Reducing Noise on the HP P4515 Series Printer

The P4014, P4015 and the P4515 are an extremely loud piece of equipment.  The main location of the noise emanates from the fuser drive area.  The dB Level specifications for the Laser Jet P4515 (while printing)  is at 74 dB.  The predecessors noise level specs puts the  Laser Jet 4250’s  dB level at 69 dB.  Quite a bit of difference.  If you are using re-manufactured fusers or the fuser drive gears are worn I would put it much higher.   The most probable reason for the refurbished fuser creating so much more noise is the lack of lubrication and/or inferior high temperature grease used on the heat sleeve and heating element.

P4515 Fuser Sleeve                         Izzy says, “Always purchase quality parts!”

Inspecting the Fuser Drive Gears
The first thing to look at and the  easiest is to pull out the fuser unit and inspect the area below the drive gear.

You will see a pile of white powder or dust from gear wear in the shape of a small pyramid or volcano roughly in the location outlined.

To get a more accurate assessment of gear wear, you can use a small flat blade screwdriver and slide it along the gear teeth.  On the inside of the drive gear against the frame the the gears do not make much contact so it is like new on that side.  When you slide your driver across the gear it will stop your screwdriver because of the difference in height.

When you slide your driver across the gear your screwdriver will stop because of the difference in height.  On this picture you can visually see the wear,  but even a very small amount  of wear will cause noise.

Izzy-ism

A Swing Plate or Not a Swing Plate, That is the Question
I call the P4515 fuser drive gears a swing plate.  Saaaaawwwwwrrrrrry!  Technically it is stationary,  unlike the Laser Jet 4250 series.   For me,  it just makes sense…right?   Question: If I’m on the phone describing it to you and I tell you it’s the  “Swing Plate” you know exactly what and where I’m talking about don’t you?

 

Quiet Mode
One final mention.  If speed isn’t an issue, they made a firmware enhancement.  With this revision of firmware 20080908 04.046.2 and all revisions after has, “Quiet Mode”.

You can go to “configure device” and in settings you can select this “Mode”.  It really does reduce the noise!  Only thing is… it also reduces the speed!

 

Three Possible Solutions to Reduce Printer Noise.

To reduce the noise on the P4515 series printer there are three items to look at and possibly repair or replace.

#1.) The fuser assembly,  part number RM1-4554.  You could also clean the heating element and re-apply high temperature grease.

#2.) The swing Plate,  part number RC2-2432.  See my post on
HP P4515 Fuser Drive Gears (Swing Plate) ; Change for Improved Yield

#3.) Choose “Quiet Mode”  What a sorry excuse for a printer tech!

How to Remove Stripped Screws on HP Printers

Stripped screw

Stripped screws are just one  issue a printer technician has to deal with.   The reason screws become stripped are as follows.

• Worn Screwdriver Tip
  Yes, a screwdriver tip can wear out.  The sides get rounded and don’t fit as snug as it should and will  slip off the screw and round the screw head stripping the screw.
  

Using the Wrong Size or Type Driver
Working on Hewlett Packard printers the screwdriver of choice would be a Type Number 2 Phillips  Screwdriver.  I worked for years and was oblivious as to what size and type of screw driver I was using.

•   Some copiers use Japanese type screws.   To more easily tell the differance between the two there should be a small dot or tiny hole on the edge of the JIS type.   Here are the differences of JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard ) and Phillips.

• 

  US Phillips

  

  JIS

• Not Applying Enough Pressure
  If a screw has never been removed, they are locked in very tight.  Not applying enough pressure will round the screw heads and strip the screw.
  

Removing the Stripped Screw
You will need a regular blade screwdriver preferably one that you don’t care about  and a ball-peen hammer.  Any hammer will do, but a smaller size will be easier to work with.

NOTE:  To remove most screws you will need to drive them “Counter Clockwise”.

counter clockwise

 

1. Take the driver and hold it straight on the edge of the screw.  You need to hit the screw with the screwdriver blade enough to cut a notch in the edge of the screw .  This notch will help keep the  blade from just sliding off for the next step.

Create a notch in the edge of the screw

The notch

2. Place the blade at an angle that will drive the screw in a counter clockwise direction in the notch of the screw you created in the previous step.

hold the blade at an angle that will drive the screw in the counter clockwise direction.

3. Hit the screwdriver until you notice the screw break free.  Replace the stripped screw with a new screw and you are done.

I believe there could be an instance where the screw is in such a place or angle that you cannot get the edge of the screwdriver where you can use this method.  I have been lucky because I have always been able to get the screw out.  There are other methods such as drilling, using a dremmal, but for printers or copiers this method should take care of it.  If you have a story or experience with removing or not  being able to remove a stripped screw, please let us hear about it.

 

 

WTF Does “Misprint” Mean?

What is a “misprint”?    It’s another term Hewlett Packard has come up with to describe a paper jam in their laser printers.  The new error code associated with it is 13.0000.   The earlier version of this would be 13.01 .  The confusion comes from people not knowing what a misprint is.  We are  so used to using the term “paper jam” or “mis-feed”  that we believe it has to be a serious problem and we ” overplay this “misprint” thing… help!

Here are the definitions for the term misprint.

mis·print

Mis`print´   Pronunciation: mĭs`prĭnt´

noun: misprint; plural noun: misprints

misprint – a mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures of some kind ;  misprint – print incorrectly
source WordNet Dictionary

Hewlett Packard Description of a Misprint Source – HP pro 400 m451dn printer service guide

Misprint Press [OK]
Description
Paper has been delayed as it moves through the product.
Recommended action
Press the OK button to clear the message.
To avoid this problem, try the following solutions:
1. Adjust the paper guides in the tray. Make sure the front paper guide is pushing the paper against the back edge of the tray.
2. Use paper that meets HP specifications. Store paper unopened in its original packaging.
3. Use the product in an area that meets the environmental specifications for this product.

In the newer color laser printers “Misprint” is used to differentiate between a regular paper jam and a paper jam that is not sent within the correct timing of the machine.  Here’s what happens step by step in a color printer with misprint problems.

At the beginning of a print job the information is sent from the computer to the printer.  The image has already been created on the ITB (Intermediate Transfer Belt) ahead of time . The full image is laid onto the ITB with each color of toner used in the document.  The paper did not feed correctly and  in this situation the paper never makes it to the registration sensor.  Everything in a printer is precisely timed, so the toner is about to be wasted and sent to the waste toner bin.  Now, because that image is unusable the machine begins to clean the ITB which is the “Cleaning Mode”. Then after all this is over the machine will give the message of  “Misprint”.This terminology is not limited to just color machines it also is used in Black and white or monochrome printers.  Again, the description is the same “Paper has been delayed as it moves through the product”.  So there you go, “Misprint” just means that you have a paper jam, so you can relax and remove your paper jam without any stress at all.

 

 

DIY Printer Repair Home

do-it-yourself
[doo-it-yer-self ]

an activity in which one does something
oneself or on one’s own initiative
noun – do–it–your·self·er
Source; Merriam-Webster.com

A Message from Izzy

Do-It-Yourselfer activities are prompted by economic motives,product availability and the absence of experts in your area. Just the sheer rush of doing it yourself is reason enough! More and more people are just doing it themselves in our world. Mainly I’m talking about “Home Repair”, but what about office equipment? Not so much. Why do you think that is? Take printers for example. I believe its lack of information and tools needed to do the job correctly. I would like to invite you to use our tools, this resource for all of your Do-It-Yourself Printer Repairs! Did I mention it’s all free? DIY isn’t just for home improvement anymore!

Izzy Kilman

 

Hewlett Packard Color Laser Jet Pin Code List

Model Pin codes

3000 11300005
3500 10350003
3550 10350003
3600 11360005
3700 10370003
3800 11380005
4600 04460002
4650 05465004
4700 09470005
4730 09473005
M4730 05473007
5500 04550002
5550 09555004
9500 04950003
9500MFP 11950004
CP3505 06350507
CP3525 09352508
CM3530 11353008
CP4005 10400506
CP4025 11402509
CP4525 11452509
CM4349 11434506
CM4540 11454010
CP5525 11552010
CP6015 03601508
CM6040 04604008
M551 09055111
M575 05057512
M525 05052512
CM8050/CM8060 704938

HP P4515 Fuser Drive Gears (Swing Plate) ; Change for Improved Yield

Swing Plate Assembly

Hewlett Packard LaserJet Models P4014, P4015, P4515 P/N RC2-2432 M600, M601, M603 P/N RC2-2432-M601

When installing new drive gears, I’m recommending using Swing Plate RC2-2432-M601 (M601) instead of the RC2-2432 (P4515) In P4515, P4015 Series Printers. The main gear on the M601 that butts up against the fuser drive gear is” Helical” but on the P4515 the Fuser drive is a standard “Spur” Gear.

Photo Below

Black=M600, Brown=P4515 Fuser Drive Gears

Don’t be worried because it will mesh fine with the P4515 Fuser Gear. The Swing Plates RC2-2432 (P4515) I was installing had a very short life. I have some of these printers that print 40K per Month and I was changing them constantly it seemed.

Photo Below

Common problem with P4515 Style replacement Gears

Directions on replacing the fuser drive gears (Swing Plate) on the HP Laser Jet P4515 Printer

 

The drive gear noise once installed is quiet and smooth. We know that the P4515 printer series generates a lot of noise. I am getting more than 3 times the life out of them now using the M601 style. I just changed one in a P4515 and it had 350K on it. The reason why I changed that one was because it was noisy and that’s the only reason. Very little wear. When I used the Standard swing plate it would strip at approximately 40 -50K and it would go down or be very noisy. I now have this type installed in all of my high volume areas and it has improved call back and call generation quite a bit.

Photo Below
Gear on Right
Helical gears (Black ) Helical gears offer a refinement over spur gears. The leading edges of the teeth are not parallel to the axis of rotation, but are set at an angle.

Gear  on Left
Spur gears (Brown ) Spur gears or straight-cut gears are the simplest type of gear. 

3 Must Do Repairs on HP Laser Printers

These 3 little items can cause huge problems.  They are the cause of jamming, registration skew,  13.98, 13.02, 13.03, 13.05, 13.06 error codes and they will also cause other issues that will leave you scratching your head.  If, while your doing a maintenance or general cleaning, do yourself a favor and add this to your list of preventative maintenance.

#1.) Inspect the Paper Full Sensor Flags Located on the Delivery Assembly.

Test the levers by pushing down on the levers and pull back on them.  You’ll will feel it sticking if the foam is deteriorated.
See video below.

Removing the Foam.
Remove the Top Cover.
Turn the cover upside down and remove 2 screws and the grounding plate.
If the foam has become deteriorated, scrape the old foam off of the Paper Full sensor flag assembly, and remove leftover foam and glue with alcohol.
There are two locations on the assembly for you to remove foam from.
See pictures below.

NOTE: It is not necessary to reinstall new foam.

 

#2.) Inspect Registration Shutter on the Registration Assembly.
Remove the toner cartridge and pull/push on the Registration Shutter so that it is all the way open and see if it is sticking.
See pictures/video below.
If the foam has become deteriorated simply remove it by scraping it off with a knife and then remove leftover foam and glue with alcohol.
NOTE: It is not necessary to reinstall new foam.

 

NEW! Testing paper feed solenoids.

 

#3.) Inspecting Paper Feed Solenoid Dampener Arm for deteriorated Foam.
It’s a hassle to have to pull all the covers off just to see if the paper feed solenoid needs to be replaced.  Here’s a way to test them so you don’t have to.  Models Hewlett Packard Laser Jets 4200, 4300, 4240, 4250, 4350, P4014, P4015, P4515 and others.

Go into “Diagnostics” and “Paper Path” Test Mode.
Set it for 10 prints, single sided and select the tray that you would like to test.
Pay close attention  to the sound, speed and rhythm of the machines operation.
If the solenoid is good you will hear the same rhythm and operation through out the test.  But,  if there is an issue with the solenoid you will notice a pause.   It will “hiccup” and pause just for a moment, then continue.  If it is really bad, it may end up jamming or become obvious that the foam is totally destroyed.
You will become acquainted with this and be able to quickly tell if there is a problem.  If you don’t do it that often you may have to pull the solenoids off to test them.  It’s very subtle but if you do it enough you’ll be able to spot it right off.
Testing Paper Feed Solenoids
Look at the following Video below. I am testing tray 2 and tray 3 on a Hewlett Packard Laser Jet 4250.  First is tray 2 with no problem ( Just Changed it) and next is tray 3 with an obvious problem with the solenoid.

Remove the Solenoid and do a visual inspection.

See Video Below

Replaced the bad solenoid with a “New Solenoid  RK2-0269”. Don’t put a “good used solenoid” because you will soon be replacing it again.

S

59.40, 59.50 and 59.60 errors on the HP LaserJet P4515 Printer

LaserJet P4010 and P4510 Series Printers

HP LaserJet p4515

Hewlett Packard LaserJet P4014, P4015 and P4515 Printers
59.40, 59.50 and 59.60 Error

This article is an attempt to understand the cause and theory behind the 59.40, 59.50 and 59.60 errors in the LaserJet P4010 and P4510 Series printers, and the other problems they cause. Simply put, there is an issue of hesitation or drag in the rotation of the drum drive motor (M102).

The following information comes from the Hewlett Packard LaserJet P4010 and P4510 Series, Service Manual, Page 287 in “Control-panel messages”

Control panel message Description

59.XY ERROR A temporary printing error occurred.

For help press? Alternates with 59.XY ERROR, to continue turn off then on.

Recommended action
Inspect the DC controller PCA and verify that the following connectors are firmly seated.

◦ Drum motor (M102) to connector J87

◦ Feed motor (M101) to connector J91

◦ Fusing motor (M299) to connector J89

NOTE: There is a cable between the drum motor and the DC controller. Both Ends of the cable need to be firmly seated.
If the error persists, from the DIAGNOSTICS menu, run the component tests for each motor to verify that they are operating. If any of the motors is not operating, replace the motor.

What does the XY mean after the 59?
X is telling you which motor is having the problem.
Y tells you which color it is. 0 = Black
(M102) Drum Drive Motor is a 24 DC volt brushless motor P/N – RL1-1659

What is the problem?
More than likely you will encounter this error with a refurbished toner cartridge. The problem is that the drum blade that cleans the photoconductor is either…

1. Defective
2. Does not have the proper drum (photoconductor) lubrication.
   The toner cartridge comes in two different versions.
   CC364X Black, High Capacity Toner Cartridge Yield 24,000 pages Approximate
   CC364A Black, Standard Toner Cartridge Yield 10,000 pages Approximate

Diagram of how the drum blade interacts with the photoconductor

The solution to all of this is just to replace the toner cartridge. So why did I spend so much time on this issue? In addition to replacing the cartridge it can also damage the drive gears. That would mean an expensive repair caused by a incorrectly refurbished toner cartridge. When these gears strip you will hear a high pitched whinning sound and get paper jams under the toner cartridge because the drum assists the paper as it goes through the machine.

The Repair
You will need to replace the drum drive assembly P/N RC2‑2484 and also the drum drive motor P/N RL1-1659

Stripped Drum Motor Gear

drum-drive-gear-motor

Stripped Gear on Drum Drive Assembly

drum-drive-gear-assembly

Here is a Video on replacing the Drum Drive Motor and Assembly. 

Drum Blades
The drum blades are normally made of urethane. A strong rubber type of material. You can liken a drum blade to a windshield wiper. And just like your wipers they start to streak when they are worn. You will also get drum blade chatter if not properly lubricated. If you do not have the proper lubrication it can also flip and damage the drum. On this type of photoconductor the lubrication most widely used would be Kynar Powder. Using toner also is acceptable but builders like the Kynar because its not as messy and the residual will remain longer, thus preventing drum blade problems. This prevents the blade from dragging or locking up or even flipping. I made some quick videos of manually turning the drum on a defective cartridge after a 59 error and one of a newly opened cartridge and the difference is amazing. It was definitely much more difficult to turn compared to the new cartridge.

Here is the Defective Cartridge with the 59 error 

Here is the Good Cartridge for Comparison 

What the Drum Drive Motor does.
The drum drive motor drives the components inside of the toner cartridge. The following are some of the components that are being driven by the drum drive motor.

*Photoconductor
*Developer or Magnetic roller
*Primary charge roller (PCR)
*Various drive gears

The idea behind purchasing refurbished toner cartridges is saving money, well maybe even the recycling aspect but when they start causing damage to the printer you may want to rethink using them in this model.

Color Alignment Problems on a LaserJet M451dn printer

Color Alignment Problems
LASERJET PRO 300 COLOR, LASERJET PRO 400 COLOR/CP2020 Series Printers

If you print a supplies status page, under printers control panel menu reports, you can check alignment. Note the shift on the Magenta Cartridge display. It is not aligned with the toner symbol (Rack of Cue Balls) the customer will experience blurry print jobs and image offset.

Supply Status Page with Magenta not aligned correctly.

Color Alignment Problem

Note: Cartridges install dates and if the issue started to happen after a specific toner replacement. The new toner may be causing this issue.

Assuming you are using HP original toners please try to reboot unit without consumables and when printer asks for them re-install them one by one.

Perform 1 or 2 full color calibrations if needed and check if issue persists by printing Supply Status report.

Check for 54.xx errors under event log entries section that would confirm the Color plane registration issue.

If issue persists you should check and clean the color misregistration sensor assembly.

You may also perform an NVRAM init reset. (Warning: This will erase Network settings… Print all configuration pages before you do this)

If issue persists Replace the following components starting with the ITB…

a.) Intermediate transfer belt (ITB) RM1-4852. Both M451 and CP2025 series
Note: The ITB was the problem I recently had with the sample above. Why it only affected the magenta I don’t know.

PRO 300 PRO 400 Series b.) Color misregistration sensor assembly P/N RM1-8029

CP2020 Series b.) Color misregistration sensor assembly P/N RM1-4850

 

PROBLEM; “Cleaning followed by MisPrint” issue on the HP pro 400 – M451 and CP2025 Series Color Printers

This is a very common problem with both the Color Pro 400 series and the CP 2025 series printers.  When sending a print job it will begin to print. Then you will see that the printer has gone into “cleaning mode” followed by “Misprint”. Then it will ask the user to press “OK”. Then if you select ok, it will try to re-print the job but “Cleaning mode” will begin and the whole process will start all over again. I can see the frustration in your eyes and I’m not even there. If you pull out the paper tray carefully you will see that the paper has fed in just a bit and is laying inside. Not to worry there are a few solutions besides replacing the machine that seem to help.

The easiest way to get yourself printing again is to slow down the machine. I will explain the reason why this works later in my article. Go into the paper handling menu and set Tray 2 paper type to “Heavy – 111-130g”.
The reason why I don’t like this method is because it slows down your printer. The M451dn prints Letter size color pages at 21 pages per minute (ppm). If you are doing a large print job you will notice a drop in speed.

For your information, Hewlett Packard will replace the machine on exchange if it is still on Warranty.  If it is off of warranty you will have to pay to exchange it or you can try the fix here.

How to Replace Paper Feed Rollers in HP M451 Series Printer

What is Actually Happening?
Everything that happens in a laser printer is timed to the millisecond. The image on the ITB “Intermediate Transfer Belt”, the position of the paper as it is being sent on its way through the machine and the timing of the laser are just a few of the many necessary events in the operation of a laser printer.
As the paper is being sent to the registration assembly the image is being created on the ITB. In this situation the paper never makes it to the Registration sensor (SR4). (Note: Misprint means paper jam)
Now, because that image is unusable the machine begins to clean the ITB which is the “Cleaning Mode”.
Then it will say “Misprint” and waits for the user to press “OK”. If you press “OK” the page that failed is reprinted. Then it will start the dreaded Loop of destiny.

The next solution is to replace the paper feed pick-up roller. It could be as simple as the roller is worn out and slipping. Rollers in a printer are similar to the tires on your car. If they are slick to can’t get traction, in the same way the roller can’t get the traction it needs to push the paper as much as it needs to go.

M451dn Sensor SR4 Registration

The problem is that the Paper Feed Pick-Up Roller does not push the paper far enough into the registration assembly. So how do we increase the amount/distance that this roller travels?  In this modification that I tried and have had 100% success with, we will increase the diameter of the roller. It is very similar to an adjustment that many copiers have. It is called the “Paper Feed Buckle” adjustment.  Here is an example of two different amounts of buckle as the paper is being fed into the registration rollers.

Paper Buckle Amount

Paper Buckle Amount Increased

This would be great if that was all there was to it.  But I have had many that even though I replaced the roller it still had the problem.  That is why I had to come up with a fix or replace dozens of printers.  The following is how I increased the buckle amount by increasing the diameter of the roller.  I would love to hear from any people that had to perform my modification and how it turned out.
Drop me a line at izzykilman@gmail.com

Roller Modification
P/N RM1-4426  Paper Pick-Up Roller
P/NRM1-4840  Separation Roller  (Change this roller at the same time).

Feed Roller Modification: P/N  RM1-4426

 Cut 6 strips of electric tape 85MM long.

Stack them 1 at a time until you have all six
stuck together.  

Trim off approximately 14MM doesn’t have to
be perfect.

Pull off the paper feed roller’s rubber only so that the half moon is showing. If you take it all the way off you may get the tread on backwards plus it’s easier not to.  Install the tape so that it covers the entire half-moon end to end.

Reinstall the rubber of the feed roller making sure it is straight and on correctly.

Now compare the height of the rubber tread.  We have increased the diameter of the feed roller so that when it feeds the paper will travel further into the registration assembly and prevent the issues with cleaning/Misprint.

Note: If the roller is already worn out this wont work.

Reinstall the roller into the printer.