Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

[RMC8112]

I got an account that has a MP C3504ex and ive hade to replace the yellow toner hopper 4 times in a year. Last one lasted about 3 months. I know the fix according to Ricoh is to replace the hopper and PCDU, but is there a permanent fix? TIA

[copier tech]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

I got an account that has a MP C3504ex and ive hade to replace the yellow toner hopper 4 times in a year. Last one lasted about 3 months. I know the fix according to Ricoh is to replace the hopper and PCDU, but is there a permanent fix? TIA

Yes seen this a few times Ricoh have modified the hopper.

[luca72]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

I got an account that has a MP C3504ex and ive hade to replace the yellow toner hopper 4 times in a year. Last one lasted about 3 months. I know the fix according to Ricoh is to replace the hopper and PCDU, but is there a permanent fix? TIA

I know that problem well.
usually the guilty is the developer group, it will be broken, and it does not distribute the toner from the back, to the front, and the toner continues to be replenished, it gets too full, it packs up, and the plastic screw breaks of the hopper

[emiliorsg]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

I know that problem well.
usually the guilty is the developer group, it will be broken, and it does not distribute the toner from the back, to the front, and the toner continues to be replenished, it gets too full, it packs up, and the plastic screw breaks of the hopper

It has also happened to me that the hopper breaks without first breaking the developing unit.

[copier tech]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

Here is the bulletin I was referring to.

Toner Hopper Issues.pdf

[luca72]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

Here is the bulletin I was referring to.

[ATTACH]52387[/ATTACH]

you beat me on time, I had also found it, by chance, a couple of months ago, even me on octopus, this year, four cases of breakage, and all had broken development unit, 2 black, 1 cyano, 1 yellow....it seems, more than anything else, the units of first installation.

[copier tech]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

you beat me on time, I had also found it, by chance, a couple of months ago, even me on octopus, this year, four cases of breakage, and all had broken development unit, 2 black, 1 cyano, 1 yellow....it seems, more than anything else, the units of first installation.

Yes that's it, when first replacing the hopper they seem to fail soon after so hopefully these modified types have addressed that issue.

[luca72]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

Yes that's it, when first replacing the hopper they seem to fail soon after so hopefully these modified types have addressed that issue.

then, you immediately understand that it is broken, just look at the supply nozzle of the developer unit, if it is empty only the hopper is broken, if it is full to the brim, the developer unit is broken... and very easily, even the hopper, if the customer insists too much by fiddling the cartridges to load toner
if you pull with tweezers the screw comes out

[copier tech]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

then, you immediately understand that it is broken, just look at the supply nozzle of the developer unit, if it is empty only the hopper is broken, if it is full to the brim, the developer unit is broken... and very easily, even the hopper, if the customer insists too much by fiddling the cartridges to load toner
if you pull with tweezers the screw comes out

Typically what I see first is the dev unit initially fails causing toner to back up into the hopper & break the coil.

So when I fit a new hopper & dev unit all is good for a few days then the hopper coil breaks again even when the dev unit is fine.

[Polarbear]

Re: Ricoh MP C3504ex Yellow hopper failure

Hi All

Dont forget these machines have a square tube between the toner supply "pump" and the dev unit.

If this tube becomes blocked (mostly because of dev unit failure) and the backed up toner causes the toner "pump" to break, only replacing the toner "pump" and dev unit, you will be in the same situation very soon afterwards.

Always make sure that the tube is completely clear when replacing dev/toner "pump" units.