HP M5035 Poor Copy and Scan Quality

[Crystal]

We have a customer that is complaining about poor copy and scan quality. When they print, the images are fine; however the copies and scans are several shades lighter than the originals. We have adjusted the toner density all the way to five but this isn't helping. We know it's not the transfer roller or internal mechanisms because the prints are good - does anyone know of a way to override the default settings on the copier to adjust the exposure levels? The customer is complaining about having to adjust the exposure settings every time he makes a copy, so we're wondering if we can change the exposure default.

[nmfaxman]

Have you cleaned the optics and white plate?

[C.Vallon]

Have you cleaned the optics and white plate?

I agree with nmFax here. Try pulling off the plate glass and check/clean the mirrors? All optics should be cleaned, likely some dust built up over the mirrors. Don't forget to clean the actual plate glass on both sides while you have it out.

[blackcat4866]

I agree with nmFax here. Try pulling off the plate glass and check/clean the mirrors? All optics should be cleaned, likely some dust built up over the mirrors. Don't forget to clean the actual plate glass on both sides while you have it out.

I'm thinking there's going to be a little more to it. On most HP's you have to remove the scanner assembly, remove the document feeder, flip over the scanner to remove a handful of screws, then carefully release a bunch of snaps. Then the scanner splits into two halves. It's not the sort of thing you would do on every visit. =^..^=

[theengel]

I always figured the scanner calibrated itself off the white plate under the glass, no matter what. But I had one HP (don't remember the model, but it was an older one) where paper on glass copied fine, but the paper through the doc feed came out really light. I cleaned the hell out of that white deflector on springs in the doc feeder and the copies cleared right up.

[Crystal]

Have you cleaned the optics and white plate?

Yes, we've cleaned the optics and the scanner glass and the white board. Even switched out the transfer roller. Prints are fine, but copies and scans are light. I'm not sure there's a fix for this on this particular model.

[Max]

set it to text only. But it does sounds like optics.

[C.Vallon]

Have you checked the diode? You mentioned you cleaned all the optics and white plate, so that rules out that. Yet only scanned images are effected?

[Crystal]

set it to text only. But it does sounds like optics.

Thanks Max, I'll try that and see if it helps. This is the second M5035 that this customer has owned and they complained about the previous machine doing the same thing. That makes me think that this isn't a hardware issue, but just constraints on the software for this particular model. I'll let you know what happens - we'll redo the optics cleaning and change it to scan text only.

[Crystal]

Have you checked the diode? You mentioned you cleaned all the optics and white plate, so that rules out that. Yet only scanned images are effected?

It only happens when they copy or scan - the prints are fine, which makes me think that it's a software setting or an optics issue, not the transfer roller or toner cartridge.