strange markings

[Phrag]

Hi everyone. I've got a rather strange issue, but I feel like I've seen this before.

As you may see in the attachments, I'm getting these strange, evenly spaced marks on all copies, prints, and engine prints.

The majority of the marks were cyan, which lead us here to believe to change the cyan/black drum.

This is what I've found out so far, and what I've done.

I've swapped the Magenta and Cyan drum around; No Change.
I've replaced the Cyan drum; No Change.

Print meter read - No marks.
Print demo page - Very visible cyan marks.
Copy meter read in mono - faint black marks.
Single Color Copy meter read in Cyan - very pale cyan marks.
Singe Color Copy meter read in Yellow - Can not identify marks.
Single Color Copy meter read in Magenta - pale magenta marks.
Halftones (128) CMYK - No marks.
Copy magenta halftone in doc feeder - Cyan marks.
Copy yellow halftone in doc feeder - Cyan marks.
Copy black halftone in doc feeder - No visible marks.
Copy cyan halftone in doc feeder - Black marks.

I've cleaned charge wires, and laser arpetures.

I'm stumped.

I'm quite sure it isn't the transfer belt, as it doesn't appear on meter reads or on halftones. It appears on colour printouts as black marks.

Anyone got any ideas? MFP? Memory? Transfer roller?

If you need other examples, I have quite a few collected.

EDIT: It's a Bizhub C220, if that helps.

[Dougtech]

It seems by your comments that it never happens on B&W prints - like the meter page. Perhaps it is your transfer belt if cyan and magenta do it? Color will engage different portion of TX belt than just B&W

[Phrag]

It seems by your comments that it never happens on B&W prints - like the meter page. Perhaps it is your transfer belt if cyan and magenta do it? Color will engage different portion of TX belt than just B&W

It does print on mono copies, unfortunately.

Copy meter read in mono - faint black marks.

The amount of marks aren't consistent between certain conditions either. For example, on the copy of a yellow halftone, there are 8 columns x 14 rows with sets 4 marks vertically arranged.

This doesn't appear on any other examples where there are 3 to 5 columns of marks. It's almost exactly in the same spot on each A3 page as well. It doesn't move along the page either. Its in consistent locations on A4 portrait pages as well.

[EarthKmTech]

you sir, have a failing MFP board.


seen it MANY times before.


90% chance its the soldered down ram on the mfp board, 10% chance its the ram stick. Take your pick.

[Zeldaman]

Hi there!
Agree with EarthKmTech! It´s the MFP-Board. Had the same issue with a220, same markings, but only on scans & in yellow colour.
Greetings...

[Phrag]

you sir, have a failing MFP board.


seen it MANY times before.


90% chance its the soldered down ram on the mfp board, 10% chance its the ram stick. Take your pick.

Cheers Earth.

We decided to order an MFP board yesterday. Glad to know. I'd seen similar markings before, except they looked like alien hieroglyphs.

It's unfortunate this machine has only done 20000 and is only 12 months old.