Re: HP printer trouble

micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:

In sci.electronics.repair, on Wed, 16 Apr 2025 20:23:59 +0200, "Carlos
E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:
 

Hi,
>
I have an HP Color LaserJet CP1515n printer since 2008-09.
It has printed a total of 6339, according to itself. Not many pages for
a laser, but for all these years it simply printed when I wanted it. No
more ink trouble. I'm happy, it was a good purchase. 262? at the time.
>
Coincidentally, the printer warns that the toner has run out. It does
this from the page count, so it may be able to print a few hundred pages
more before I notice printouts are going bad.
>
But today it claimed to have a paper jam. I opened the paper drawer, the
back panel, the toner drawer. No paper jam at all. I closed it again,
the printer tried again, and after two tries it continued printing happily.
>
Then I printed the second batch (the reverse side of an instruction
book, first the odd pages, then the even pages, because this printer
doesn't do two sides), and after 50 pages, 10 pages from the end, it
claimed there was a jam. I repeated the procedure, no go. The noises it
made seem like it is unable to grab the paper from the tray. So I
powered it down, then up, and in the computer I repeated the print job
for the 10 remaining pages, but changed the tray to number 1, which is
the manual intake, 1 page at a time, and I could finish the job.
>
What do you think it is going on?

 
I have an Epson all-in-one inkjet printer that says it has a paper jamp.
I've looked all over, can't find any paper in it.  Also can't find the
jam sensors so I could cut or short circuit one of them.
 
I've had the thing, broken, for 5 or 10 years now.  When I have time I
will try to fix it again.

>
Maybe the paper (110 grams/m², explorer from www.explorer-paper.com) is
not to its liking? It did not complain before. Try another paper. I just
did that (80 gr/m² plain supermarket paper) and it worked perfectly,
printed a sample print page silently. I don't have anything longer to
print now.
>
Some roller broke down, rubber too old?
>
At the price of a printer, a repair is not worth it. Maybe time to buy
another one.

Jeff's advice in the previous post is worth trying. Printers depend on
very specific surface properties of the paper-pickup rolls. Accumulated
dust and lint, or loss of volatile plasticizers in the rubber, lead to
the rolls getting slick and not grabbing the paper correctly.

Start with isopropyl alcohol to clean the rolls. Step up to stronger
solvents if that doesn't work. Aerosol carburetor cleaner or brake
cleaner are more potent and worth a try. If one of them works but the
effect fades with time the trouble is likely a loss of plasticizer.

A less-volatile cleaner might help in that case. Mineral oil in trace
amounts softens rubber and evaporates over years. Brake fluid (ethylene
glycol) does similar things and also evaporates relatively slowly. Either
is worth a try if the printer is otherwise useless.

Do be careful of brake fluid; it's a remarkably potent but very slow-
acting solvent for common paints and finishes. If spilled, wipe it up
right away, rinse with water (it's completely miscible) and wipe again.
Brake fluid damage takes weeks or months to become apparent, so clean
up promptly and completely even if damage isn't visible right away.

Both mineral oil and brake fluid (and antifreeze, for that matter) will
evaporate eventually, perhaps in a year. Annual mantenance isn't so bad.

hth,

bob prohaska