Minolta Bizhub CF3102 Right Side Door Problem

[Guest]

I currently have a Minolta Bizhub CF3102 and has ran great for years. We do all of our direct mailinigs and flyers for our retail store on this machine. It is a vital tool for us; however I have encountered a problem that I can not seem to fix and was hoping for some suggestions(outside of getting a newer machine)

We have a paper jam; after this was cleared the main door to the rollers/feeders will not register as closed. I have tried everything I can think of aside from taking it apart and it will not register that the door is closed.

Any information that you may need, I would be glad to provide. Thanks

[Stirton.M]

Unfortunately I no longer have any of these machines in my area, so I cannot take pictures of where to look specifically and the service manual quite frankly sucks for this model.

On the right side door, you should see some plastic tabs that stick out towards the machine, that when the door is closed, these protrusions will interact with some interlock switches and levers. If the tab is broken or damaged, it will have to be repaired. Usually this means replace the door itself. One of the door sensors may be defective, requiring replacement. There are several. The drawback to this machine is that the control panel is not clear which sensor is being triggered when a door open signal is being presented. Some clues can be found in tech rep while viewing IO mode, to see the sensors in action. Trouble with this mode however, is that whenever a door sensor is triggered, the screen will change to an open door image. Of course, this will indicate the switch involved is working, but it can be a hassle when trying to determine which switch is failing, if at all. The door for the vertical transport, if I recall, has 2 switches. They must be toggled simultaneously or a service code will trigger.

The duplex, if installed, will also show a door open signal on the panel. It is not always obvious. Again, a tab will insert into an optical sensor to indicate closed.

The door just over the fuser unit also has a sensor flag for an open condition sense.

I would suggest you contact a nearest service rep to troubleshoot the problem, as it is pretty involved. Generally, it involves what I mentioned, ensure the sensor flags are there and in good condition and if they are, troubleshooting the sensors in that area. The optical sensors can be swapped around, but not all of them are identical to each other via the pin locations. This is not a quick fix generally speaking.

Also, keep in mind that these machines are considered obsolete and no longer supported by Konica Minolta. In other words, you may not be able to obtain the parts needed to repair the problem. Or worse, your local service company will refuse outright to do the repair. I know our office here in Calgary will no longer service these. We still sell toner and IUs and other consumables, but those are in short supply from corporate.

In other words, I would suggest you consider retiring the machine and replace it with something new. Even a C450, though close to being obsolete, is on too many levels to count, far superior to the 3102.

[KEVIN900]

Well put Stirton. I'd like to add; if, in your inspection of the door, you discover that a plastic tab, that actuates the closed door sensors, is in fact broken; an old school tech tip is to fold a small section of paper into a rectangular wedge. Gingerly place the paper wedge into the sensor slot on the body of the machine to "cheat" the intrerlock switch, or sensor. You'd need to remove and replace the paper wedge after a jam, to reset it. It's like someone with an old Volvo, so proud of the old age, and/or high mileage. Sad fact is, plastic that old, so close to the hot fuser, becomes brittle. Any time you close the right side door, it could be curtains for your classic. Parts aren't there, and if you found a used one for parts, it's plastic is just as brittle. P.S. Why not do some economic stimulating, and finally upgrade. They have advanced in leaps and bounds, and are, no doubt, cheaper now, than what you paid for it in 2002. Or was it 2000 ?

[Stirton.M]

I coulda swore it was sooner than that...but then...I looked to see if I could find any history online, but the earliest I could find for the 2002 and 3102 was 2002. My pdf manual had copyright 2003 on it.

[ncfg]

I appreciate the fact that this is an old machine and well past its prime; trust me if business was good I would not hesitate to toss this. However we are not in a position to go out and buy a new machine. If I can get this one here rigged up to work; I will certainly start setting funds aside to purchase a newer machine. In the mean time I am trying to find a solution that will allow me to bypass the sensors. In other words tell the machine the door is closed all the time, even if it is not.

All the switches and tabs seem to be functioning just fine, so I am sure it is either a loose connection or a bas sensor. You are correct Stirton, the service manual is horrible and shows no indication of how to access the sensors.

We are in a rural area and getting a service tech to come out and trouble shoot this could cost hundreds, they want 150$ just to show up. I have done all the servicing myself over the years and this is the first time I have been stumped. I guess I will be spending my one day off trying to tear this apart and see if I can not fuse something together to override the sensors.

If anyone has any suggestions or what not to do, I would be truly grateful.