HP DJ T770/1200 with error 59.2:00

[Ballas]

Good day Gentlemen, I have a T770 and someone removed the Formatter(probably to use the HDD for something else). Now I have a T1200 that is being cannibalized and I took the Formatter from there(Same part no and put it into the T770, and as expected it gives the REUSED PART ERROR. My question is this, how does the machine know that the formatter came from another machine? Is it because of the backup on the engine PCA? So if I also take the engine PCA from the 1200, will it work? Or is it the the ID board that HP doesn't say about its function in the machine?
Anybody know how to get past the 95,2:00 error without getting a new Formatter and HDD?
Your help is much appreciated

[theengel]

I have a feeling if you tried to replace the engine PCA & formatter at the same time, you'd never get that machine working again. Your best bet is to get a new formatter. But someone might know another way.

[Ballas]

You think? Even if the formatter and engine PCA is from the same donor Machine

[theengel]

They learned their lesson with the DJ 500/800. As old as they are, I still work on them all the time. They're everywhere. Why? Because parts are available. HP made it almost impossible to mess with used parts on these newer machines. That way, HP decides when a machine is obsolete, and they decide when you buy a new one.

[Kiran Otter]

Unfortunately with these printers, they don't lend themselves to being cannibalized for electronics parts to be used in another printer because of the relationships between the parts. The greatest 'danger' is losing the unit ID that tells the printer what model/width it is. You can kill a printer if you lose this; there is NO recovery. If you want to take the formatter from one printer and put it in another, you have to replace the hard drive with a NEW one. I see someone on ebay is selling the new drives for only $74. http://tinyurl.com/zwfxey3 That same seller also has them for the T790/T1300.

I don't get into swapping parts between printers with customers, only because it just hasn't come up very often, but also because of the above, and especially with the newer T/Z series printers. And if customers want to get used/unknown parts off ebay because it's either cheaper or the only availability (like the service station for the T610/T1100 which is no longer manufactured,) I let them buy it and I'll install it; that way if it doesn't work it's their problem with getting their money back.

And I agree (somewhat) with what theengel said; the 500/800 turned out to be an incredibly reliable printer, and since the 510 has only just been EOL, most of the parts are still available. I keep stock on the service stations, encoder strips and belts. Meanwhile I have a customer with a newer T1100 who needs a service station, and he's SOL.. unless they want to get one off ebay.

Kiran

[Ballas]

HI kiran thanks for the info, however I still believe if I transfer all the electronics including the ID chip or PCB that is sorta part of the Engine PCA it should work, I have everything with me, give it a shot in the morning. I will let you know. Thanks for the input everybody.