MP5000 SC553 Have tried everything we can think of!!!

[jonezy999]

Gday all,
Having an ongoing problem with only one MP5000 regarding fuser codes. Machine has around 340k on it. Have tried replacing all thermistors and thetrmostats, lasted a few days. Next visit installed brand new fuser, lasted a few more days. Have swapped power supply, I/O board and BICU, all brand new from Ricoh for troubleshooting. Still throws SC553 often. All fans are working and installed in the correct position. Have sent SMC to tech support today, but if anyone would like to help shed some light on this, Im all ears.
Thanks Jonezy

Oh yeh, firmware is up to date too.

[Smee]

Dude...I totally think a lot of the fuser SC codes are to do with bad power...Spikes or crap coming down the line and the thermostats or thermisters just cant handle it. Its like there is not enough tolerance in the machines to handle dirty power.

I look after a MP7500 - completly different beast i know - and it has an SC542 EVERY SINGLE MORNING. Like you we have tried everything and they are getting another entire machine.

We have put up with it for a year and pretty much given up....we couldnt find any answers. Prolly not much help really or the answers you wanted sorry!

But the first thing i would do is check what time the SC's happen - if its the same time every night or day is it something switching on or off? heating? Sorry I cant be more help but thats the first thing I would check out especially with fuser SC's.

[barratec]

I think you made all the possible , Smee said right things. I suggest only one thing: try to install an UPS only for the machine, maybe the electrical network has some problems(noises, voltage peaks, ......).

[Polo-022]

Hi barratec... Do you mean AVR instead off a UPS, maybe?

[jonezy999]

Cheers all, doesn't seem to happen at any particular time. Just gunna have to wait and see what Ricoh Asia have to say.
What is an AVR? Is it a voltage logger?

[teebee1234]

Automatic Voltage Regulator - It will smooth out voltage variances (also called a Line Conditioner). But you probably do want to put a monitor in line if you have one available to check for spikes and brownouts over time. A cheap one will give you a simple display of the highest and lowest recorded value and higher end ones can download data to your laptop and give you a graphical reading of constant changes over the period being checked.

Ricoh has a partnership with Innovolt and these devices can be ordered with an EDP code if you can talk your manager into investing in one. Here's a cut and paste from the announcement letter...
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IntroductionInnovolt Line, Power Filter Products from Syratec Ricoh is pleased to introduce the launch of the Innovolt Line of Power Filters from Syratec. This new series of devices meets Ricoh’s Technology Solution Support Center’s recommendation for premiere power protection. The devices are distributed through our vendor relationship with Syratec and available as a finished good through the Ricoh Supply Chain network.
Inconsistent power fluctuations can cause electrical disturbances that can potentially damage a Ricoh device. The vast majority of Ricoh MFP and Printer products, as well as most electronic devices, use sensitive digital components that can be damaged or put into ‘phantom’ states by these types of power disturbances.
Historically, Ricoh’s Technology Support Services Center had endorsed transient voltage surge suppression devices (TVSS) for protection against voltage surges, however research has shown that there are other power anomalies that can be damaging to electronic devices, that are not being properly addressed with traditional TVSS products.
Technological improvements have recently been made, and new devices introduced to our industry that address, most power anomalies which affect electronic office equipment. The new devices are referred to as ‘Current and Voltage Surge Suppression’ or CVSS technology. Ricoh TSSC is endorsing the use of CVSS™ type devices as the premiere technology for the highest level of protection against power anomalies.
The Ricoh TSSC has established criteria for improved levels of power protection for our devices in order to make sure that they are protected against the types of conditions that represent the majority of power anomalies that could damage the equipment. There are 7 specific areas of protection that they address:

1. Voltage surges caused by lightning strikes in the immediate vicinity of the equipment
2. Voltage surges caused by grid faults
3. Voltage swells
4. Overvoltage
5. Voltage sags resulting in current surges
6. Under-voltage
7. Transients from power outage.

Note: Most existing power filtration products only protect against type (1) of these disturbances

In addition to meeting all seven main criteria, Innovolt Power Filter products provide on board diagnostics in every device, from the smallest plug-in protector to the power management devices that Ricoh TSSC currently endorses.
Innovolt also offers an LCD screen on certain products which displays captured/stored events that have recently occurred. This information can be reviewed on the device by the end user or by a technician during a service visit. Data from the CVSS can be retrieved and uploaded into a PC, using a handheld device called the “Power Doctor”. The Power Doctor is available as a service tool to download the events onto a laptop for archiving, reporting and issue tracking

[jonezy999]

Thanks Teebee. Thouhgt thats what it was. We dont have one, might have to shout a box of beer to an electrician around town.

[jonhiker]

we used a line monitor in a case of a new install of an mp7500 throwing fuser codes from the first day. turned out to be bad wiring in the wall, the tech put a meter on the outlet and found it had problems.

[jonezy999]

we used a line monitor in a case of a new install of an mp7500 throwing fuser codes from the first day. turned out to be bad wiring in the wall, the tech put a meter on the outlet and found it had problems.

I haven't had much experience with electricity, before I started copier tech work, I was a marine diesel engineer which only really use 12 and 24 volt. Will I be able to check much with an ordinary multimeter? This box is 60km away so if Im asking silly questions forgive me, but I just want to be well armed when I make the (NEXT) trip.

Cheers again for all the replies.

[zed255]

I haven't had much experience with electricity, before I started copier tech work, I was a marine diesel engineer which only really use 12 and 24 volt. Will I be able to check much with an ordinary multimeter? This box is 60km away so if Im asking silly questions forgive me, but I just want to be well armed when I make the (NEXT) trip.

Cheers again for all the replies.

An easy check it to simply monitor the voltage with a simple meter on the same outlet as the MFP. You are looking for voltage sags, so if you have access to a really nice meter you may be able to set it to capture min/max events, or at least get hold of one with a reasonably fast refresh on the display. I had an MP4000 throwing various fuser codes (mostly SC552's) or a mysterious issue of poor fusing that intermittently came and went. When I checked I found the voltage on the wall sagging as low as 98v, and where I live the nominal voltage is supposed to be 120v. Ricoh specifies a +/- 10% fluctuation is allowable, therefore anything lower than 110v gives me a leg to stand on when arguing 'bad power' issues.

This machine was in a home office temporarily while these issues were happening. The house was a looooong way from the transformer, the MFP was as far from the panel in the house as could possibly be, and the final nail in the coffin was the fact that the circuit the MFP was on also had a laser fax and a laser printer on the same circuit - in a different neighbouring room. When I convinced them to move the device to a different circuit my issues almost disappeared and when they finally got into a real industrial office property the issues went away completely.

I'd love to get a small device that can record AC voltage events that I can download and display graphically. Does anyone know of one that is reasonably priced (as in cheap enough to own my own, not one for the branch)?