Ricoh 1232C bad quality prints

[Prodigal Son]

This one is really giving me a headache... I've got only a few of these machines in the field, and I have no training on them. My support can't help me much so I'm putting my trust in you guys!

The prints have dots and lines (missing toner) all over them. See for yourself here: http://www.linford.se/serviceimages/ricoh1232c.pdf

I've recently fixed a leak of siliconoil in the fuser, and I've replaced the drum cleaning unit. There are no obvious lines or dots on the dev rollers or the drum, and I've tried to remove any lumps around the dev rollers by sticking in a paper between the dev roller and the box, trying to mix it around a bit. The drum has made 95k copies so far, the fuser 44k, devs 35k.

I can't seem to figure out what's wrong. My guess is the drum is somehow damaged, but is there a way to temporarily solve it or do I need a new drum?

[Eric1968]

I would replace the complete PCU-Unit. Make sure the firmware is up to the latest (very important with this machine).

[FRIDGEMAGNET]

These PCU's hardly ever make the 120k life so I would replace this first (don't forget the charge wire and grid).
If you still have a problem then the dev units are next - your examples show cleanish cyan, magenta and yellow but the black has blank spots. This may be just the PCU though. Also seems to be streaking black through some colours.
Good luck.

[RicohTech_TurksCaicos]

Looks like you need
B214 2302 Photoconductor Unit
G070 2110 Charge Corona Wire
G070 2156 Charge Corona Grid

[Shadow1]

Tell the customer to suck it up and quit complaining - that's about as good as these clunkers ever look.

But if you insist on trying the PCU is shot. Black developer is a must, and the colors look to be cross contaminated as well but they may clean themselves out if you print several "blackouts" in each single color.

Fuser is probably fine. Check the transfer for spots.

Sorry you've been cursed with any of these.

[Llama God]

The black running could be a) contamination from it leaking down into the other ones after some bright spark designed this machine in the most ridiculous manner possible or b) the transfer drive assembly.

I agree with Shadow1 though, these machines are truly dreadful. Go for an upgrade.

[Prodigal Son]

Thanks guys, I've heard from just about all techs I know everywhere that these machines are the worst Ricoh ever made. I have actually tried to tell the customer he shouldn't complain as much, with the result I almost couldn't go back to him again haha funny story!

[zyqwiz]

These PCU's hardly ever make the 120k life

The life is 120k developments, not pages so if doing full colour all the time, it would do 30k pages.

[CableGuy]

We pulled another of these out of the filed last week and replaced it with a MPC, one less to worry about for us. Hope you get it sorted.

[Shadow1]

We had a program in our area to replace these - any zero book value color machine coming in off lease or trade in was fixed up and given to a 1224c customer. We might have been able to resell some of these machines, but in the long run this probably saved us a lot of money just on the happy customer / happy tech / good reputation theories.

We didn't get all of them, but we got the worst before we had to stop. It was causing somebody too much paperwork.

[FRIDGEMAGNET]

We pulled another of these out of the filed last week and replaced it with a MPC, one less to worry about for us. Hope you get it sorted.

Ricoh are remanufacturing (factory refurb) these in the UK.

[Si@danwood]

Thanks guys, I've heard from just about all techs I know everywhere that these machines are the worst Ricoh ever made. I have actually tried to tell the customer he shouldn't complain as much, with the result I almost couldn't go back to him again haha funny story!

Give him the link to this and let him read it for himself, I am glad i am well shot of these awful, AWFUL machines


Si

[Llama God]

They suck balls

[Prodigal Son]

We had 3 of these, plus a 3224c in the field to begin with. The first 1224 started acting up around a year after it was sold (sold as used). The copies had toner on the back of the pages, like if a cleaning unit was failing, so we changed drum cleaning unit, the clutch that engages the cleaning unit, the drum, some cogwheels and god knows what else but in the end the result was the same. We grew tired of it and replaced the machine. I've never ever felt so much satisfaction and joy, hell I could even have started to dance jig, as I did when the junkyard truck came to pick it up.

Only days after that the next 1224 started making bad copies. And a couple of weeks after that the 3224 did the same thing. We replaced them both, fixed up the 3224 with parts from the 1224 and resold it to a customer that didn't print as many copies, and with lower standards as well. They're all happier than ever and so am I.

When talking machine quality in the MPC series, I'd say the MPC3000 was less problems with, comparing to the newer MPC2800. I've had several issues with them, all from firmware to bad dev boxes, bad drivers, strange mechanical paper-folding issues and punch units gone wild. Wierd stuff, really. What's your opinion of it?

[E Winter]

I think the sample looks quite OK for an A1224

The best solution is to hand over the case to the sales department. These machines sucks ass since the beginning and they still do PLUS they are getting older that's why putting a lot of money into these buggers isn't really economical.