CQ Lines on BLACK RICOH MP C4504EX

[CopyBats]

Hi Everyone, Loosing my mind over this one and would appreciate everyone's insight.

I have a RICOH MP C4504EX that I had to pull out from the customer and bring to the shop because of this issue.

I have plenty of experience in rebuilding the PCDU'S for this machine with genuine and non genuine parts. For this example I am only using genuine parts. Toner has always been genuine Ricoh.

This machine has been in the field for over a year. Customer complained that B/W prints have faded lines on them all of a sudden. I rebuild the PCDU and used the Developer unit from a parts machine with a really low count. Problem seemed to have gone away for 2 days and returned back. I thought maybe some sort of issue with the developer unit I had used so I replaced it with another unit with the issue to reappear after 5 days.

The situation is that in this parts machine If I put in even a new BK PCDU, it makes these lines on the printouts. When I look at the developer, there are white lines there ( not the link where there is junk or paper dust because I cleaned the doctor blade). The lines appear instantly after either 3701 to let the machine know its a new drum or we do the Calibration printouts,.

The thing that is eating at me is that when I put the same " corrupted" PCDU into any other working machine, the Lines clear up almost instantly with significant improvement. Lets say if there are 6 lines, it gets reduced to 1 or 2. If I run that drum into another machine long enough, the lines disappear.

The moment this PCDU gets put into the problem machine I am facing this issue.

I even replaced the development motor for Black thinking it may be why its not distributing the developer evenly with no luck.

Laser Unit is also clean. MP C4504 does not use developer solenoid unlike MP C3504.

EDIT PLEASE SEE: Lines caused are shown in the developer unit. When I take that same PCDU with the "bad developer" and put it into any other machine and go through the calibration process, they immediately clear up. Problem machine made lines show up even on brand new developer unit ricoh genuine.

[ccchuah]

drain out the developer and filter out the dirty particle and clean the target glass on the black laser unit.

[CopyBats]

drain out the developer and filter out the dirty particle and clean the target glass on the black laser unit.

Hi , as per my post I have even tried brand new PCDU. Laser is clean as well not the issue. Issue seems to be that the developer is not being mixed properly in the machine.

[slimslob]

Those lines look like a dirty laser shield glass to me. Use the cleaning wand if it has one.

[CopyBats]

Those lines look like a dirty laser shield glass to me. Use the cleaning wand if it has one.

EDIT PLEASE SEE: Lines caused are shown in the developer unit. When I take that same PCDU with the "bad developer" and put it into any other machine and go through the calibration process, they immediately clear up. Problem machine made lines show up even on brand new developer unit ricoh genuine.

[slimslob]

EDIT PLEASE SEE: Lines caused are shown in the developer unit. When I take that same PCDU with the "bad developer" and put it into any other machine and go through the calibration process, they immediately clear up. Problem machine made lines show up even on brand new developer unit ricoh genuine.

If you are so certain it is the development unit than perform the doctor blade cleaning procedure.

[CopyBats]

If you are so certain it is the development unit than perform the doctor blade cleaning procedure.

Hi Slim.

If i take a brand new BK PCDU and put it into this machine, the moment it does the copy control or 3701 process, we will see lines on the developer. Unlike other situations where dust or debris causes this, its as if the lines are caused because the toner / developer isn't being mixed properly

[Popolopo]

Hi Slim.

If i take a brand new BK PCDU and put it into this machine, the moment it does the copy control or 3701 process, we will see lines on the developer. Unlike other situations where dust or debris causes this, its as if the lines are caused because the toner / developer isn't being mixed properly

Is the white line in the same position even change new/other PCDU black?
If yes, you may need to check laser unit.
There is possibility that toner inside glass on black side.

[bobbygamba]

its will work better if you update the firmware and force toner on engineer mode.

[luca72]

Hi Everyone, Loosing my mind over this one and would appreciate everyone's insight.

I have a RICOH MP C4504EX that I had to pull out from the customer and bring to the shop because of this issue.

I have plenty of experience in rebuilding the PCDU'S for this machine with genuine and non genuine parts. For this example I am only using genuine parts. Toner has always been genuine Ricoh.

This machine has been in the field for over a year. Customer complained that B/W prints have faded lines on them all of a sudden. I rebuild the PCDU and used the Developer unit from a parts machine with a really low count. Problem seemed to have gone away for 2 days and returned back. I thought maybe some sort of issue with the developer unit I had used so I replaced it with another unit with the issue to reappear after 5 days.

The situation is that in this parts machine If I put in even a new BK PCDU, it makes these lines on the printouts. When I look at the developer, there are white lines there ( not the link where there is junk or paper dust because I cleaned the doctor blade). The lines appear instantly after either 3701 to let the machine know its a new drum or we do the Calibration printouts,.

The thing that is eating at me is that when I put the same " corrupted" PCDU into any other working machine, the Lines clear up almost instantly with significant improvement. Lets say if there are 6 lines, it gets reduced to 1 or 2. If I run that drum into another machine long enough, the lines disappear.

The moment this PCDU gets put into the problem machine I am facing this issue.

I even replaced the development motor for Black thinking it may be why its not distributing the developer evenly with no luck.

Laser Unit is also clean. MP C4504 does not use developer solenoid unlike MP C3504.

EDIT PLEASE SEE: Lines caused are shown in the developer unit. When I take that same PCDU with the "bad developer" and put it into any other machine and go through the calibration process, they immediately clear up. Problem machine made lines show up even on brand new developer unit ricoh genuine.

hi, there are two things, either you were unlucky enough to get two development units that have more or less the same defect (one used, and the other one too if I understood correctly)
or it is the dust from the wax bar that contaminates the doctor blade very quickly, our colleague codex reported to me a few months ago, a distribution of problematic wax bars in the rebuild-kits, which dirtied the loading roller, that he reported to the supplier, he said that they tended to flake a lot, generally that problem tends to be solved by rotating the development unit gear back and forth several times... but not always.
you must necessarily install a new original ricoh development unit from the cardboard box, never used....I wouldn't want flying wax dust to get into the magnetic roller.

[GIUBOSS]

Hi , as per my post I have even tried brand new PCDU. Laser is clean as well not the issue. Issue seems to be that the developer is not being mixed properly in the machine.

Grainy toners (OEM or other brands) can cause these problems. Have you checked to see if you can feel any grains when you turn the bottle upside down?