On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 12:43 PM, Keith Lofstrom <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 09:40:01AM -0700, Denis Heidtmann wrote: > > > Thanks for all the replies. The printer is sitting not connected to > any > > computer. It goes through the alignment test, where the carriage moves > > across the paper and a light shines down. I assume that this is locating > > the paper edge. It then goes back and forth a couple of times, then > > abruptly changes to self-test. After 10 or 20 more seconds it changes > > to Initializing, ejects the paper, then goes back to the alignment test > with > > a request for loading paper. No ink appears on the paper. This endless > > loop gives me no opportunity to try anything other than power-off. This > > leads me to discount computer drivers, etc. as the issue. > > This is surprisingly like the behavior of my HP2605 color > laserjet after we moved. > > The BIG MISTAKE was moving it with the toner cartridges in it. > ( Three moves equals one fire, as the saying goes, things get > broken and lost in the chaos of moving ). The second mistake > was using a refurb toner cartridge from Office Max, which > spewed little grains of red toner everywhere. > > Most importantly, a grain got into an optical calibration path, > a pair of millimeter-diameter holes running through one of the > plastic assemblies to an LED and a phototransistor. IIRC, my > laser printer has four of these, and uses them to detect paper > size and make tiny dots on the paper, which are measured to > precisely align the colors. > > I am insane, so I took it apart down to the hundreds of pieces > level ( color laser printers are complicated ), cleaned > everything, and got it working again. > > Before cleaning the holes, the printer would calibrate repeatedly, > then give up, with the colors misaligned by 5mm. After cleaning, > it is lined up within a hairwidth. > > I doubt there are as many sensors on a cheap inkjet, but optical > sensors are easier than switches, so HP may be using the same > trick (and have the same vulnerabilities). If the former owner > has dust or shedding cats, then the blockage may be something > besides dried ink in a cartridge. > > Consider asking free geek if they will loan or sell you some > partly used cartridges for this beast, for testing. > > But first you may want to do a deep cleaning. Cut-apart egg > cartons double-stickied onto a board can hold all the little > fiddly bits. These compartments correspond with notes in a > notebook. HP sometimes has detailed service manuals. I've > considered making many digital photos during disassembly, > but so far sketches in a repair notebook have been adequate. > > Keith Interesting. The Free Geek idea is worth a try. Taking this thing apart with the idea of getting it back together is a daunting prospect. I used to be very clever at such tasks, but my short-term memory is getting too short, so I would need a video with instant replay to make a success of the project. The lack of ink on the paper puts plugged cartridges high on the list. A related question (if this printer never gets resuscitated) is what color printers are on the recommended list? As a measure of our usage rate, we go through cartridges on our present Deskjet 970 at the rate of one of each type every 1 1/2 years. A pair of cartridges costs about $67. A combo scanner-printer would be nice. Copy and Fax would likely not be used much, if at all. -Denis _______________________________________________ PLUG mailing list [email protected] http://lists.pdxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug
