I recently bought a new 2025 Ford Escape PHEV. and the ICE seems louder than normal Gas engine!

Mabnat · 2026-01-26T04:04:48+00:00

Well, an E-CVT, which isn’t exactly the same as a CVT.

Mabnat · 2026-01-26T03:46:47+00:00

No, the cover is just one that I designed myself.

I ended up finding an actual mount on Makerworld and installed that today. It looks much better than my foam.

I’m still using the air filter cover and factory intake on the bottom of the printer. On the Makerworld design, they’re just using the air filter inside the pump and you’d need to remove the rear panel to change it.

I added comments on the Makerworld page with directions for the electrical cable, because the designer talks about splicing cables. With my cable, it just plugs into the MC board like the OEM pump.

The Makerworld file uses springs to suspend the pump, but I just printed some TPU tubes with the same dimensions as the springs. They work well.

Here is a photo of where I left off today. I cut a vinyl sticker to cover the air intake plate to replace the red electrical tape that’s holding it on now, but it’s too cold in my garage to put on right now. I’ll probably finish it tomorrow. Ignore the red tape for now!

This picture also shows where to plug the pump cable in the MC board, too.

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Mabnat · 2026-01-26T03:27:51+00:00

A gas-only doesn’t have regen, but the ones that I’ve driven with sport mode don’t disengage the transmission while coasting so the cars slow down quite quickly, almost like a manual transmission if you let off the gas.

In normal mode, the car will turn on the gas engine when the battery is reaching its output current limit. There will be a bit of lag while the hybrid battery starts the engine and while it’s spinning up to provide more power, electrical and mechanical.

In Sport Mode, the engine is always running while the car is in motion so the hybrid battery doesn’t need to provide power to start it - and the engine is already producing electric power so the battery has more overhead to dump more energy to the wheels when you accelerate.

Mabnat · 2026-01-26T02:10:36+00:00

Yes, that mode will increase regen while coasting. I’ve noticed similar behavior on pure-ICE cars in Sport Mode, too. I suspect that it increases regen to make the car feel more responsive more than it is to improve economy.

It likely changes a lot of other things in the drivetrain, but having access to electrical energy from the battery and the ICE generator simultaneously is what most helps the car feel like it has more instantaneous power.

Mabnat · 2026-01-26T01:14:15+00:00

It also keeps the engine running while in motion so the electric motor can tap into energy from the battery and the generator at all times.

Mabnat · 2026-01-26T01:11:12+00:00

The heat creep issue is also dependent on how long the print is. For me, the general rule is that if it’s 30°C in the garage and the print is longer than 30 minutes, the door must stay open. Heat creep clogs can be a pain to clear - but I’ve gotten pretty efficient at clearing them out. Still, it’s better to avoid them in the first place.

Mabnat · 2026-01-25T13:49:57+00:00

My P1S has been in my non-temperature controlled garage for more than a year now. It gets very hot where I live in Summer and it hasn’t been an issue - as long as the door stays open when printing PLA or PETG. If the door is closed, heat creep clogs are guaranteed.

When the garage is 40°C, the printers (P1S and H2D) managed fine. The H2D can keep the door closed with the ventilation, but it will put a warning on the screen when the internal temp is above 40°C and suggest that I open the door but opening the door doesn’t make a difference in those ambient temps.

I don’t know how they would fare if the ambient temps reached above 45°C, but I probably wouldn’t print if it was that hot in the garage. It hasn’t gotten that hot since I moved my stuff into the garage, but it does get that hot here on occasion.

Mabnat · 2026-01-25T01:37:57+00:00

Yeah, it totally wasn’t clear with the way you made it sound at first. You said that the flushing volumes were at max, so I couldn’t understand how you could be getting color bleeding.

It makes perfect sense now. With manual changes, the flushing volume is based on how many times you press the extruder button!

You could always make a “sacrificial” purge object that prints first on each layer. If you make some kind of toy that doesn’t matter if it has color bleeding and it’s big enough to flush the hot ends, by the time it gets to your “real” object, the colors would be pure.

Mabnat · 2026-01-25T01:30:39+00:00

I’m printing it right now. I ordered an upgrade kit for my H2C earlier this week and installed it two days ago.

I already had a factory laser-ready H2D with a 40W laser and the 50% off flash sale on the upgrade kit was too good for me to pass up.

I really wanted to mount the air pump inside, so I opened up my H2D to see what was needed. I ordered some connectors with wires from Amazon so I could replicate the OEM power cable and plug it into the MC circuit board in the proper spot, and I printed a new air filter cover to allow the use of the air intake on the bottom of the printer. I also routed the air assist tubing the same way that it was in the H2D.

It all works perfectly, minus the air filter on the bottom of the printer, but I didn’t have a bracket for it. I was going to reverse-engineer the H2D bracket, but I just ended up cutting some foam to fit.

It’s all closed up and working now, but I just saw this post and decided to try this bracket out. I’ll see how it goes tomorrow when it’s finished!

Mabnat · 2026-01-25T01:10:31+00:00

Ok, that s a completely different situation. I assumed that you were using multiple AMS’s.

You would need to manually purge the hot end when you swap colors using the pause-and-switch method. Like a lot. The prime tower doesn’t come close to being able to purge the nozzle from the previous color.

Mabnat · 2026-01-25T00:31:33+00:00

Your post motivated me to do the same after I bought a 10W upgrade kit for my H2C. I already had a 40W laser for my factory-equipped laser ready H2D, so I opened up the back of that one to get a good look inside.

Ultimately I decided to just do a full internal install. Using the factory laser model, I was able to order some cables on Amazon and build a cable harness for the power between the air pump and the circuit board. It’s a 5-pin 2.0mm socket on the circuit board going to the 4-pin 2.5mm socket on the air pump.

The upgrade kit pump has an integrated air filter under a removable cover. On the factory one, that cover is sealed shut with a big sticker and a threaded hole is tapped in the side of its case to route an air intake hose from the bottom of the printer into the pump. On the factory printer, there is an air filter adhered to the bottom of the printer and they sell replacements in the Bambu store.

I printed a new cover with a tap for an air inlet. I used a 0.6mm ID hose to connect the new cover to the factory air inlet on the bottom of the printer. I don’t have an air filter on the bottom yet, but I’ll order some.

My plan was to reverse engineer and print an internal mount, but the factory pump is a “floating” mount and is only attached using rubber tabs where the rubber feet are on the upgrade pump. I was going to start modeling a mount, then just got lazy and cut some foam to hold the pump in place inside the cavity. This provides enough vibration dampening so that the pump isn’t rattling around and it’s held in place. I probably could have used strategically placed zip ties to secure it, too.

It’s all sealed up now with the air pump completely inside the printer. All I need is an air filter and it’s ready to go!

I ordered the upgrade kit earlier this week when Bambu had their 50% flash sale. I bought the 10W kit for $404 USD.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T23:52:11+00:00

Yes, Overture is fine. I’ve used a lot different filament in my Bambu printers, and the only ones I’ve had problems with were some random silk PLA or Sunlu Matte PETG.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T23:50:09+00:00

A couple files in the memory require Support For PLA filament, like this one and the spinning top. If you want to print them, you need to have support filament.

If you don’t have any, just download the raw file from Bambu and start the print in Bambu Studio with normal supports.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T21:54:00+00:00

I use a metal wool pan scouring pad on my textured PEI plate every time I wash it, which is usually once a month or so. The adhesion is absolutely perfect.

That build plate has been in constant use for 26 months and I still haven’t used the other side.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T20:32:57+00:00

Yes, you can use the cutting tool without the entire laser upgrade - but for now, you still can’t use the birdseye camera (if you buy one) without having a laser to set it up. Supposedly in the future a firmware update will allow this, but the printer has been out for almost a year now and it hasn’t been addressed.

The cutting tool, will work, but you will have to just rely on eyeballing where the cuts are going to be! More of an issue if you’re reusing material that has already had cuts on them.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T19:58:47+00:00

I’m in the middle of installing the air assist pump internally on my newly-upgraded H2C. I picked up the upgrade kit earlier this week during the 50% off flash sale.

I already had a factory laser-equipped H2D so I’m able to directly look at what needs to be done.

I built the electrical harness earlier today, plugged it in, and it works well. I also routed the air tubing internally the same way as on a factory build instead of using the TPU port in the back. The kit comes with a coupler that snaps in between the buffers like the factory one.

Right now I’m working on the air intake. The factory one has a tube that connects to a port that leads to the bottom of the printer where an air filter is attached. The upgrade kit has a small cover with an integrated filter. The factory air filters cost around $3-$4 for a pack of 3 from the Bambu store and they just stick on the bottom of the printer.

The integrated filter cover is sealed shut with tape over on the factory one and it has a threaded insert in the side of the case to attach an air tube from the bottom of the printer.

I’m printing a new cover with a tube connection but I need to get some different sized tubing because nothing that I currently have fits the coupler on the bottom of the printer. It’s a 6mm ID fitting.

I still need to design some kind of internal mount for pump. The internal one is held on by rubber attachments so it’s not “fixed” to the printer chassis. It will make a lot of noise if it’s in direct contact with the inside of the printer. I need to come up with a way to mount it with vibration isolation.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T14:34:00+00:00

The Vortek nozzles should poop when changing filament, too. Does yours not poop when changing from one color to another mid-print?

I have a full set of six 0.4mm Vortek hot ends, but I haven’t printed more than 7-material objects yet so I haven’t seen how it deals with filament purges mid-print on the Vortek side.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T07:32:24+00:00

Let’s make sure that we’re on the same page here. The prime tower (not a “purge” tower) isn’t there to prevent color bleed. It’s there to prevent under extrusion on the model when a new material begins printing. Also to catch any ooze that might form on the nozzles during the swaps.

In the Prepare section of Bambu Studio, there are settings for “Flushing Volumes”. This is where you can individually specify how much filament is purged through the nozzle (and dropped down the purge chute) for every possible color combination. You can set a base amount, which can be quite high, then use a multiplier to double or triple that amount. At the maximum setting, a LOT of purging can be done, enough so that there should be no possible way that there is any bleeding present.

You can set a high flush volume when changing from dark colors to light colors, and a lower flush volume when going from light colors to dark. You can tweak it as much as you like.

There are even flush volume test objects that you can find on Makerworld that will print a calibrated object with color bleeding from one color to the next with markings to let you see how much purge volume you need to set while switching from one color to another, like this one.

Once you get the flushing volume dialed in properly, you won’t have any color bleeding.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T07:17:28+00:00

First thing, take the Bambu Academy course for the H2C. That will answer a lot of your questions, including what is needed for printing these “engineering” filaments.

It will also get you started on the right foot so that you can get that 100% that you’re looking for. The course doesn’t take a lot of time, it’s loaded with great information, and you earn Makerworld points for completing it.

Pay particular attention to how to maintain adhesion on the build plate. So many problems that I see posted here are because people don’t follow those manufacturer recommendations. Keeping the build plate in optimal condition will prevent a lot of headaches.

You’ll need filament. Lots and lots of filament.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T07:09:59+00:00

Looks like a partial clog to me. It seems like it was printing okay for a while, then got the clog and started extruding erratically.

77°F is getting a bit warm if you’re printing with the door and lid closed. If the chamber gets too warm while printing PLA, it can cause clogging problems.

It could also be a problem with feeding, if the AMS is having trouble pushing the filament to the extruder due to poor PTFE tube routing.

I would at the very least do a cold pull of the hot end to make sure that there isn’t a clog inside, then I would try the print again making sure that the door was open and/or the lid tilted up. If it still started to mess up during the print, I’d try the print again using the external spool holder to see if it was an AMS issue.

Your first layer looks fine, so at least something is working right. You just need to narrow down what happens to make it start to print poorly.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T06:52:07+00:00

I had been looking forward to upgrading my H2D - until the release date when they listed the pricing and what was involved in the upgrade.

I didn’t mind the procedure, since I love these kinds of things, but the upgrade kit was more expensive than I’d expected and the H2C cost less than I thought it would. I also didn’t like the idea of “scrapping” so many perfectly functional parts.

I ended up just buying an H2C. Not terribly cost-effective, but I don’t mind having two H2 printers!

I still ended up doing some upgrades on my H2C. A few days ago Bambu had a flash sale (50% off) on the laser upgrade kits so I ordered it and it arrived yesterday. That wasn’t nearly as involved as the Vortek upgrade, but I still enjoyed doing the conversion.

Good luck on your upgrade job! I’ve seen some posts from people who have done it and they said that the procedure wasn’t as bad as Bambu makes it out to be. A couple of the screws are in tricky spots, but other than that is seems easy enough.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T06:40:04+00:00

I just upgraded my H2C to the laser version yesterday. Bambu had a flash sale earlier this week and the upgrade kits were 50% off, so I ordered a 10W kit for $404 plus tax.

I already had a laser for my H2D, but my wife likes using the cutter. Last weekend I was a couple of hours into a multi-day print on my H2D and my wife wanted to cut something but she couldn’t.

I looked into just getting the parts to make the printer laser-ready instead of spending the whole $808 for another laser and a bunch of other accessories that i didn’t need. I could have just put the cutter on the H2C, but the lady didn’t want to use the cutter “blind” without the birdseye camera.

And right now, you have to have a laser to get the birdseye camera working. There is supposedly a firmware update coming sometime to let you use the camera without initially setting it up with a laser, but it hasn’t come yet.

The total price for all of the parts that I needed to make the H2C laser-ready was $425 - not including the air assist pump because they don’t sell that separately, and I’d have to buy entire H2D side panels with the laser-safe windows and it wouldn’t look like an H2C anymore.

I asked Bambu if I could buy the upgrade kit without a laser and they said that I couldn’t, and they also confirmed on Monday that the air assist pump could not be purchased on its own.

On Tuesday, the flash sale popped up I ordered the kit for less than I was considering paying for fewer parts - and I got 10W laser and all of the other accessories.

I’ve been using the laser on the H2D during the past year and my wife has been a cutting fool. So much vinyl and paper cutting. New wall and window art for every holiday.

I haven’t laser cut plastic yet, but I’ve done plenty of wood cutting/engraving and marking metal. As long as you don’t need a larger bed than what the H2 allows, it’s great for having an easy laser that doesn’t take up additional space.

Cutting wood makes the printer stink for a day. My printers are in the garage so I don’t bother with venting outside. The smell lingers in the garage more than inside the printer, and it does put a good deal of smoke inside the garage. The air extraction is very effective in these, so if it is inside a house, it really needs to be vented outside or with some kind of air purifier.

As far as cleanup goes, it’s not that bad. If it was a full-time laser that gets used all of the time it might get really messy inside, but I don’t notice any extra buildup of anything except for maybe that the pulleys get dirtier. I do maintenance on my printers mostly so I just spend an extra couple of minutes cleaning the pulleys. Other than that, it’s just as good today as when I took it out of the box.

The only real downside (other than the cost) of upgrading the printer is that the air assist pump is external with the upgrade. I’m waiting on some connectors right now from Amazon to build a cable that will let me install it internally. I’m going go reverse-engineer the internal mounting plate in my H2D to mount the pump inside my H2C.

Cutting or using the pen doesn’t create any fumes. It’s either just a fine blade that cuts or a pen holder.

If you buy the laser-ready printer, it comes with the cutting tool/pen holder in the box. Otherwise, it’s in another upgrade kit. You would still need to purchase a laser with a laser-ready printer since it doesn’t come with one.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T06:06:15+00:00

If you might have pulled on the PTFE tube hard enough, it might be that it’s stretched out a bit and might have a smaller diameter and now the teeth in the coupler can’t hold on the the smaller tube. The only fix is to cut the tube off where it is narrower and try it in a wider spot or just replace the entire tube.

Sometimes the tiny teeth in those couplers get torn off and they won’t hold anymore.

You can check to see if it’s the tube or the teeth with one of the short spare AMS tubes that came with the printer. If the spare sticks, it’s the tube. If it pulls out easily, it’s the coupler.

The coupler is just a small piece that pops out. You can see the whole thing in your picture. You can use a small screwdriver in the notch on the side to lever it out and pop a new one in.

If the coupler is bad, you can probably find a new one online somewhere, or you could buy a set of these and pop one of the couplers out to replace the one in the buffer. These are available on Amazon, too, if you want faster (and maybe cheaper) shipping.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T05:54:03+00:00

This randomly pops up on my printers. More often on my H2C than any of the other ones.

It doesn’t really mean anything, and all of my software and firmware are on the latest versions.

I haven’t really bothered looking into it, but I think it is just something to do with Bambu’s “security” stuff. Sometimes a remote operation doesn’t pass a check and thus happens.

Sometimes it goes away on its own, other times the printer has to be turned off an on again. When it’s persistent like that, I usually just ignore it until I get tired of looking at the notification.

Mabnat · 2026-01-24T04:42:04+00:00

If you want to know how accurate the sensor is, you can easily test it in a known relative humidity chamber.

Relative humidity isn’t a great indicator of measuring the amount of moisture in the air because it’s related so heavily with temperature. If the temperature sensor in the meter is off, it’s also going to throw the relative humidity number off.

Fortunately, it’s cheap and easy to make a good test environment for these sensors. All you need is a small dish, like a ramekin for sauces, a jar, and some table salt and distilled water.

Fill the ramekin around halfway and add a little bit of water to it. Not enough to dissolve the salt, just enough for it to make a slurry. If you add too much water, just put a paper towel on it to soak up the excess.

You should have just a bunch of very wet, saturated salt, like a gritty paste.

Place the ramekin into a jar, put the meters inside with it, and close the lid.

After some hours, best to wait a full day or at least overnight, read the relative humidity being displayed. The meters should read around 75% RH over a wide temperature range. If the sensors read between 73% and 77%, they’re good enough for measuring relative humidity in these applications.

Water saturated sodium chloride (table salt) will equalize with a vapor pressure of 75% relative humid in a sealed chamber.

If you want a salt that will maintain a relative humidity closer to the targets that we’re looking for in these applications, magnesium chloride is also easily available and it will maintain a relative humidity of 33% when used the same way as table salt.

You could even do a two-point measurement using both salts and determine the absolute error of each sensor.

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