldn’t find anything loose, disconnected or broken inside. As a result, I have now a Cricut Expression for sale for its parts (I told him not to worry about putting it back together!) No big loss on my end. This one had been sitting on a shelf for a couple of years not functioning anyway. Plus, i have moved on to bigger and better cutters as well. If interested in the parts let me know and I’ll ship it out.
April 28th, 2013 - 14:15
Hi Melanie, so sorry for the long delay in responding! I have edited the post to show the details of this repair. Hope it helps!
March 10th, 2013 - 23:30
I just bought my Cricut Expression 2 from Craigslist, and the belt that moves the blade is broken. I don’t know what it’s called, and I need to replace it. Any suggestions?
March 17th, 2013 - 17:02
My cricut is only 6 months old and all of a sudden, it started cutting wrong sizes. If I want a tree at 4 inches, it cuts at one. Tried to cut the baby in the moon on baby steps at 3 inches, and it cut at 6 or 7 inches. I haven’t seen this type of problem on web….any ideas???
Thanks so much for your site….gives me hope for this temperamental machine.
March 20th, 2013 - 20:06
I have a cricut imagine, i used it maybe 4 times and now it will not power up at all. Has anyone had this problem and if so did and how did you fix it or what was wrong with it????
March 24th, 2013 - 07:37
You have done an awesome job helping people and given some great information you can’t find elsewhere. I have a personal edition that powers on fine but the screen has random characters that you can’t make sense of as to what it is doing. I did a reset and then did the firware upgrades but all that did was change it from question marks and slashes to black squares. I know I read somewhere that you have one that is acting similar to this and had found the fix to be a jumper you connected. Is what I describe similar to what you had or do you thing it is something else. I just didn’t want to randomly tear this machine apart so I was just looking for a little clarification. Also I can use the keyboard to cut some letters but it doens’t always respond. I also can make it cut by connecting it to my pc and using MTC software but it does not always respond to commands their either. It will cut perfectly then it may say that it can’t be found or it’s froze up. Which I can then reboot the cricut and it will usually cut. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Nancy
March 26th, 2013 - 22:03
I have a Cricut Expression that I bought off a local website. When I plugged it in, it seemed to be working until I tried to load paper. Didn’t know what was wrong with it so I took off the bottom to inspect the inside. Found the belt that makes the roller roll was broken. Do you have any extra belts or suggestions to replace it with? I tried a vacuum belt, but it was just a tad too short to fit around both rollers to work. Any suggestions would be great (No other machines around to “steal” the belt off them either).
March 28th, 2013 - 18:47
Your efforts were helpful and much appreciated. Thank you!
March 30th, 2013 - 13:17
Hi, I have a cricut create which will not power up, the on/off button just clicks, I have tried to reset but no joy – also size dail is just spinning round will this be the problem many thanks
March 31st, 2013 - 00:24
It seems like there are quite a few machines out there with power problems. Unfortunately I have only fixed one of them so far, and I doubt they all have the same problem (see the section on “broken inner layer board traces”). The only way I was able to get mine figured out was to have a spare (working) board to compare against, as well as referring to the “typical usage” circuit in the 5v regulator datasheet, not to mention a smart friend to help me when I got stuck. Wish I could be more helpful. I highly doubt the size dial is the reason it won’t power up.
March 30th, 2013 - 18:42
I have an Imagine that just quit cutting. When it powers up, the carriage makes a grinding noise. I called Provo craft and they had me reset and update my machine. Now it’s worse. I can’t get past the calibration screen because it won’t cut. Provo craft has no answers. Anyone else have this problem? What can I try? Thanks. You have a lot of other info that may come in handy in the future.
April 2nd, 2013 - 20:55
I Fixed It!!!! By keeping reading other people’s blogs, I can’t across someone with the grinding problem. There is a red reset button inside the right hand side of the machine. While it is off, move the blade carriage to the left and pull out the reset button. The grinding stopped and it allows the cricut to cut so it got past the calibration screen. I just had to play with the blade to get it to cut right by following instructions above(for a dragging blade) . Why didn’t the support people mention any of this???? Disappointed in customer service, but happy for others that post their results. I hope this helps someone.
April 3rd, 2013 - 06:11
I recently bought a cricut machine from a yard sale. When I try it it seems that the metal bar holding the cutter will not stay in place. I realize it is supposed to go up and down a little, but once it goes us it does not come back down so only half of my design is being cut. Anyone else experience this?
April 3rd, 2013 - 10:36
Try taking the side covers off and checking the roller bar tension spring..
I think it’s in the right side. See if it has fallen off or broken or something.
April 3rd, 2013 - 12:41
I just bought a cricut mini from someone and it worked great for a week. Now the blade is dragging acoss the page. It cuts everything. It won’t lift at all. I called the support people and they said I’ll have to buy another one because i don’t fall under their warranty. Anyone have any idea’s on how to fix it on the Mini??!!!
April 6th, 2013 - 08:04
I have a cricut expression 2, from day 1 it won’t do anything. The screen lights up, power button lights up, but no sound, or anthing. Just blinks about every 5 seconds or so. Hope you can help
Thanks
April 7th, 2013 - 13:06
I can’t help with your Expression 2, I suppose returning it to the seller isn’t an option?
April 7th, 2013 - 00:17
I am getting so frustrated with my create! It was working great, I unloaded paper and reloaded another color and it stopped cutting (yes within a few minutes!) I have taken it apart, finding no loose wires or connections, it still smells new! I still have the blade it came with on!(yes I have tried changing blades, did the reset, pinched the springy things, did the online firmware upadte, nothing works!) The blade thing goes up and down freely too (very springy)Please tell me you have something else for me to try?!?!
April 7th, 2013 - 13:09
So many people are reporting this kind of problem and it kills me that I can’t really help you. If you’re willing to send me the machine I can take a look at it, but can’t offer any guarantee.
April 7th, 2013 - 13:12
send it where?
April 7th, 2013 - 13:13
the weight of the machine shpping to a far place may be more expensive then what the machine is worth:(
April 9th, 2013 - 15:12
my cricut got damaged while it was in a checked bag. the cutter carriage is of track. how can i get it back on the tracks; top and bottom.
April 29th, 2013 - 14:27
Check out Jennifer’s comment above from October 12th, 2012 – 02:00. She explains how to get the carriage back on the tracks (remove the carriage cover, loosen the screw with the red paint on it, and the wheel should move enough to get it back on the track, then tighten the screw back to where it started).
April 10th, 2013 - 18:48
Our Expression took a power hit and wiped out the +5 volt regulator which I replaced and it now powers up and the cutting blade lifts to the upper position and homes. My problem now is that when it goes to cut there is no reverse voltage on the blade solenoid to drive the blade down. The pressure knob has no effect and the voltage drops to zero at the solenoid. I thought it was Q21 (JFET) but in the absence of a real schematic it is trial and error. Do you know of a source for a good replacement bd or at least a schematic?
April 10th, 2013 - 22:09
You can try the used parts contact I referenced somewhere in the writeup. Can I probe something for you on one of my working expressions?
April 13th, 2013 - 16:35
Yes. Please measure the voltage across the red and blue wires on the connector in the lower right corner of the bd. These go out to the solenoid. I would like to know the voltage when the machine is just powered on and for each of the pressure dial setting.
Thanks.
April 28th, 2013 - 13:44
Okay, sorry for the delay.
At all pressure settings, when idling, I measured 3.6v, with the positive lead on the blue wire, and negative lead on the red wire. When measured against ground, the blue lead reads 4.44v, and the red lead 0.76v.
While cutting on “min” pressure, I read -1.67v (blue 0.69v, red 2.39v).
At “low” pressure, -2.84v (blue 0.73v, red 3.6v)
At “med” pressure, -5.36v (blue 0.77v, red 6.13v)
At “high” pressure, -8.44v (blue 0.82v, red 9.26v)
At “max” pressure, -11.75v (blue 0.86v, red 12.72v)
Hope this helps!
David
April 29th, 2013 - 13:51
Ok here is a question for you, we just purchased a broken cricut from eBay and we have had much success with simple repairs. This one has me stumped. It powers on fine. But nothing moves. The rollers do not spin, the carriage does not travel. I do not see any signs of damage to the motherboard or any of the wires to all the various components. (Nothing pinched, cut, worn, or melted) When I trip the limit switch for the cut head it thinks its ok and will think it loads a mat and even cut. I did notice that the belts that turn the rollers and cut carriage move fairly free but while it thinks its cutting they become more difficult to move. But when it finishes “cutting” it goes back to the less resistance. What are your thoughts?
April 29th, 2013 - 14:19
Have you checked the supply voltage to the steppers? I believe they should have 18v showing at the left and right-most pins on the stepper plugs.
Each of the stepper transistors is connected separately to ground, so those don’t seem likely to be at issue..
May 15th, 2013 - 21:40
My apologies, I haven’t had time to mess with this as I’ve had bigger issues to deal with. Anyhow the steppers seem to be ok but upon removal of the mother board it looks like someone has already tried to fix it maybe? Some of the solder points don’t look like factory and there is a jumper wire soldered underneath. I have photos if you would like to see. Not sure where to go from here.
May 15th, 2013 - 22:23
I’ve found rework and jumpers a few times myself. It could be post-production, but I have a feeling the original build quality was so bad that some had to be fixed before they ever left the factory. Whatever jumpers you find shouldn’t change the diagnostic process.. I won’t be able to fix it from a picture but maybe we could at least identify what the jumper was for.
May 17th, 2013 - 15:03
How do i get the pictures to you? it doesn’t seem to like a drag and drop, nor do i see an email. or maybe i just missed it?
April 30th, 2013 - 12:44
Thank you for this forum! I received a BRAND NEW Cricut Expression as a warranty replacement for my previously broken Cricut Expression. Due to a family change, I no longer had time for scrapbooking. Now, over 17 months later, I finally pulled the machine out of the box for the first time. The machine will power up, but the LCD screen is completely blank. I have seen others mention that this is a problem as well. This machine has never even been used one single time. Are there any solutions known to resolve this? The warranty is long gone
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May 1st, 2013 - 09:48
(replied privately previously, posting on the blog in case this helps anyone else. please do reply again with any further developments!)
Are you handy enough to use a screwdriver and voltmeter?
Couple suggestions for you… look at my blog post titled “how to remove your expression keyboard and use full length pens”, follow the instructions just to check that the display cable is secure at the keyboard end.
Next, remove the bottom cover and make sure the other end of the display cable is securely plugged into the motherboard.
Last, try to turn the machine on with the bottom cover removed, and probe the keyboard connections with your voltmeter. You should be able to find at least one pin that reads 5v and one that reads 12v. I don’t remember which offhand, but I can get back to you with that info if you need.
May 1st, 2013 - 01:09
hello,
my size button always turned around sitting on size 2 fixed, can I make this?
thank you
May 1st, 2013 - 09:46
I think the only possibility is to replace the potentiometer (the part connected to the knob). These things are pretty fragile. Did your machine fall on its face? You might try contacting the parts source I linked to in the blog post to see if you can get a replacement knob-board.
May 11th, 2013 - 21:18
Thank you for you very helpful site! My Expressioin had the broken limit switch wires symptoms (grinding noise and not reading cartridges). When I opened the right end I found the red/black wire hanging. The black piece had broken in half. Just superglued it and it is working great! Thanks again.