[CQ] MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

[BobMontana]

customer has 176K black and 112K color on MX 4501N
Note:
Had problem before AND after these items changed.
Fuser& web belt primary and secondary transfer units, filters, charge kits , (recently drums were changed)

usually it leaves series of light streaks at top lead edge to rear. Hoswever about every 100 copy/prints or so it acts like someone left fuser tension released and toner built up on web. Leaving a build up of toner all across from front to rear and then little smears after. Then cleans up almost like it was a fuser web needing to advance. Tried old back up fuser and web belt. Still same thing.

Though maybe primary transfer belt not pivoting completely. Tried sims and seems to be working.

Howver since it is intermittent we have not been able to stop it in sequence to see if toner is being dragged on bottom side of belt.

After 12 calls over a 6 week period customer and us are pretty frustrated.

Any ideas or knowledge re this VERY APPRECIATED.
BTW hope all you are able to enjoy a 3 day weekend!

[ZOOTECH]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

customer has 176K black and 112K color on MX 4501N
Note:
Had problem before AND after these items changed.
Fuser& web belt primary and secondary transfer units, filters, charge kits , (recently drums were changed)

usually it leaves series of light streaks at top lead edge to rear. Hoswever about every 100 copy/prints or so it acts like someone left fuser tension released and toner built up on web. Leaving a build up of toner all across from front to rear and then little smears after. Then cleans up almost like it was a fuser web needing to advance. Tried old back up fuser and web belt. Still same thing.

Though maybe primary transfer belt not pivoting completely. Tried sims and seems to be working.

Howver since it is intermittent we have not been able to stop it in sequence to see if toner is being dragged on bottom side of belt.

After 12 calls over a 6 week period customer and us are pretty frustrated.

Any ideas or knowledge re this VERY APPRECIATED.
BTW hope all you are able to enjoy a 3 day weekend!

You might try changing the settings in TC43-32 to increase the web cleaning cycle and compulsory operation at job end. This will shorted the life of the web somewhat, but usually gives a cleaner output.
Also, are the tray settings correct for the media installed?

[divad2k1]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

As Zootech said, make sure the tray are set correctly if they use heavy paper. Your problem definitely sound like a fusing problem. There is also a softswitch you can change and your machine will run with a higher fuser temp but i don't have access to the tsb at the moment.

[BobMontana]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

Thanks for the input!
smears coming on regular paper. Trays set to plain.
checked out the setting for web cleaning belt. little confusing as to what the 3 options really meant.
I will try turning the 1st one to on and increasing the other 2 numbers slightly. Description in manual seems quite vague.

In terms of fusing heat settings. I have the bulletin. Wow so many settings for fuser heat. We actually set temp back to pre- bulletin temps as when they were doing double sided with a lot of color, the second side was sticking to the guides on the pull out door (leaving a slight stuck on build up) these are the black ribbed guides that reposition for duplex which are located above the secondary transfer belt. This eliminated frequent jams.

I won't know if the web belt changes fixes it as the problem comes and goes and sometimes doesn't show up for several hundred copies.

[Sam Tofu]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

Is this on both black and color prints? I am thinking you mean black as you mention transfer belt lifting.

If you are still having issues with this after trying the web belt and or heat adj., I would definitely consider replacing the 1TURC (transfer belt clutch) it s its behind and just to the right of the black DV motor. If this at times isn't fully lifting away from color and especially as the charge/blade kit start to allow toner to build up on top of the process units, then the belt can pick this up and transfer as a "smear".

[BobMontana]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

Sam
1. Just on black prints.

Thanks for your input re the transfer belt clutch.

Here is the consternation at the moment
ONE thing that perhaps leads to that is that while drums and charge kits are recently changed within last 20K. There is however, on top of yellow process unit a little amount of bluish black toner deposit.

Whereas this machine is right at the 300K, customer went ahead and had us replace fuser and primary transfer belt. We also replaced waste.
At same time we vacuumed and checked each of the process units. So they were clean - yet we now notice this bluish black toner on the flat top area of the yellow process unit. Not a whole lot but enough to wonder why. Causing the thought of perhaps the transfer color/black sep clutch.

DOES ANYONE...
have any input for the web belt settings in Sim 43-32 mentioned above? I turned the setting to on and increased the other numbers just a few digits. there is a wide range of allowable settings so not really certain what is going on. Not any discussion in manual whether in sims or in fuser section.

Thanks in advance

[divad2k1]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

The softswitch i was refering to is in tc 55-1 sw 2... you should change bit 1 to a ''1''

[BobMontana]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

Thanks Divad2k1
I changed the softswitch and will see if that helps

Still had issues.
Fixed now
may go back and take web belt to original setting but leaving well enough alone for now.
So
1. having belt advance slightly more
2.found TB re fusing issues and set varied areas accordingly
At first didn't work but turned off let warm up again ran 100 double sided -ALL OK
OK to bed at maybe 6 and get up at 7 but hopefully done!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP

[duane@pbbsinc.com]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

43 1 Used to set the fusing temperature in each operation mode. Fusing Setting
4 Used to set the fusing temperature in each operation mode. (Continued from 43-
01.)
Fusing Setting
20 Used to correct the environments of low temperature and low humidity (L/L) for
the fusing temperature setting 1 for each paper (SIM 43-01).
Fusing Setting
21 Used to perform correction of high temperature and high humidity (H/H)
environment for the fusing temperature setting 1 (SIM 43-01) for each paper.
Fusing Setting
22 Used to perform L/L (low temperature, low humidity) correction for the fusing
temperature setting 1 (SIM 43-04) for each paper.
Fusing Setting
23 Used to perform H/H (high temperature, high humidity) correction for the fusing
temperature setting 1 (SIM 43-04) for each paper.
Fusing Setting
24 Used to enter the correction values for SIM 43-1 and SIM 43-4 temperature
corrections.
Fusing Setting
31 Used to check the operation of the fusing web cleaning motor. Fusing Operation check
32 Used to make various settings of the compulsory operations of the web cleaning
at a job end.
Fusing Operation setting


I would increase the fusing temp for every mode by 5 degrees if that does not do it then 10 degrees.
Paper type is the main cause of not fusing correctly and loading up in the fuser and tracking on following copies.
Hammer Mill color copy paper 28# is recommended to get the best results for color and fusing.
You could also default all the print drivers to print in Heavy paper media type and then set all the trays up for Heavy paper media to match so the printing is not stopped with a paper size type mismatch. I have some stubborn customers that I have set up this way cause they refuse to change there paper stock.
Hope this helps.

[Toner Boy]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

Bluish Black deposits are usually at the front but mainly rear and come from leaking side seals of primary belt cleaning unit and/or drum unit side seals of blades.

[hellcat]

Re: MX 4501n Random smears similar to smears after a jam in fuser

I've had a problem like this before causing the problem on black only even though it mainly seems to be a TB for color. The machine had right about 350K copies on it when I needed to replace the shaft on it. To check the shaft remove the small cover on the front frame side when you open the side door, the cover with 2 white gears in it. You can normally see this shaft from there without removing the entire drive unit.

Like I mentioned I have had this cause problems only on black but not color due to it causing the primary xfer belt to *skip* every now and then and smear the copy. The shaft was pretty chewed up.


Tech bulletin MFP-TB-289R

Description:
Dependent upon environment and usage patte
rns, the E-Ring groove of the Clutch
Shaft (Located in the Main Drive Unit) could be damaged by the E-Ring.

Excessive load could cause a L4-06 error.

Primary transfer belt could swing away from the color position, causing the
yellow image to be missing from Color Images.
Symptom:
L4-06 error or possibly yellow missing from color images
Solution:
To prevent the E-Ring groove on the Clutch Shaft from becoming damaged by the E-
Ring, a change has been made to the dimensio
ns of the Clutch Shaft and a Poly Slider
has been added.