2 Tray Finisher Issues on Ricoh 3800c

[preya0021]

I have a finisher that has a problem with the 2nd shift tray. This tray will not move up or down, however, it does move from side to side during copying. Whenever I press the tray height sensor up, the tray does not respond at all.

Also, whenever the machine is off or in Stand By mode, and turns on, the copier shows a jam in the finisher @ R2, R3, R4, R6, etc...Opening and closing any of the finsher doors clears this jam. I have a feeling the two issues are related. Any ideas???

Thanks in advance,
Steven

[unisys12]

I would suspect a bad lift motor for the tray or connection of the motor to the control board. Also, physically check the motor for signs that a mouse hasn't pee'd on it. Had one of those the other day, so... though I would throw that out there. I take it you have tried to move the tray in SP's? At any point do you hear any sounds from the motor?

Hey man! I will be coming to Northport today! Imagine that!

[preya0021]

Well, have replaced the motor with a tested good motor. No change. Is it possible the board is bad at that one connection? No other problems with the other shift tray...only other issue is a Power Up jam that shows up @ R1-R5, but simply opening and closing any door clears it...I'm so lost...

[unisys12]

Well, the reason you are getting the jam at power up is because the shift tray is suppose to move down, off the upper limit sensor, then back up to the sensor. Since the controller does not detect that change of state at power up, it thinks there's paper there and declares a jam.

Why does it declare a jam in all those other areas? Well, I don't have a hard answer for you on that one, but I do have an idea. The controller knows that this sensor, at the top of the shift tray, is the last sensor in the paper path of the finisher and if it detects paper there, then there would have to be paper throughout the rest of the paper path of the finisher. Notice there's no jams declared for the machine and only the finisher? This is because the finisher control board is declaring the jam and not the machine.

- Can you move the shift tray up or down using the input/outputs in SP's? If so, I would bet for sure on the control board of the finisher. If not, then it's possibly mechanical.

- Check to see if you are getting voltage to the motor at power up or when actuated through SP's.

- Check to see if there's something else in the drive system that could be binding up.

- Also, step back and rethink the whole thing. Go back to the beginning and ask yourself questions like...

"When did this start?"
"What was the customer doing when this first happened?"
"What could have the customer done to cause this?" (Such as stacking a few cases of paper under the tray and it came in contact with the boxes when printing a large job).
"What has changed with the machine since the last service call?"

One last thing... Remember that the upper limit sensor is mechanical and the lower limit sensor is optical. Make sure that the lower limit sensor is clean and plugged in. Same for the top as well. I have seen a few finisher of varing types come into our shop, on wholesale units, that this was the problem. Most of the time is was an unplugged or damaged sensor or even a bent track or frame.

I hope this can at the very least steer you in the right direction or get you thinking in a different way about the situation.