[Misc] MX-2301N Firmware and random freezing issues

[spirals413]

Hi guys, i'm new here, I haven't worked on copiers before but i'm very mechanically minded and can fix most things thrown at me. I recently picked up a MX-2301N (UK version) for free that was being thrown out so I thought I'd have a shot at repairing it rather than relegating it to landfill. The copier had multiple issues:

1) L4-31 error - turned out that it was just a connector that was disconnected.
2) Lower pressure roller in the fuser unit was shredded so I replaced that roller
3) Changed the developer in all the units as it was low and ran the appropriate SIM codes (25-2, etc)
4) Debris in the scanner unit was causing lines so I cleaned it out and now works perfectly.
5) A few lines on the prints - cleaned the OPC drums (they looked in good condition as far as I can tell) and also cleaned the laser apertures; that sorted out the problem.

The copier is now printing fine- colours look accurate and uniform and registration is perfect to my eyes. No lines on the prints either.

However, I now have another set of problems, and for one of them I have found no solutions as of yet.

First issue is that when I set the compression rate for "Color Copy" in SIM 46-7 to 3-"Lower" I get a paper jam just as it comes out of the feed tray and also a E7-06 error. Changing the compression rate back to 0-Low solves it. I tried reseating all the memory modules but it hasn't solved it. Could this possibly be a firmware issue?

The second more major problem is that sometimes when the printer is idle the screen turns off and it becomes completely unresponsive- like it has frozen and/or crashed. The fans are still spinning however. Cycling the power from the main switch doesn't do anything. Infact when I turn it off and back on the fans don't spin up and other times they do. I can hear the relays clicking when closing the front cover. The soft power button is lit green but pressing it does nothing. The screen stays off. However, if I open and close the front cover a few times and remove and reinsert the waste toner box it does sometimes start up like normal and is fine after that. It has only happened a handful of times, but it has been different every time. Leaving it unplugged for a while sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

I haven't tried any troubleshooting steps so far because I was wondering if anyone has come across the same issue? Is it a firmware problem? It may be a simple fix but I thought I'd ask before getting my multimeter out and going down a rabbit hole as it might save me some time! I'm thinking that because it is such an intermittent issue it could possibly be a leaky capacitor somewhere, but I could be wrong.

My current ICU Main firmware version is 02.06.L2 and ICU Boot is 01.02.P2. Is this an older firmware version and if so, would someone be able to provide me with the latest version in hope that it might fix the issue?

Thanks in advance for your help guys!

[copiertec]

Re: MX-2301N Firmware and random freezing issues

You're freezing issue may be the HDD. Try reformatting it and see what happens after that. I would of recommended pulling out ROM chips and making sure they are clean, but you have already done that. E7-06 is a compression issue also related to HDD. Reformat and/or replace HDD.

[mickj]

Re: MX-2301N Firmware and random freezing issues

Hi

The firmware you have is the last update for this machine in 2014

as the other guys have said HDD or in the past I had to replace a few opps panels on this machine as there got very hot

[spirals413]

Re: MX-2301N Firmware and random freezing issues

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I had a go at reformatting the hard drive using SIM62-8 (Excluding the system area and the operation manual area). Not sure if it has solved the freezing issue due to it being intermittent, but I did manage to get 2 copies out of it using the "lower" compression but then after that I got the E7-06 error again. I was also able to print out the SMART info which didn't previously work.

I backed everything up to USB using SIM56-2, pulled out the hard drive and connected it to my PC, made an image of it incase anything goes wrong, ran a surface scan on it, wiped it with zeros, checked the SMART status which reported that the drive is healthy and then tried to put it back in as a "new" drive. It came up with the "Main Program Error!!" message and I didn't have the .sfu firmware file to load back on in boot mode. I restored the backup image to get it working again.

I don't have a spare hard drive lying around at the moment, but I guess that would be the next thing to try. If anyone could send me the firmware files, it would be highly appreciated so I can load it fresh onto a new HDD.

Also pulled out all the ROM chips and the DIMM memory and tried it again, same problem. Replaced the DDR2 DIMMs with some known good old memory I had around and that didn't solve it either.

I'm testing it with the "lower" compression mode as its the only repeatable indicator that there's an issue. The freezing obviously isn't repeatable on demand. It's not a deal breaker if I have to leave it on "low" as it all works pretty well otherwise. The copier isn't going to see any heavy use but when it freezes and doesn't turn back on it is quite annoying!

If a new hard drive doesn't fix it I will probably just live with it.

[spirals413]

Re: MX-2301N Firmware and random freezing issues

Hi everyone, just an update: I managed to resolve all the issues. The compression setting seemed to be a firmware glitch and once I got hold of the firmware from some very kind forum members and reflashed it, the error no longer came up. It wasn't the hard drive or memory or causing the problem.

I have also resolved the random hangs. The short version is that I traced it down to poor solder joint on the power supply that was making an intermittent connection.

The long version:
Firstly, I wouldn't recommend that anyone removes the power supply unless they know what they are doing. The large bulk capacitors on the primary side can hold a lethal charge for quite some time and they absolutely need to be discharged before working on the power supply. You have been warned.

Now that's out of the way; I noticed that when the copier went into that frozen state the lights on the MFP Controller PWB would go out which indicated a power problem. The PCU PWB still had power which explained why the fans and everything else were still running. The intermittent nature indicated to me it was either a capacitor issue or a cold solder joint. So I took the power supply board out and went over it carefully and spotted what looked like a resistor that wasn't soldered properly. Thermal cycling would cause it to work sometimes and not work at other times.

Please see the attached picture. The resistor is circled in red (3).

It may be a bit technical but for those that are interested, I traced the path back with the help of the schematics and found that connector CN6 (circled orange (1)) on the power supply comes from the Mother PWB. Basically when the MFP controller or Mother PWB wants to turn the power on it sends a signal down to connector CN6, turns on the base of driver transistor labelled 2 (circled yellow) which in turn sends power through the mosfet gate resistor (3-red) and into the mosfet's gate (circled blue (4)), effectively switching on 5VL. If the mosfet doesn't get the turn on signal at it's gate, it can't turn on 5VL and if 5VL is off then the copier will not turn on.

I resoldered the resistor and there have been no problem at all since.

While I had the power supply out, I checked all the caps and found them all to be well within tolerance in regards to ESR and VLoss. They are all high quality Japanese Nippon Chemicon caps rated for 105deg and they get plenty of airflow over them so they stay cool, prolonging their life. No problems there- good to know for a 9 year old copier.

The poor solder joint would have been from the factory and the copier has probably only intermittently worked for all its life, progressively getting worse.

Anyway, I hope the above information helps someone. The issue isn't specific to this copier. Anywhere there is a printed circuit board there could be a poor joint causing intermittent issues. New, old, whatever the product is, it doesn't matter.

It didn't take too long to diagnose and fix the problem (these Sharp copiers are surprisingly easy to work on), i'm just glad it is sorted now!