But MP4500's (??) don't have a hopper with a toner end sensor.
On this machine the machine should display "add toner" long before the dev unit runs out of toner due to the front end of the hopper being empty.
The I.D sensors are pretty reliable but the hopper assembly can suffer numerous problems with either drive from its motor, broken gears / shafts and failure of the toner end sensor. As it takes 600 copies for the machine to deplete the toner the problem is much more likely to be with the hopper not passing enough toner to the dev unit (hopper drive) or not detecting when it is empty (toner end sensor).
I'm not sure, but I think the machine will run the toner bottle and the hopper when you attempt a forced toner supply. This would mask faults in the hopper area as a relatively large amount of toner would be forced through the system.
Come to think of it, I had a hopper fail about 6 months ago with similar results. I think the drive inside the unit failed. We replaced the unit and the machine recovered.
If the bottle holder fails and toner isn't sent to the hopper THIS machine will display "add toner"! due to a lack of toner covering the sensor.
Make sure you have SP2210 set to 10 copies. This will ensure that the I.D is checked at regular intervals during normal operation.
Print the SMC SPmode when the machine is toned up and compare with the detoned settings.
Rather than using Forced Toner Supply to recover I believe Ricoh Tech will advise using SP2507.... Set 001 to 1 (on) and 002 to 10 copies. This will make the machine develop an I.D patch every 10 copies during a run and will add a little toner rather than dumping large amounts and stressing the developer. Reset these when you are sure that the machine is repaired
Just run abut 150 white copies and then recheck the density using SP3103 and 2223.
My money is on the "tweeter" Toner End Sensor. In a forced toner add the machine ignores this sensor. Easy check. If the 'toilet bowl' at the front of the hopper unit is not full of toner and the machine is not asking for toner, the problem is with the toner add sensor 'tweeter'.
One other thing to add a coworker had removed a reg unit from a machine and forgotten to plug the connectors on the reg unit for both the ID and Toner Add sensors. It never threw a lock up code but got gradually lighter and lighter copy. That one kicked two techs butts before we found it.
Relax! This firmware injection won't hurt...but it will take 45 minutes.
General note, if you have to change the entire toner hopper, and developer at the same time, use the SP mentioned in the installation instructions, not the regular 2-801. This way your hopper will be primed. I've had issues with this because the hopper is empty and the toner end sensor (toilet bowl) has not toner by it. In fact, in the dev. replacement procedure it says to make sure there is toner hitting that sensor.
I agree (Kopykat / Breaker)
Any of the above could be the cause.
Separate the upper half of the dev unit( the hopper) put down an 11x17 and turn the toner drive while watching the tiny toner exit holes you probably have some stopped up and is not adding sufficient toner for the toner on time. Especially if using generic toner.
Imthinman
See also Development power pack is not got any dirt toner, I had a problem and clear copies of the plate with a crust of this toner
Should, but some of them don't, and I have not been able to see any pattern to it. Sometimes the hopper fails, the copies get light, and I get called for an SC390. There is usually toner left in the bottle, so I suspect the customers open the cover a few times trying to reset it, but... anyway has nothing to do with this problem.
If you can force add toner and it makes better copies then the toner feed is working, and there is at least some toner in the hopper. If the machine is not saying Add Toner the hopper sensor is not the problem - this is of course after it has time to rotate the bottle 10 times if the sensor is bad and the machine thinks it's empty (this would also add toner and possibly cause the machine to overtone because the hopper agitator and toner feed are on the same clutch on this model)
That leaves one of the process sensors: ID, TD, or Drum Potential. Of course a shoddy PM or bad drum could fool these sensors...
73 DE W5SSJ
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