1st lesson, never use pressurized air to blow inside a laser printer. Always vacuum, and only then if you have a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner. As you've discovered, you may blow things (i.e., toner) where you don't want it.
Some basic things first. Let's print some 20% density test pages to see where we stand. At the bottom of this procedure, there are instructions to clean the laser window, which is a very much overlooked item of simple print quality maintenance you can do.
To print the 20% density test pages: 1. Power off the printer. 2. Press and hold the UP and DOWN arrow buttons while you power the printer on. 3. The buttons may be released after the LCD indicates "Diagnosing..." 4. After a few seconds, the LCD should indicate "Customer Mode" and "ESS Diag" 5. Press the UP or Down arrow buttons to find "Test Print", press the Enter (center) button. 6. Press the Down arrow button to find and select Cyan20%, or Magenta20%, or Yellow20%, or Black20%; press the Enter button twice to select and print that test page (note: printers with the newest firmware may have an additional menu item called "ContaminationCHK". Using this item will print all 4 of the 20% density pages for you) 7. After all print tests have been completed, power the printer off, wait ~5 secs, and power on.
To clean the Laser Scanner glass: 1. Open the front door and locate the blue handle on the right side of the door frame. 2. Pull it all the way out until it stops. This opens a trap door on the right-side cover of the printer. 3. Inside that trap door is the handle of the cleaning wand. In one continuous motion, pull it all the way out until it stops, then push it all the way in until it stops. 4. Do this about 3-4 times, making sure you pull it all the way out and push it all the way in. This cleans the laser scanner glass.
Let me know what you find and we'll go from there.
Thank you so much l!lynster. I bipassed the test pages and cleaned the laser window. The problem is fixed. Is there any reason that we still should print the test pages?
I also have the same problem. I changed the drum and follow these instructions. But the streaks appear again after the 5th or 6th copy. Any other idea of what might be wrong?
I have been having a similar problem. I work at a small business and the printer we use regularly, a Dell 3100cn, has been printing pages with a vertical white streak down each page a couple of centimeters to the right of the page center. It only happens when we print in black. All other colors print well. The streak has persisted even though I changed the black toner cartridge and had the drum replaced. I did a few 20% test pages. Only the black toner had the white line. On the test prints I also saw that there appear to be 3 odd shaped areas near the bottom right corner of the page where the black ink is not printing correctly either. I look forward to any suggestions as to what can be done to repair this or at least some feed back as to a possible cause would be appreciated. The printer was previously owned by one of the business owner's friends and was given to him several years ago, thus I do not believe it is still under warranty.
llynster
2 Intern
•
1.7K Posts
1
November 20th, 2009 08:00
Oh boy...... :emotion-3:
1st lesson, never use pressurized air to blow inside a laser printer. Always vacuum, and only then if you have a HEPA rated vacuum cleaner. As you've discovered, you may blow things (i.e., toner) where you don't want it.
Some basic things first. Let's print some 20% density test pages to see where we stand. At the bottom of this procedure, there are instructions to clean the laser window, which is a very much overlooked item of simple print quality maintenance you can do.
To print the 20% density test pages:
1. Power off the printer.
2. Press and hold the UP and DOWN arrow buttons while you power the printer on.
3. The buttons may be released after the LCD indicates "Diagnosing..."
4. After a few seconds, the LCD should indicate "Customer Mode" and "ESS Diag"
5. Press the UP or Down arrow buttons to find "Test Print", press the Enter (center) button.
6. Press the Down arrow button to find and select Cyan20%, or Magenta20%, or Yellow20%, or Black20%; press the Enter button twice to select and print that test page
(note: printers with the newest firmware may have an additional menu item called "ContaminationCHK". Using this item will print all 4 of the 20% density pages for you)
7. After all print tests have been completed, power the printer off, wait ~5 secs, and power on.
To clean the Laser Scanner glass:
1. Open the front door and locate the blue handle on the right side of the door frame.
2. Pull it all the way out until it stops. This opens a trap door on the right-side cover of the printer.
3. Inside that trap door is the handle of the cleaning wand. In one continuous motion, pull it all the way out until it stops, then push it all the way in until it stops.
4. Do this about 3-4 times, making sure you pull it all the way out and push it all the way in. This cleans the laser scanner glass.
Let me know what you find and we'll go from there.
winnie2533
5 Posts
0
November 18th, 2009 09:00
Please, any ideas, any! I'm desperate! The white streak looks like a streak of light.
llynster
2 Intern
•
1.7K Posts
0
November 20th, 2009 09:00
Glad to hear that
You shouldn't need to..... but it might be a good idea anyway to have them as reference pages for use in the future..... a "now and then" thing?
Stick 'em away in a file folder somewhere.
Have a great weekend !!
winnie2533
5 Posts
0
November 20th, 2009 09:00
Thank you so much l!lynster. I bipassed the test pages and cleaned the laser window. The problem is fixed. Is there any reason that we still should print the test pages?
winnie2533
5 Posts
0
November 20th, 2009 11:00
You too! Thanks again. You are generous and kind!
zcordero
1 Message
0
March 2nd, 2010 16:00
Hi,
I also have the same problem. I changed the drum and follow these instructions. But the streaks appear again after the 5th or 6th copy. Any other idea of what might be wrong?
Your help is greately appreciated.
BCREED
2 Posts
0
April 24th, 2012 11:00
I have been having a similar problem. I work at a small business and the printer we use regularly, a Dell 3100cn, has been printing pages with a vertical white streak down each page a couple of centimeters to the right of the page center. It only happens when we print in black. All other colors print well. The streak has persisted even though I changed the black toner cartridge and had the drum replaced. I did a few 20% test pages. Only the black toner had the white line. On the test prints I also saw that there appear to be 3 odd shaped areas near the bottom right corner of the page where the black ink is not printing correctly either. I look forward to any suggestions as to what can be done to repair this or at least some feed back as to a possible cause would be appreciated. The printer was previously owned by one of the business owner's friends and was given to him several years ago, thus I do not believe it is still under warranty.