Aficio 3235 "Loading Toner" constantly, won't print (Savin C3528 Lanier LD335/DSC435)
Tried posting this morning, and it never showed up, so now trying again. Apologies if I'm somehow mistaken.
This is my first question on your forums, I appreciate any assistance given.
I work for a company selling printer supplies, printers, etc.
Recently a (new) customer of ours informed me that they purchased a Copier from a neighbor leaving their building, it's an Aficio 3235C.
The previous owner said it was working fine, just needed new toner (which is also what the machine itself said).
They ordered the black toner, which I delivered and installed, but after much humming and whirring, machine still says "Add Toner" (or was it "replace"?).
Examining the old bottle originally in the machine, it "feels" quite full (I am good at recognizing toner weights in cartridges by feel, from LOTS of experience).
This is obviously looking like a machine issue, which I will attempt to solve for the customer (I want some copier experience, as our business seems to be moving that direction, as well as I don't want to take a return on the cartridge, also I just generally like repairing printers/computers/appliances/etc...)
I have searched through similar posts on CopyTechNet, and none seem to fit my exact situation, so I'm posting my question.
I have attempted to attain all the materials to assist me, I've found the Service Manual "B202/B178/B180 SERVICE MANUAL" from Ricoh University, and also the Parts Catalog.
Removing the developer unit, it appears toner is not loading in. when i slide open the door it appears fairly empty.
So somewhere between toner hopper and dev unit something is not working...
First I removed the supply hose from bottom of Toner Hopper, and toner seems to pour out fine, so no clogging there...
I next checked the air pump, even swapped the two pumps to see if that would fix it (which was a pain to do, but figured It might make the black work, and then I'd know what needed replacing. But after swapping them the behavior was unchanged.
If I disconnect the air pump hose from Hopper I can feel a *tiny* amount of air coming out when the pump switches on, not sure if this helps, but I do know it is functioning at least somewhat. Any better way to test?
Since I do feel the air I'm assuming the valve is functioning, is this correct? Or can I check further?
I followed the supply hose all the way from the Hopper to the Toner Supply Pump (Ricoh Aficio 3235C Black Toner Supply Pump Assembly, Genuine (B3621)), and hose is not blocked. (I ran a smaller tube through it to verify)
I removed the Toner supply pump (hooking that back up was not fun) and while it seems tough to rotate the auger, it did seem to function. (so maybe the resistance is normal?).
Any suggestions on where to look next, or how to better test the components I have already examined?
I'm of the opinion that the air pump system is the most likely culprit, but would like your insight before trying to convince customer to order any parts.
This is my first question on your forums, I appreciate any assistance given.
I work for a company selling printer supplies, printers, etc.
Recently a (new) customer of ours informed me that they purchased a Copier from a neighbor leaving their building, it's an Aficio 3235C.
The previous owner said it was working fine, just needed new toner (which is also what the machine itself said).
They ordered the black toner, which I delivered and installed, but after much humming and whirring, machine still says "Add Toner" (or was it "replace"?).
Examining the old bottle originally in the machine, it "feels" quite full (I am good at recognizing toner weights in cartridges by feel, from LOTS of experience).
This is obviously looking like a machine issue, which I will attempt to solve for the customer (I want some copier experience, as our business seems to be moving that direction, as well as I don't want to take a return on the cartridge, also I just generally like repairing printers/computers/appliances/etc...)
I have searched through similar posts on CopyTechNet, and none seem to fit my exact situation, so I'm posting my question.
I have attempted to attain all the materials to assist me, I've found the Service Manual "B202/B178/B180 SERVICE MANUAL" from Ricoh University, and also the Parts Catalog.
Removing the developer unit, it appears toner is not loading in. when i slide open the door it appears fairly empty.
So somewhere between toner hopper and dev unit something is not working...
First I removed the supply hose from bottom of Toner Hopper, and toner seems to pour out fine, so no clogging there...
I next checked the air pump, even swapped the two pumps to see if that would fix it (which was a pain to do, but figured It might make the black work, and then I'd know what needed replacing. But after swapping them the behavior was unchanged.
If I disconnect the air pump hose from Hopper I can feel a *tiny* amount of air coming out when the pump switches on, not sure if this helps, but I do know it is functioning at least somewhat. Any better way to test?
Since I do feel the air I'm assuming the valve is functioning, is this correct? Or can I check further?
I followed the supply hose all the way from the Hopper to the Toner Supply Pump (Ricoh Aficio 3235C Black Toner Supply Pump Assembly, Genuine (B3621)), and hose is not blocked. (I ran a smaller tube through it to verify)
I removed the Toner supply pump (hooking that back up was not fun) and while it seems tough to rotate the auger, it did seem to function. (so maybe the resistance is normal?).
Any suggestions on where to look next, or how to better test the components I have already examined?
I'm of the opinion that the air pump system is the most likely culprit, but would like your insight before trying to convince customer to order any parts.