Before each print, wipe the PEI plate free of dust, fingerprints and old glue residue. It is a removable, magnetic spring steel sheet, so lift it off the bed to clean it rather than scraping at it in place, and check that it sits flat and fully seated on the magnetic base before homing.
Check the filament path every time a spool goes in. The Kobra 3 detects runout and resumes automatically, and it also flags tangles and uses AI-based spaghetti detection mid-print, but none of that replaces a look at the spool, guide tube and direct drive inlet for a snag before you start.
Wash a plate that has gone shiny or greasy with warm water and dish soap, dry it, and handle it by the edges afterward. Keep the touchscreen and the LeviQ probe area clear of dust and stray filament bits. Debris under the probe throws off the automatic leveling and Z-offset result more than it affects almost anything else on the printer.
Anycubic does not publish a generic oiling schedule for owners to apply on a fixed timer. Follow the cleaning and lubrication points listed on Anycubic’s own Kobra 3 wiki rather than adding grease to belts, rails or the build plate on your own judgment.
Rerun the one-click resonance compensation and flow calibration after moving the printer, switching filament type or servicing any motion part. A new noise from the toolhead, a leveling result that will not settle, or a heater error is something to diagnose, not a reason to lubricate a part and hope. Keep a log of service dates so a recurring problem is easy to spot instead of rediscovered from scratch each time.
Not every problem calls for cleaning or lubrication. A nozzle that stays blocked after a clean is often better handled with the general steps for clearing a clogged nozzle safely, and one that will not clear at all points toward replacing the nozzle instead. If cleaning and lubrication do not settle a leveling result, work through the Kobra 3 calibration routines before assuming a part has failed. The same routine care applies to the larger-bed Kobra 3 Max, which shares the Kobra 3’s LeviQ auto-leveling system. The base Kobra 2 uses an earlier LeviQ 2.0 version and benefits from the same cleaning habits.