Business Equipment Services Ltd |
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Business Equipment Services Ltd |
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Laser Printer Troubleshooting Guide
The key to a quick and efficient laser printer repair job is the right diagnosis. If the diagnosis is right we can order the correct parts, if any, and correct the problem first time. The faster we fix your laser printer, the happier and more productive you are. There is nothing more frustrating than an incorrect diagnosis leading to costly and lengthy repairs.
Accurate description of the problem The more accurately you can describe the problem to us, then our response will be faster and potentially cheaper. Tell us your printer model (e.g. HP LaserJet 2100DN, 4000N, 8100, Colour LaserJet 4500 etc.) and the symptoms (e.g. smudged print, error light blinking, 50.2 error message, image ghosting, paper jams in the back of the printer etc.). In some cases we will respond with the appropriate advice, without incurring a call-out fee.
The most common sources of problems with laser printers are poor print quality and paper jams. In a lot of cases, replacing the toner cartridge will rectify print quality problems. Even if you have recently installed a new toner cartridge, the new cartridge could be at fault. Whilst OEM cartridges have relatively less problems than remanufactured cartridges, OEM cartridges are known to fail on occasion. Paper jams can occur in a number of places and various solutions are available depending on where this occurs. If the paper is not feeding correctly into the printer (either no paper is picked up, the paper is skewed or many pages are picked up etc.) then it is most probably an issue with the pick up rollers and separation pad(s). If the paper jams are occurring within the printer, it is likely that either the toner cartridge, the fuser or the gear train are at fault. However, we often seen paper jams due to excess moisture in the paper. All of these issues can be corrected relatively quickly.
Self check : poor print quality If you are experiencing print quality problems the first thing to check is the toner cartridge. You can check this yourself by swapping out the toner cartridge and trying another. If this fixes the problem then the issue was with the toner cartridge, not the printer. Do not re-use the toner cartridge and in the event it was a new toner cartridge, we recommend you contact your supplier for a replacement. If this does not fix the problem, reinstall the first toner cartridge (to use any remaining toner) and visually inspect the fuser. We recommend you turn off your printer and remove the power cord before attempting to inspect the fuser. The fuser is usually located at the rear of the printer (this is the case for most HP LaserJet printers, except the upright printers such as the 5L, 6L & 1100 which have the fuser at the front, or the personal laser printers such as the 1010, 1015 and 1020 where the fuser is in the top of the printer). The fuser can usually be identified by the bright yellow sticker warning of excess heat. Warning : do not touch the fuser because it will be hot. You can either inspect the fuser after the toner cartridge has been removed from the printer or you can turn the printer around and (usually) open the rear door to examine the rear of the printer. Within the fuser are two large rollers extending the width of the printer. If one of the rollers appears to have pieces flaking off, the fusing sleeve has been damaged and the fuser needs to be replaced. If there are black stains, marks and general discolouration on the rollers, the fuser has reached the end of its useful life and also requires replacement. This is normal wear and tear for a laser printer. Warning : Do not attempt to remove the fuser from the printer without first turning off the printer and removing the power cord from the printer - failure to do so may result in a short circuit within the fuser or printer. In any case, we do not recommend that you attempt to remove the fuser from the printer without professional assistance. Faded print is due to either an almost empty toner cartridge, a dusty or failing laser unit or a worn transfer charge roller. Check the cartridge by replacing it with another, otherwise you will require professional assistance to replace the laser unit and / or the transfer charge roller. Phone (09) 521 6273 or (09) 636 0275 during office hours e-mail us at enquiries@bizequip.co.nz (no spam please)
Paper jams are either intermittent or continual. An intermittent paper jam is usually due to excess moisture, poor paper quality or a problem with the paper tray. Check the paper is seated correctly in the tray and that the paper guides fit firmly and snugly around the paper. Make sure the tray is almost full, but not over-full. Also check that your paper is dry. If it feels moist to the touch, then it will tend to stick and cause paper jams. If you are still experiencing problems try printing from the manual tray - most HP laser printers have a front (or side) door to allow printing on letterhead and / or envelopes. Try differing types of paper - some of the cheaper paper has a high dust content or is too thin, which causes problems with the pick-up mechanism. Lastly, remove the tray from the printer and visually inspect it for any obvious problems. If the tray is spring-loaded, depress the tray and check it fully springs back into position when released. If it doesn't spring back, check for any obstructions within the tray. If the paper is continually jamming within the printer, try changing the toner cartridge or try printing from another tray. If this continues, inspect the interior of the printer (with the cartridge removed) and examine the fuser, as suggested in the 'poor print quality' section above. Warning : some components are sensitive to moisture, so turn off the printer before putting your hand inside the printer. In particular, be careful not to touch the transfer charge roller (i.e. the long black roller that sits beneath the toner cartridge). This roller carries an electrical charge. Any obvious obstructions (paper remnants etc.) should be cleared slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the printer or fuser. Be sure to remove any pieces of paper that may have torn off. If you were unlucky enough to have a paper clip or staple pass through the printer, then it has probably resulted in damage to the toner cartridge as well as the fuser. Check for any broken pieces inside the printer or anything else that might interfere with the paper path. Warning : Do not attempt to clear a paper jam by poking any sharp objects into the printer - this can cause damage to the printer (usually to the fuser itself) often resulting in an expensive repair. If you have removed the fuser, check all of the gears are turning by rolling one of the gears with your fingers - if the other gears are not turning, then one of the gear wheels is broken and a replacement fuser is required. Warning : the fuser may still be hot so handle with care. If you are still experiencing problems, or have diagnosed the problem, telephone or e-mail us. Phone (09) 521 6273 or (09) 636 0275 during office hours e-mail us at enquiries@bizequip.co.nz (no spam please)
Possible issues and some quick self checks Below is a list of printer problems, notes regarding possible causes and some quick checks you can try. Please note that not every problem has been listed, nor every cause and possible check. This is merely intended as a quick reference guide to help you assess and rectify some of the more common problems. Warning : attempting to fix a mechanical or electronic problem without the right tools and parts may result in a more costly repair, so proceed with caution! Please call us if you are not sure or if you would like a professional assessment and repair.
Problems with the printer electronics 1. Printer does not power on Check the power cable is seated correctly, try another power point and / or power cable & check the printer is switched on. Otherwise a new power supply unit or formatter board is required. 2. Printer is displaying an error message If it displaying an error message that does not relate to a paper jam, turn the printer off for 5 to 10 minutes and restart the printer. If this does not clear the error message, consult your manual or the HP website, or call us. In some cases the printer will tell you the problem (e.g. paper jam) and on others you may see something like 53.11.03 error. Printers without a control panel may have all of the LED lights either on or blinking. For 'paper jam' messages, open the front and rear doors, remove the toner cartridge and inspect the printer for any jammed paper. 3. Printer is displaying unfamiliar characters It is possible the language is something other than English, so consult your manual to reset the language. If this doesn't rectify the problem it may be a faulty formatter board. Try turning the printer off for 5 to 10 minutes. 4. The printer is on but the LED display is blank This is due to either a faulty LED, a faulty formatter board or a loose LED connector. Check you are still able to print to the printer from your computer - if you can then it is a minor issue with the LED display itself.
To isolate whether the printer or the computer / network are causing the problem, try printing a test or configuration page from the printer. See our tips on getting a page count (which is the same as printing a test or configuration page) on our repairs page. 5. The printer cannot print a test / configuration page If the printer is not responding to menu commands, and the paper trays are full, it is possible either the power supply unit or formatter board are faulty. Check the printer is not already displaying another error message that requires attention and follow the steps outlined in point 1 above (printer does not power on). 6. The print job does not print Check the job was sent to the correct printer, check the printer is not off-line, check the paper trays have paper, check the job is not stuck in a print queue, check you have the correct print drivers loaded (see our page of printer drivers if you need to source the driver from the internet), check to see if you can print a test page from your or another computer (go to the printer set up screen from the Windows Control Panel, right click the printer, click 'print test page'), check the printer and network cables are firmly seated, try to isolate the issue to a particular printer, computer or piece of software. 7. My computer does not recognise the printer See above, consult the HP website for the correct print driver (see our links page). 8. The printer is printing gobbledegook or what appears to be nonsense See above. Also, try to isolate the issue to a particular printer or computer. 9. The first page takes much longer to print than following pages See above plus check the print queue, check the size of the print job versus the printer RAM, print jobs with intensive graphics may take longer, and some printers require a postscript SIMM to work with Macintosh computers. 10. The printer is slow to respond See above - in particular look at the connection (LAN or parallel cable) connecting the computer to the printer. Some printers have paper size settings on the tray - check these are set to the correct paper size. An incorrect paper size setting on the tray often results in the printer printing very slowly. 11. A printer accessory (such as an extra tray, duplex unit or envelope feeder etc) is not recognised Print a menu map to see if the optional accessory has been disabled, try to enable via the printer menu options, check the accessory has been enabled within the print driver on the computer. Try using the accessory on an identical printer. Download an updated driver, if required. 12. Print jobs have the incorrect fonts Check the native printer fonts with the print job font, some printers require a postscript SIMM or a memory stick with additional fonts.
Also, check our section on paper jams above. 13. Paper infeed problems Usually the pick up rollers and / or separation pads need replacing, check there are no obstructions, make sure the paper is flat and dry and stored away from external walls and windows. Check the tray is functioning correctly (see the self-check section above for more detailed notes). 14. Occasional paper jams in the printer See above, plus this could occur due to a late 'pick up' (moist paper or faulty pick up roller), check there are no obstructions. Try changing the toner cartridge and printing from another tray. 15. Paper jams repeatedly in the printer See above - most likely to be an obstruction or a broken gear within either the gear train, fuser or duplex unit, as a last resort try replacing the toner cartridge. Check the paper path for obstructions. See the self-check notes above. 16. Paper outfeed problems Curly or wavy paper indicates a new outfeed assembly is required, or jams in the rear of the printer is indicative of either fuser or outfeed assembly problems. A sticky outfeed sensor sometimes gives false 'output tray full' error messages. This can be fixed by reseating the outfeed assembly.
17. The printer prints from the wrong tray Check the settings on the computer and printer for the 'default' tray, for large format printers check there is power to the bottom trays. 18. The job was not printed on both sides of the page Check the settings on the computer and printer for 'duplex' printing. 19. Printing stops in the middle of the job Check there is paper in the paper trays, otherwise this is possibly a RAM or a communications issue, check all cables are firmly seated, check the print queue. For late model printers that stall when collating printer jobs, check the RAM disk has been disabled and ensure the 'Job Management' option has been disabled in your printer properties. 20. A previous print job is still in the printer's buffer See above plus check the print drivers, try deleting the print job from the computer where the print job originated, if the printer is 'stuck' turn it off for 5 to 10 minutes and restart the printer. 21. The printer is making unusual noises Grinding or crunching noises followed by quiet operation with perpetual paper jams was something breaking in the gear train or fuser. If the printer continues to grind and crunch, then it is still in the process of breaking - turn the printer off and call us. Knocking or surging noises are usually associated with a faulty toner cartridge. Replace the cartridge. Whining noises are often associated with a laser unit about to fail. Humming noises are usually from the internal fans, this sound is normal. One way of stopping this is to configure the printer for power saving mode. Squeaking noises often occur within the outfeed assembly. This is often rectified by either oiling the gears and or wheels, or either re-seating or replacing the outfeed assembly. Other unusual noises may be due to a loose external panel, a failing motor or a noisy gear train. If you are concerned, call us. 22. Print quality problems Examples might include light or faded print, toner specks (front or back), toner 'drop outs', repeating lines or defects, grey background, smudged toner, loose toner, deformed characters, skewed page, wrinkles or creases in the page, paper curls or wavy output - most of these are indicative of problems with either the toner cartridge or the fuser. Check the toner cartridge is not at fault by installing another cartridge. Otherwise it is likely the fuser that is at fault. On occasions a dirty or failing laser unit is responsible for faded print. See our section on poor print quality above. Don't ever blow compressed air into the printer - it will send small particles of dust into the laser resulting in faded print.
Contact Phone (09) 521 6273 during office hours |