Error restart print 009-340 on 3100cn

Hi Carsten,

This printer closely monitors toner density and tries to adjust itself to maintain the proper density levels applied to the paper. This is an "ADC" error. "ADC" means "Automatic Density Control". Since you can print a few pages before the error occurs, your sensor might be dirty. The sensor that monitors the density control is located in a difficult to describe location and may be even more difficult to clean. Give me a few days to dig one of these out of my storeroom and take some pictures for you. Hopefully, I can provide something by mid-week next week.

Hi Ilynster,

thx for the reply.

does this link provide the right way to get to the sensor?

http://222.46.64.27/foundations_2005/Printers/3100cn/adcsensor.htm

I wonder why the sensor should be dirty. The printer processed less than 150 print jobs and stood lonely waiiting in an empty office for a long time...

However, I will try to clean the sensor and report the status afterwards.

kr, Carsten

For some reason, I can’t open that link...... double check please?

I agree, with only 150 prints, that machine should be like new. Do you know if it's been humid where it's been "waiting"?

Perhaps the Shutter on the face of the ADC is sticking, not allowing the ADC to function correctly?

The error you provided is an ADC error.

I managed to steal a little time and "art" some images to help you.

As seen looking inside the printer toward the rear, with the drum removed, the ADC sensor shutter should be closed.

You can push down the shutter to open and clean the ADC lens.

The shutter will reset when you put the drum back in, close the lids, and power on.

thank you very much for the artistic reply :)

I found the lens easily. It was very clean as fas as I could see, but I cleaned it anyway with a paper and a drop of glass cleaner. No dirt on the paper. Unfortunately there was no change. Same error after printing a test page.

The printer is located in a closed office room that is only used for a few servers and printers. Not humid, not much dust from passersby or other sources.

What else besides a dirty ADC sensor can cause the error message? Can I test in some way if the sensor works properly? Perhaps it's damaged.. The error log of the printer tells me that the error 009-430 occurred the first time at print job #125. Quite early in lifetime..

I remember that I used the printer with the wrong driver once and wondered abt the strange output. By mistake I took the driver for the 5100cn printer. Changed the driver to 3100cn and everything was fine - for a while. Can this be a cause that perhaps has comprimised the sensor or the printer itself? If so, can it be cured again? :)

Hi Carsten,

Was the shutter open or closed when you first opened the unit? Normal is closed. We need to make sure that the solenoid that opens and closes the shutter is functional. There is one test to open the shutter, and another test to close the shutter.

Do you know how to enter Customer Diags? Just in case you don't, here's how:
1. Turn the printer power OFF
2. While pressing both the up and down buttons, turn the printer power ON.
3. Release the buttons when “Diagnosing…” is displayed.
4. After the diagnosing cycle completes, the display should indicate “Customer Mode” and “ESS Diag”; press the down button to display “IOT Diag”; press the center Select (enter) button.
5. The display should indicate “IOT Diag” and “Digital Input”; press the down button.
6. The display should indicate “IOT Diag” and “Digital Output”; press the enter button.
7. The display should indicate “Digital Output” and “DO- 0  READY”.

Press the up or down button until the display indicates "DO-1c Ready"; press the enter button to run the test. You should hear a "click" and the ADC shutter should open. Press the Cancel button.

Press the up or down button until the display indicates "DO-1d Ready"; press the enter button to run the test. You should hear a "click" and the ADC shutter should close. Press the Cancel button.

I would suggest opening the front and drum covers, remove the drum, then cheat the interlock so you can verify if the shutter actually opens and closes.

Aside from testing the shutter operation, there is no way to test the sensor itself. It's possible the sensor has failed (rare). If so, the P/N is N4447

If the shutter does not open or shut, the cause could also be a defective MCU PWBA  (P5281) as the solenoid control circuit is on that board. The ADC Sensor also interfaces with the MCU which controls the toner density.

Be assured...... printer drivers cannot cause the ADC sensor to malfunction. I think the circumstance you experienced with the driver was coincidental. However, it would not hurt to perform a factory default reset on the machine. Let me know if you need instructions on how to do this.

Hi Ilynster,

I ran the shutter test.

At step 7 it says DO-12 READY. I browsed with up and down buttons but couldn't find DO-0 READY.

Neither DO-1c READY + ENTER nor DO-1d READY + ENTER give me a click or any other sound. The shutter remains closed. And when I open it manually, it remains open at 1d.

If I open it manually and start the printer, I get the error message during startup. If I let it closed, I get it after the print job during "calibrating".

Reset to factory defaults made no change.

I suppose, this is the very moment when I should either bring the printer to a service station or to the waste dump, right?

kr, Carsten

Hi Llynster,

I ran the test in several ways: First time with all covers closed. All DO-12-1c-1d-steps. Silence.

2nd time: covers closed, checked the sensor after each test, closed the covers before continuing. No sound, no movement of the shutter.

3rd time: front cover open, lock blocked with a pen, drum inserted. Nothing.

4th time: front cover open, lock blocked, drum outside. Nothing again.

So, I suppose the test failed and I need a techician to check the solenoid and its controls, or do you have any other idea, any other check that can be run to isolate the bad part?

Hi Carsten,

These "DO" steps are common on several Dell printers, so it's not real important what the first step was that you observed. If you didn't see DO-0, no worries.

Try running DO-1c or DO-1d again with the covers closed. Unless you know how to "cheat" the interlock, the covers must be closed before ANY of the "DO" tests will function. Do you hear any clicking sounds? (you can open the front & top covers after each "click" to see the shutter position, but the covers must be closed again before continuing with the alternate test)

If not, either the solenoid control circuit on the MCU PWBA is bad, or the solenoid on the ADC sensor assy is bad.

It appears you have the testing covered. Looks like either the MCU PWBA or the ADC Sensor assy is defective. The Part Number for the MCU is P5281 and the P/N for the ADC sensor assy is N4447.

I've included a diagram of the signal path between the ADC and MCU. Hopefully it's useful.

Good luck to you.

thank you very much for the effort..!!

I'll let you know once there are some news..

cheers

Carsten