[CQ] 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

[Happy Texan]

Good day, everyone.

I have been working on a customer's machine for a gray background and overall dismal copy quality, including random streaking, blotches of toner and dirty backside. The copy count is 880k and the customer is holding out for another 6 months until they settle a case and can buy another one. So, repairing this one is what they want to do.

I know it is a toner-belching, much maligned, dirty, foul piece of machinery, but the customer likes not making monthly payments.

Here is what I have done.
1. Changed the Developer unit out with another one - same result
2. Changed Drum unit with another one - same result
3. Changed power supply board - same result
4. Changed transfer section out - one side of theirs was broken and the original reason for the call
5. Cleaned the inside of the machine thoroughly, including the glass under the toner supply - no change
6. Put new seals on the drum unit and developer unit to keep the inside of the machine cleaner.
7. Cleaned registration roller thoroughly.
8. Pulled the Developer unit, replaced all the gaskets and seals, cleaned the filter, cleaned the mag roller and changed developer today - no change. Ran the developer initialization, TD initialization and the ID sensor properly per the manual.

I have changed some of the settings in the service mode, but nothing has really gotten me to an acceptable copy quality. Based on an evening of looking through the forums, I have come across three possibilities.
1. Doctor blade out of adjustment. I don't know how it cold be, there was no adjustability that I could see.
2. Both drum units I tried were bad and I need a new drum unit
3. Bad TD sensor (how can I test this?)

Tonight I was looking at the old, broken transfer section and noticed it was PACKED full of toner. I will check the one I swapped it with and see if that one is packed, too.

I have read a gap of .35 MM between the Doctor blade and the mag roller. Is that right? What can I use a gauge for that - a sheet of copy paper?

Here is a piece of important information: I am getting clumps of toner on the drum and the transfer section. I will take a picture and post it tomorrow.

Long posting, but I wanted you to know I am doing this only after having tried the above items.

Thanks!

[slimslob]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

I usually do not mess with doctor blades.

The transfer units being packed with toner could be part of your problem. This can allow toner to fall back onto the drum and overload the cleaning blade. Waste toner compartment of the transfer unit being full is a sure sign that it is time for at least a PCU and transfer maintenance service. A PM kit will contain every part you will need to include those for the fusing unit. Check the drums to see if there is obvious wear neat one or both the ends, lighter color, metal or white showing through the drum surface. A narrow band of white at the very end is normal. Replace if there is any wear. Be sure to clean all old toner out of the PCU including the toner recycler. Check the mylars on the toner collection coil that moves the waste toner from the cleaning blade area to the recycle transport coil and the scraper mylar on the case. If they do not make contact, toner can build up around the cleaning blade. Replace as needed.

If you have chunks of toner getting to the drum, replace the developer. Before putting the new developer in, check the development roller. If it is coated with toner that does not wipe off with a soft cloth, clean it or replace it.

As for the ID sensor, check SP 3103. If there is a problem you should be getting an SC in the range of 350 to 354.

It is recommended that you use OEM toner and developer.

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

Thanks for the info, slimslob.

When you mention the development roller, do you mean the mag roller? When I cleaned and replaced the seals in the development unit, I also cleaned the mag roller.

Last night, I cleaned up the drum unit that was in the machine, which I had swapped out. The drum did not seem to have a terrible amount of wear and the mylars were intact. Both blades looked good. It appears this may have been replaced sometime in the last year or two. (The customer is pretty low volume on printing and copying these days - 500 - 2k copies per month.) The bearings on the drum had some toner on them, but it did not look like enough to interfere with the current. Cleaned them anyway and will swap drum units today to make sure that is not the problem.

I had put in an OEM toner, thinking the same thing you mentioned. No change to the copy quality or the clumps of toner on the drum, but have recommended they not buy the generic anymore.

Even after I changed the cleaned the unit and changed the developer and ran the initializations, I was still getting clumps of toner on the drum and transfer section.

I will check the ID sensor today.

Thanks for the reply.

[ewizzy]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

I second Slims comment about the transfer belt section, its an often overlooked part of any PM schedule on these machines. I would replace the trans belt, trans blade, remove the top half of the transfer case and hoover out ALL the waste toner inside there. and on the belt section, remove and clean every part of it down to the bushings, and make sure there is NO toner on the rollers that the belt runs on.

Also something to consider, I'm not completely sure, but wasnt there an RTB about the drum shaft section on this model? Something about the shaft losing its connection with ground, hence casuing grey background copies, (Its grounded through the shaft bearing). Replace this if all else fails.

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

If anyone has a copy of that tech bulletin, that would be great. I am here in independent land and do not have access to those things. Message me and I will shoot an email address.

Thank you!

[mikadonovan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

If I were you I would quit swapping used parts for used parts. Install new developer, put a NEW drum in the machine and clean the scanner and LD optics, and clean the ID sensor if you want acceptable CQ. These machines weren't very good to begin with.

[slimslob]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

I second Slims comment about the transfer belt section, its an often overlooked part of any PM schedule on these machines. I would replace the trans belt, trans blade, remove the top half of the transfer case and hoover out ALL the waste toner inside there. and on the belt section, remove and clean every part of it down to the bushings, and make sure there is NO toner on the rollers that the belt runs on.

Also something to consider, I'm not completely sure, but wasnt there an RTB about the drum shaft section on this model? Something about the shaft losing its connection with ground, hence casuing grey background copies, (Its grounded through the shaft bearing). Replace this if all else fails.

I hadn't even thought of that. It is a common problem with higher volume models. The drum shaft housing has a conductive bearing in it. With age, the bearing uses its conductivity. At the back of the machine there should be a lead from the high voltage board to a connection on the housing. Check from there to the shaft with a meter. Reading should be less than 10 ohms. If there is no connection to the high voltage board, check to chassis ground.

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

Slim - Thanks for the info. I will try that and get the reading.

Happy Texan

[qbert69]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

ALWAYS!..ALWAYS!...ALWAYS!!!....replace drum, developer and drum cleaning blade at the SAME TIME!!!....ALL NEW...NO USED...AND ALL OEM!!!

Vacuum out waste/recycle toner section in PCU, remove black rubber charge roller and clean in soapy dish detergent water (the rubber charge roller should NOT have a scaly look to it!). Vacuum clean the skinny black velvet roller. I can't remember, but this particular model machine has two cleaning blades for the drum, *I think*. We usually remove the upper one....the cleaning blade which has springs attached to the exterior of the pcu. Anyway, before putting the drum back in, if your lower drum cleaning blade doesn't have offset powder on it, put a bit of black toner on your drum before drum blade so the blade doesn't "flip" on you!

ALSO...clean out waste toner in transfer case...if memory serves me correctly, remove belt with rollers and vacuum/clean out, clean cleaning blade and clean velvet strip...will probably be caked with toner, so you will need to gentlyscrape with a slot screwdriver and vacuum off. The belt can be removed over the 3 rollers by removing a screw on the side, fold the assembly and slide out from inside the belt. Sometimes the rollers can be lumpy from toner on them behind the belt--clean off! When transfer belt is off, you can wash with warm soapy dish detergent water. Re-assemble in the same order you disassembled.

GOOD LUCK!!!

PS--all of the 2035's that we take out of the field, we try to replace them with new Kyocera's...Less problematic and more efficient!...have you seen the size of a waste toner tank on a kyocera???

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

Hello All.

OK, here is the latest. The clumping is gone and the back of the copies are clean once again. The cleaning of the drum unit and the transfer roller section was the key to this problem.

I am getting sc402 on copies, but not on prints, which is weird. I noticed that one of the springs in the circuit for the transfer section (near the drum unit) is missing. Will replace that, then it should be good to go.

Thanks to all who helped. The thing I learned from this is to address the hidden waste toner tank on the transfer section, make sure the pcu unit is clean and change all the seals.

I will post again if replacing the missing spring does not solve the remaining problems.

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

qbert69 - thanks for the tip on how to clean the charge roller. I just wiped it down with a clean cloth. I will do that in the future.

[Tonerbomb]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

You can buy a drum ground kit from NA Trading for these, Make sure to either get the HV insulating tape or modify the HV pcb mount away from the ground strap.............BURY this POS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Happy Texan]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

Do you have a part number for that kit? What do you think of the quality of NA Trading parts?

[Tonerbomb]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

no part #. check their on line catalog or contact them direct. I would be selective of what I use from them...............

[Iowatech]

Re: 2035esp Giving me a hard time!

For what it is worth, we just got some standard copper electrical conduit mounts from a hardware store (I think they were for 3/4" conduit), reformed them so that when attached to the high voltage board mounting screw the other end would reach the center of the drum drive shaft, and then just wrapped them up really well with electrician's tape so they wouldn't short out the high voltage board. That might be more economical, but I'm not sure. You still might want to check it out, though.
Either way, Tonerbomb's right, those machines need to go.