[CQ] Ricoh Aficio 2090 toner misting and background on copies.

[Robinh]

I am a small independent tech. I have a customer, print shop that bought a new copier and asked if I could keep their old Aficio 2090 running for them. I told the customer i would, but if I got stuck they'd have to call the dealer back in. I did a few minor repairs and then it needed a PM, so installed drum "Aftermarket" developer "OEM", xfer belt, charge corona and grid, cleaning blade and brush.

The customer ran the machine for a couple of months and made 40k copies. They called for a copy quality issue and when I opened the front door I noticed some toner soiling the inside of the door. I removed the cover from the drum/developer unit and noticed that toner seemed to be misting from the front part of the developing unit. It had soiled the drum and coronas. I cleaned it all up but it went right back to misting and soiling copies within about 50 copies.

I'd like to try and fix it before I ask the customer to bring the dealer back in. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Robin

[TonerMunkeh]

OEM drum would be a good start. Bellini's are twitchy enough, even worse with shite parts.

[Tonerbomb]

Check the toner tubes 1 or more are probably pluged.

[techsass]

I agree with Tonerbomb.

Clogged vacuum hoses were a bigger issue on the 1085, but I've seen it on the 2090s. You can use 1/4" ID hose from your local hardware store. It was such a big issue on the 1085s that I used to buy 100' spools.

[Robinh]

1/4" ID hose? This sounds like what I was leaning towards myself. I had an Aficio 550 with a similar problem. I tore it apart and found a component I would call a "Toner Pump"? It appeared to be designed to push the toner down the tube toward the collection bottle. When I tore it apart it had hardened toner inside. I cleaned it and the problem was resolved.

Thanks for the tips!

Robin

[Robinh]

1/4 " internal diameter tubing, do you recommend a specific type of tubing?

[copyruss]

I've seen the augers inside the tubes chew up hardware store tubing. One of the early modifications was replacing the tubing - the new tubing had a teflon sleeve inside so that the auger didn't catch it and chew it up. If you use the store tubing, replace it at PMs. Has it thrown any error codes for the toner pump motors? I've seen better motors in slot cars.

[Robinh]

No codes yet. I see that Precision Roller lists an OEM "Waste Toner Collection Tube" (PR#B8513 @ $51.95). The customer is trying to keep costs down on this machine and use it as a back up. So I will consult with the customer and let them make the call, pay for the OEM or cut some corners with hardware store tubing...

I really appreciate all the great input!

Robin

[techsass]

Just to clear up which tubes I'm talking about. If you take off the back & right side covers, you'll find a clear canister on the exit side. It will have 1 large tube with an auger that comes diagonally from the toner bank & 2 vacuum hoses that route to the toner pump & the DV unit. There are 3 vacuum hoses in all.

As for which type to use, I just used the clear vinyl hose.

[copyruss]

An engineering triumph!! The first time I saw the back and side panels of the first of the Belini products and saw hoses running everywhere for dry toner, little puffer motors that push toner through those tubes, I said "That, my friends, is job security - thank God for Ricoh design engineers!" I cursed them the first time I had to vacuum out the whole rear of one those pigs because one of those tubes split. Toner everywhere. Hated it...

[techsass]

No kidding!

I was especially impressed with how they decided to put the toner bottles at the bottom left corner and see how many different systems they could incorporate to get toner to the upper right corner.

[Robinh]

OK, I went to Lowes and looked at their tubing for about 20 minutes. I wasn't convinced I was looking at the right stuff, so I went on to the customers office to check it out before buying tubing. I Vacuumed out all of the tubing and made sure the pumps were working and the copies cleaned right up. WOOT!

But then the copier threw an SC495. I have not yet done a forum search on that code, but I pulled up the manual and saw this is a toner supply problem. I discovered that the bottom toner bottle was empty and the upper bottle was stuck. I got the upper bottle out, but the plug is stuck in the mechanism. I ran out of time and need to go back.

Are these problems related? I have found your advice to be very helpful...

Thanks!

Robin

[Robinh]

Guess I should've read the manual before making this post. I see I screwed up by not running SP5804 097 (upper bottle) and 098 (lower bottle) to close the caps. I'm not going back to that machine until next week. I thought maybe the customer was growing frustrated with my learning curve, but yesterday he said he was considering cancelling his contract with Ikon on their Canon and having me do that one too.

Still interested in any tips you guys care to share on the SC495 code, after I vacuumed out the tubes...

Thanks!

Robin

[Robinh]

Hmmm, was I so silly to have not got the toner hopper sensor plugged back in correctly. Would that cause the sc495 code after a few hundred copies?

Doh!

Robin

[techsass]

The sc495 is common when you replace the hoses. Run SP 2207 a few times to fill the hoses with toner. Just an FYI - cleaning the hoses is usually only a short term bandaid. The vinyl hoses are stiffer than the OEM which makes them a little more awkward to route, but I used to get the 100' spools for the price of 1 OEM hose.

Another way to release the toner bottles is to hold down the soft On/Off switch untill you hear a click.