C350 color IU counters

[mascan42]

I have a C350 that the customer barely uses for color. They have a grand total of 9000 color copies on the thing. All of a sudden, all 3 color IUs are asking to be replaced.

I've ordered new IUs (as an official KM tech, I'm not allowed to re-chip them), but I'm confused what could make the counters on all 3 suddenly max out? And will it happen again?

[Guest]

Maybe it's set to do Process black instead of just using the black IU.

[mascan42]

No, that would register as a color copy. Only 9000 color copies ever made in the entire life of the machine.

Plus that wouldn't explain all 3 IUs going AT THE SAME TIME.

[pepper38_cnd]

When you say you are an "official KM tech" I take that to mean that you work directly for Konica Minolta not an Authorized Dealer. If that is the case then you should be well aware of all the issuses on IU Life and low color volumes. Yes it sucks! If you have made all the changes KM has recomended and you still can not even come close to the recomended yield for an IU! Just be glad it's KM taking the hit! For all the rest we will rechip and hope to get more.

[Guest]

No, that would register as a color copy. Only 9000 color copies ever made in the entire life of the machine.

Plus that wouldn't explain all 3 IUs going AT THE SAME TIME.

Sure it would. Like you said, every black copy would register as a color copy. So by that rationale, every black click would generate a CMY click AT THE SAME TIME.

[mascan42]

That might make sense, except they've never had to change any of the color toners. Ever. So that clearly isn't what's happening. Plus, I've seen the IU counters on this machine before, and they weren't moving because they weren't being used.

[abilashvk]

Friend,
The IU life is being stored in a parameter chip of PWB-M.Does the machine shows any other abnormality?( like system time or date changed)May be such incidents happen if some thing goes haywire in PWB-M or PWB-MFP.

[mrwho]

You don't need to make color copies to spend the IU's life (color or otherwise). Everytime the machine is power cycled, everytime you clear a jam, everytime the machine's door is opened and closed again, everytime the machine enters a calibration cycle, that all spends a little bit of the IU's life.

I theory, you could spend all of the IU's life without taking a single copy just by opening and closing the front door.

Of course, if you are a KM tech, you should already know all of this.

[kingarthur]

I agree with mrwho. if they only do a couple of black copies a day & turn it off everynight, then everytime they turn the m/c on, it is using up the colour units on the warmimg up/stabilization cycle.i have spoken to km engineers before & they have advised that the units are not measured in copies completed.

[mascan42]

Okay . . . maybe I'm not being clear. A month ago, the IU counters were barely above zero. Now, they're all at maximum. That's NOT a result of normal wear and tear. THAT'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE COUNTERS. I know the counter data is stored on the IU chips. But which board writes to the counters?

[agudmove]

Maybe, and not that I would condone this sort of behaviour, an engineer from a franchise company helped himself to your new image units, and left you to get new ones. Knowing your a main dealer.

[pepper38_cnd]

The counters are in minutes, they run whenever the IU's are engaged not just when they make copies, every time the machine turns on, wakes up, initializes, stableizes, or make any sound at all. What are your total counters, Black counters, you say the color is at 9000, that sounds about right to me if this machine has been in use for about 1.5 to 2 years and has around 80k to 120k total count. If the quality is ok either rechip or as some would sugest just let it run with the indicator on the display. If neither of these options are ok with you then replace all the IU's and expect to do it again in another 9k color or 1.5 years.

[abilashvk]

friend,
Life of IUs ,fusing,transfer units etc., are stored in a chip in PWB-Mech., and this funny board some times behaves strange.Life of individual IUs on chips on them selves.These all you knows.I once got a complaint of some what similar manner but, in my case I ended up in flashing firmware etc., as counters,system date grad., value etc., changed(Which we can revoke -but not counter reading and IU lives unless with new IUs and, NV-RAM).As you said Iam also searching in dark what happened,but my customer uses all colors fairly well and his IU life suddenly jumped from 40 to 90% over night.In yuor case may be ending life of black IU has triggered some thing for other counters also in PWB-M or POOR BLACK IU DOESN'T LIKE IT ALONE: