This chapter helps you to troubleshoot printer problems in the following areas:
- Clearing paper jams
- Improving print quality
- Understanding printer messages
- Troubleshooting check list
If a
13 PAPER JAM or
13 DUPLEX JAM message appears in the display panel, look for jammed paper in any of the locations in Figure 8-1. If you get repeated paper jams or if the paper jam message appears repeatedly, see " Repeated Paper Jams" at the end of this section. Paper jams occur most often when:
- Paper cassettes are not correctly loaded (see Chapter 3, "Printing Tasks").
- Your print media does not meet the specifications listed in Chapter 3, " Printing Tasks", and Appendix C, "Media Specifications".
- The media is in poor condition.
- The printer needs cleaning.
- User-replaceable parts are wearing out (see " User-Replaceable Parts" in Chapter 7).
Note
The top cover or rear cover of the printer must be opened and then closed in order to clear the paper jam message. If paper jams occur frecuently, clean the printer and check the quality of your paper or other print media.
- Remove the paper cassette
- Pull the paper out through the front of the printer
Note
Do not force the paper. If you can see paper in the cassette opening but cannot remove it easily, remove the paper through the Transfer Guide Area (see next steps)
- Open the top cover and remove the toner cartridge.
- Raise the green handle to free the paper, and pull the paper out through the front of the printer.
- Open the top cover and remove the toner cartridge.
- Remove the paper by pulling it back out of the fuser, into the printer body. Roll the paper toward you to avoid spilling loose (unfused) toner.
- Clean any loose toner that may have fallen into the printer with a clean lint-free cloth
Note
If loose toner falls into the fuser, it may cause print quality problems If toner gets on your clothes, wipe it off with a dry cloth and wash your clothes in cold water. Hot water sets toner into fabric.
Warning
The fusing area gets HOT.
- Open the rear cover.
- Open the rear door of the fusing assembly, if necessary
- Pull the jammed paper from the fusing assembly.
- Remove the leading edge from the paper exit in the output bin if necessary
Note
Make sure that the orange packing spacers have been removed from the fusing assembly.
(not applicable at ING)
- Partially remove the 500-sheet Lower Cassette
- Remove jammed paper.
- If necessary, partially remove the 500-sheet Paper Cassette and remove jammed paper.
- Remove any pages in the cassette that are damaged. Do not reload damaged paper into the cassette.
Note
If there are frequent paper jams or multi-feed problems in the lower cassette area, see "Printing from the OPtional lOwer Cassette" in Chapter 3 and " Repeated Paper Jams" at the end of this section.
(not applicable at ING)
- Remove the Paper Cassette
- Open the front access cover of the duplex unit and remove any paper. Also, remove any paper protruding from the rear of the duplix unit.
- Open the rear duplex door.
- Lift paper guide and remove any paper, then lift paper guide and remove any paper, then close.
- Close rear duplex door (it should latch when completely closed). Replace the Paper Cassette and close the duplex unit's front access cover.
Repeated Paper Jams: Situations and Solutions
| Situation | Solution |
| General repeated paper jam problems. | - Check to see that media is correctly loaded in trays (see Chapter 3, "Printing Tasks ").
- Previously printed paper or torn, worn, or irregular paper should not be used.
- Certain media jams, other media does not. For the recommended paper and other media for your printer, see Appendix C, "Media Specifications." Try turning over the stack of paper in the tray.
- Parts may be worn. See " User-Replaceable Parts " in Chapter 7.
- If jams continue, contact your authorized HP service provider.
|
| Multipurpose (MP) Tray repeated jams. | If jams persist after you have cleaned the printer, check the media specifications and verify that you are loading the Multipurpose (MP) tray correctly (see Chapter 3 "Printing Tasks"). You may need to replace the Multipurpose (MP) Tray Pickup Roller as described in Chapter 7. |
| Paper Cassette repeated jams. | If jams persist after you have cleaned the printer, check the media specifications and verify that you are loading the Multipurpose (MP) tray correctly (see Chapter 3 " Printing Tasks"). You may need to replace the Multipurpose (MP) Tray Pickup Roller as described in Chapter 7. If using the universal (adjustable) Paper Cassette, verify that the paper size knob and other adjustments are set correctly and that the tray is not overloaded. |
| Lower Cassette repeated jams (not applicable at ING). | Adjust the Lower Cassette as described in "Printing from the Optional Lower Cassette " in Chapter3. Verify that the paper size, tension, and other adjustments are set correctly and that the tray is not overloaded. If two or more pieces of media are being selected at once, it may help to decrease the tension (turn the adjustment clockwise). If the media is not being picked up from the tray, increase the tension (turn the adjustment counterclockwise). |
General causes of print quality problems are given in the checklist below, followed by specific samples of common print quality problems. If the listed solutions do not work, call for help.
- Redistribute the toner in the toner cartridge (see " The toner Cartridge" in Chapter 7).
- Clean the inside of the printer (see " Cleaning the printer" in Chapter 7).
- Adjust the print density (see "Adjusting Print " )
- Check the paper type and quality (see Appendix C, " Media Specifications").
- Replace the toner cartridge, then check the print quality again.
If a vertical white streak or faded area appears on the page:
- The toner cartridge toner supply is low. Remove the toner cartridge from the printer and rotate it back and forth. If shaking the cartridge does not improve the print quality, replace the toner cartridge.
- The print density is too light. Adjust the density adjustment setting from the control panel (1 is light; 5 is dark). (see " Adjusting Print Density" in Chapter 5).
If faded-out areas, generally rounded, occur randomly on the page:
- The moisture content of the paper is uneven, or the paper has moist spots on its surface. Try paper from a different source.
- The paper lot is bad. The manufacturing process can cause some areas to reject toner. Try paper from a different source.
- The transfer roller is dirty. Replace the transfer roller (see 'User-Replaceable Parts' in Chapter 7).
If sharp black vertical streaks appear on the page, the photosensitive drum inside the toner cartridge has probably been scratched. Replace the toner cartridge.
If smeared black vertical streaks appear, the fuser may be bad. Inspect the rollers for scratches and escessive wear, and, if necessary, replace the fusing assembly as described in 'User-Replaceable Parts' in Chapter 7.
If toner smears appear on the leading edge of the paper, the paper guides are dirty. Clean the printer as described in 'Cleaning the Printer' in Chapter 7.
If toner on the paper is loose or can be wiped off easily, your fuser may be damaged. See your service representative.
If the amount of background toner shading becomes unacceptable, the procedures described below may help to clear the condition:
- Increase the density setting (see 'Adjusting Print Density' in Chapter 5). This will decrease the amount of background shading.
- Change the paper to a lighter basis weight.
- Check the printer's environment; very dry (low humidity) conditions can increase the amount of background shading.
- Replace the toner cartridge
- Replace the transfer roller (see 'Transfer Roller' in Chapter 7).
If marks appear repeatedly on the printed side of the page:
- The toner cartridge is damaged. The circumference of the toner cartridge drum is 3 3/4 inches (95 mm). If a repetitive mark occurs every 3 3/4 inches on the page, replace the toner cartridge.
- The developer roller is defective. If a repetitive mark occurs every 2 inches (51 mm) on the page, replace the toner cartridge.
- The charger roller in the toner cartridge is defective. If a horizontal black line occurs every 1 1/2 inches (38 mm), replace the toner cartridge.
- The transfer roller has toner on it. If the defects occur every 2 1/6 inches (53 mm) on the black page, the problem will likely correct itself after a few more pages.
If characters are improperly formed, producing hollow characters, your paper stock mat be too slick. Try a different paper.
If characters are improperly formed, producing a wavy effect, the laser scanner needs service. Call your authorized HP dealer or HP service representative
If a vertical line appears on the page's margin (usually the right margin) after printing about 10,000 pages, the drum in your toner cartridge is wearing out. The line will grow wider, with cross-hatching. Replace the toner cartridge. Shaking the cartridge will not temporarily relieve the problem.
Printer Messages
| Message | Description | Recommended Action |
| 00 READY | The default ready message. The printer is ready to use. | No action required |
| 00 POWERSAVE | Printer is in Power Save mode. In Power Save mode all control panel keys operate normally. (See 'Saving Power with the Power Save Feature' in Chapter 5). | Press any key to take printer out of Power Save mode. Receipt of data or an error condition will also take pronter out of Power Save mode. The job will print when the fuser has warmed. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
| 04 SELF TEST | Printing a continous self test. | Press On Line or Shit + Continue to stop the test. Several more pages may print. |
| 05 SELF TEST | Printer self test in process (non-printing). | No action required. |
| 06 PRINTING TEST | Printing a self test. | No action required. |
| 06 TYPEFACE LIST | Printing a Typeface List. (Note that PCL/Postscript formats are different.). | No action required. |
| 06 DEMO PAGE | Printing a Demonstration Page. (Note that PCL/Postscript format are different). | No action required. |
| 06 CONFIG PAGE | Printing a Configuration Page. | No action required. |
| 07 RESET | Follows a control panel Shift+Reset selection. The printer returns all Printing,PCL,Job,and installed personality (PS,etc.) Menu items to user-selected settings and clears buffered page data, temporary soft fonts, and temporary macros. | No action required unless the printer is receiving data(you may have to press Shift+Reset several times to prevent printing unwanted pages. |
| 08 COLD RESET | The printer returns all Printing, PCL, Job, Config, Mem Config, Parallel, Serial, MIO (if installed), and installed personality(PCL, PS, etc.) Menu settings to their factory default configurations, except for page count, MP Tray size, Envelope Feeder size, and display language. | Reconfigure your printer and MIO. When you install a MIO card, to reinitialize the printer's control panel you may need to perform a cold reset. (Note: In a shared environment, this task should only be performed by the system administrator.) To perform a cold reset, hold down On Line while switching the printer ON until 08 COLD RESET appears in the display. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
| 00 OFFLINE | Printer is off line and not able to receive data. | Press On Line |
| 02 WARMING UP | The printer is warming up and is not ready to accept data. | Wait until the printer signals ready. If necessary, press On Line. |
, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Update. 
If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Based on our tests, we can't recommend third party vendors' remanufactured or refilled ink cartridges, which may not give you your money's worth. One cost-saving solution is to buy higher-capacity cartridges. If you print a lot, try an ink cartridge with a 250-plus page yield, or a toner cartridge with a 2,000-plus page yield.
Solution: For some mysterious reason, Windows may select a new default printer--the one it automatically sends print jobs to. (This happened to me when I upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.) To fix this glitch in Windows 7, click Start (the Windows icon in the lower-left corner of the screen) and select Devices and Printers. Under Printers and Faxes, right-click the printer you want to make the default, and select Set as default printer.
Solution: You may have a clogged print head, a problem that can occur if you use an inkjet printer infrequently. Your printer's utility program can clean out the dried ink, and print a test page for inspection. The step-by-step instructions on how to do this vary by printer. From the Windows 7 Start menu, click Devices and Printers or Control Panel, and look for your printer's utility app. For additional details, read "Solve Inkjet Printer Problems." (Again, these steps may vary slightly for Vista and XP users.)
Solution: You may be right. Printer out-of-ink messages are notoriously unreliable. The good news: You can try various hacks to get around those ink cartridge controls. We're not suggesting that all, or even some, of these reader tips will work with your printer, but they're worth a try. One tip reveals how to reset ink cartridges for various HP printers. And a video on this page shows how to revive an "out of ink" Epson cartridge. If you're feeling adventurous, check them out.
Solution: To get the best performance from a network printer, it's hard to beat a wired, Ethernet-cable-to-router connection. Wireless printing may be more convenient in many homes and offices, but it has its limitations. Since Wi-Fi speeds slow down with distance, you'll want to place your wireless printer as close as possible to the router. Also, make sure your Wi-Fi printer or any wireless print server it connects to supports the 802.11n spec, which can rival the performance of 100-mbps Ethernet.
Solution: We recommend sticking with the manufacturer's ink. Third-party products may save you money up front, but the consequences can get ugly--literally--if the cheaper inks produce lower-quality prints.
Solution: Shrinking text to fit two pages on one sheet saves money (you'll buy less paper) and speeds up printing (fewer pages to print). This two-for-one approach is best for spreadsheets, receipts, and other documents that are still legible once shrunken.
Solution: You could always pretend you're not home, but that might lead to bigger problems down the line. We recommend you help Grandma out, because printer problems encountered by the, um, technically challenged are often easy to fix.
Solution: To cut costs on some printers, vendors often include low-capacity or flimsy trays. In her article "Is Your Printer Stealing From You?", PC World's Melissa Riofrio lists seven printers with notoriously cheap paper trays--each from major vendors such as Brother, Dell, Epson, HP, Ricoh, and Xerox. Shame on you guys.
