MX5111 black CQ only

[bilyahn]

Have an interesting problem that involves black only, see image #2.

Got this unit off lease and had light copies monochrome and color black only. It was close to a PM so replaced black drum and developer with full color calibration. 64-5 print out looks good. Placed unit and within a week starting to get poor black CQ. I have checked most of the common problems and have swapped toner motors with yellow and checked that the pipe is not clogged. I have changed the toner cartridge. I can turn the gears on the toner cartridge easily and if I do this a few times CQ comes right back to that shown on image #1 and then within a day or two CQ is poor again. Since you can't check the HVPS on these the only thing I have noticed that is odd is in sim 25-1 TSG_K value is abnormally high (around 160 in both low and middle speeds) and TCS_K will fluctuate quite a bit. The label on the HVPS has been peeled off so am not able to verify sim 8 settings but the numbers are consistent across all of the colors.

Here are the images: cq issue black mx5111.pdf

I am thinking 2 possibilities (HVPS or process control) but wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions before I go ordering parts.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter.

Bil

[mttech]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

With the TCS_K fluctuating I'd be wondering about the black ATC sensor in DV unit. Could be going and not telling copier when to add more toner.

[spanky]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

The ATC sensor does not tell the copier when to add toner in the newer machines.

This is done by the machine calculating how much toner should have been used by the writing of the laser unit.

Your machine keeps going undertoned so I would make sure toner is getting to the developer unit from the toner cartridge.

You also may have a dirty charge grid or a problem with the drum that is causing more toner to be used than this calculation amount.

[bilyahn]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Sharp seems to feel the same way about the unit not adding enough toner. They gave me a couple of possibilities including drum ground and black sensor for the primary transfer belt. Will try a couple of these when I am there again and see where I stand with this unit.

Thanks for the responses.

Bil

[mojorolla]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Remove the sensor of the black DV unit and clean it. I have seen a few sensors get toner/dv mix caked onto the sensor and cause density issues with black. Black sits next to / under the fuser; these boxes run hot. I also believe there is a retrofit regarding the toner feed tubes. Not sure, but I think it had something to do with changing the plastic to prevent clogs.
Take the drum apart and clean the grounding clip; they always get dusty and lose ground.

To test the sensor, go into SIM 7 DV check disable, and execute. Reboot the machine and run 50-75 sky shots. With dv check disabled, it will not add toner to the dv unit. After the sky shots, reboot the machine to turn off the DV check disable setting. If the sensor is working properly, it will go into immediate copy quality adjustment upon reboot.

After my final 46-74 calibration, I always run 63-8 and 67-28 to point the scan and print targets to the newly created calibration target.

[bilyahn]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Thanks mojorolla. I've seen the TB for the toner tube and it changes the "tapper" to a different shape. I will try the sensor cleaning as well my next time up there and let you know what the results are.

Bil

[oeshuron]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Similar issue on an MX-5110n. Any resolution to this?

[mojorolla]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

I had a 2610 in the shop a while back that had the exact same thing. I put a loaner in after constant washing of black only. The 3rd call that made me pull the machine out was for light CQ; now here is where it gets interesting.
The black dv unit was extremely low of dv material, to the point of the mag roll surface being seen. Very common on these models, no big whoop, copies and prints look like garbage, BUT SO DID THE SCANS! Even after fresh black dv, print looked great but copies and scans would not come back.

When I got the machine in the shop, went for the usual stuff: cleaned everything, drum units, rear frame, contacts, frimware (spelled that way intentionally), numerous calibrations including the $200 SIT chart and shading sheets, adjustment 8 tests, and a partridge in a pear tree. The blacks looked washed and awful.
The final thing I tried was the Initialize Private Data (end of lease) feature under the Security Settings tab. This takes up to 2 hours but has a progress bar to show the progress. After about an hour and twenty minutes, rebooted the machine and tested; the blacks looked amazing!!!
After comparing 22-6 printouts, I noticed a bunch of soft switch settings had changed. Try changing the following soft switch settings, you don't have to wait for 2 hours while the machine lobotomizes itself.
103 : 01000010
105 : 01010101
106 : 01010101
107 : 01010101
111 : 10000000

[bilyahn]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Awesome. I will definitely try this. So far the unit has been okay, knock on wood.

Thanks for the information.

Bil

[DavePo]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

I had a 2610 in the shop a while back that had the exact same thing. I put a loaner in after constant washing of black only. The 3rd call that made me pull the machine out was for light CQ; now here is where it gets interesting.
The black dv unit was extremely low of dv material, to the point of the mag roll surface being seen. Very common on these models, no big whoop, copies and prints look like garbage, BUT SO DID THE SCANS! Even after fresh black dv, print looked great but copies and scans would not come back.

When I got the machine in the shop, went for the usual stuff: cleaned everything, drum units, rear frame, contacts, frimware (spelled that way intentionally), numerous calibrations including the $200 SIT chart and shading sheets, adjustment 8 tests, and a partridge in a pear tree. The blacks looked washed and awful.
The final thing I tried was the Initialize Private Data (end of lease) feature under the Security Settings tab. This takes up to 2 hours but has a progress bar to show the progress. After about an hour and twenty minutes, rebooted the machine and tested; the blacks looked amazing!!!
After comparing 22-6 printouts, I noticed a bunch of soft switch settings had changed. Try changing the following soft switch settings, you don't have to wait for 2 hours while the machine lobotomizes itself.
103 : 01000010
105 : 01010101
106 : 01010101
107 : 01010101
111 : 10000000

Makes me wonder if the Counterfeit Protection circuit took over. Have had similar issues with different copy quality symptoms.

[sharptech]

Re: MX5111 black CQ only

Those soft switches are for the fax option. They will have no affect on copy/print quality.

T.G.G.