Bizhub c454e // Troubleshooting black streaks across page parallel to feed path

[frood]

Hi all, thanks for being here.

I've been nursing an older c454e back to health as I use it for nonprofit community engagement and printing needs and it's been a trooper.

Recently, I ran out of K toner and used a recommended off-brand to replace it. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed black streaking across prints. I bought an OEM box and swapped it, but that didn't improve things significantly. Symptoms:

• Only appears to be K toner; no other colors. The lines are mostly consistent (in the same places) but hop around slightly.
• When I open the right-side door and look at the image transfer belt, I see toner lines that line up with the streaks on the print.
• A thorough cleaning can help things, but the streaks return.
• (possibly related? not sure): Waste toner cartridge doesn't say "full" or throw any errors, but it definitely feels full)

Other condition notes:

• All drum units were replaced with off-brand units- all color about 12 months ago, the Black about 22 months ago. No significant scratches etc that I can see on the drums.
• Transfer belt was replaced in the last year.

What I'd appreciate:
I'm looking for a troubleshooting checklist to help sort the issue so I don't throw parts at it. I welcome if someone HAS this already somewhere and can point me to it or a PDF version of the c454e "Field Service Manual" (if there is such a thing). I tend to think this is just the BLACK drum unit needing disassembly, cleaning, and reassembly, but ... I don't want to just scattershot this.

Thanks!

Photo of Transfer Belt with right door open
20240609_104411.jpg

[copyman]

Replace the black drum. Even if consumable life is good it's probably still bad since you posted drums were aftermarket. Don't clean the transfer belt, it wont help as you found out. If anything you will damage it and cost you more $$$

[D Colour]

Did you clean the charge corona(s)? If you have compatible drum units installed then its likely easy to swap the black and colour chip round. I would swap black and magenta drum units (swap the chip also) and see if the lines change to magenta. If required replace the faulty drum with an original. The black drum units in the UK are almost as cheap as compatibles.

[frood]

Corona
I believe I did slide the slider when I used the "cleaning wand" to clean the laser glass. Or are you talking a disassemble then clean with alcohol? If that, then no.

Drum swap
I kept the old drums in case, when swapping, print quality didn't improve. So I can look through the lot and swap the chip.

Rebuilding drum
Though, that does remind me - I took an old drum out and rebuilt it (new wiper, corona, and chip) ... but didn't know to use KYNEX or "toner" to dust the drum leading the toner wiper to "stick" to the drum. I reinstalled ... and the print drive stuttered and clearly had massive drag on it - it made me think I'd screwed up reassembly. Well, TECHNICALLY I did, by not dusting it, but not "didn't reassemble individual components correctly" screwed up, yaknow? So, I guess I should prolly just take that drum apart again, double check it, DUST IT this time ... and replace.

Thanks all! I do appreciate your input. I'll do some things next week and check back with a WIN or FAIL.

[tsbservice]

Replace the black drum. Even if consumable life is good it's probably still bad since you posted drums were aftermarket. Don't clean the transfer belt, it wont help as you found out. If anything you will damage it and cost you more $$$

As copyman already pointed replace black drum and forget the problem.

[cscopy]

Transfer Belt Cleaning Blade ok?

[copyman]

Transfer Belt Cleaning Blade ok?

Normally with streaking or lines you would also look at transfer belt but in this case the OP posted that it's only black lines so that would rule out transfer belt. With bad belt / belt cleaning blade it would be all colors.

Also to the OP, you can dump toner out of waste box (careful it will pour out like water). After dumping most out remove the small clear plastic pice on back side of waste box (2 silver screws) and clean. This small clear piece has to be clean so machine knows waste box is empty.

[tsbservice]

Normally with streaking or lines you would also look at transfer belt but in this case the OP posted that it's only black lines so that would rule out transfer belt. With bad belt / belt cleaning blade it would be all colors.

Also to the OP, you can dump toner out of waste box (careful it will pour out like water). After dumping most out remove the small clear plastic pice on back side of waste box (2 silver screws) and clean. This small clear piece has to be clean so machine knows waste box is empty.

Plus so thin black streak is almost always visible on PCR of K drum. I have yet to see ITB cleaning responsible for that type of streak. No way especially in only one color.