3511 - Light print from computer

[macmedic]

Hi Everyone,

Im a little dismayed, we have a 3511 that gets little use (20 - 50 prints a day mainly in black and white)

Please keep in mind colour copying is fine.

Out of the blue last week without any ramp up of the problem, print from our computers results in light prints - particularly on black and white, jet black text is fine, but grayscale's are washed out completely.

I've cleaned the drum (spent toner) and checked the developer unit, there seems to be no issues.

I've run 05-395 and 05-396 - this helped a little but the prints are not crisp like they were the day before the copier started this.

We have also received a CF-40 error twice out of the blue since this started occurring, (hence why i checked the drum and developer unit)

I just dont understand why the issue seems to be limited to print.

If anyone can offer a hand, I would appreciate it.

I should note, its almost like the contrast on all computer prints has been turned up. The results are exactly as if you upped the contrast on a copy. (This fault is persistent off multiple computers)

[ivovb]

Did you clean laser unit slit glass?

BR

[emujo]

In admin mode, perform all 4 calibrations (Copy, PCL &PS 600 &1200 dpi). Do these calibration printout look acceptable, and if so, does the MFP accept the new calibration scans without any error messages? Get back with your results and we'll try to help, but without this info, I hesitate to try any thing else. EMujo

[macmedic]

Yes, have performed the calibrations and the black / grey gradient is terrible. The colour gradient looks fine.

I have not cleaned the slit, I'm fairly new to this model. I have checked the service manual and have the disassembly instructions, but this doesn't really make sense - colour copies are fine.. then again the only copy i did was exceptionally vibrant and saturated and the four pass result may have looked acceptable.

It would make some sense if the slit is dirty. There was a fair amount of toner dust in the laser cooling fan, even thou I only cleaned it about 3 months ago.

Is there a way to see or clean the slit without removing the whole optical unit?

[emujo]

No, but with Finisher out of the way, and left side panel off, laser is easy to remove. 2 screws for dust cover, 1 screw for unit itself, and 2 connectors on LGC bd. Can you upload 2 items for me.
1 Copy of printed image
2 Electronic copy of image

Sounds like problem is with process black. K is last laydown and form your statements, CMY look fine. Lack of K would make the colors a little bright. Black copies and prints are OK?

[macmedic]

Sounds like problem is with process black. K is last laydown and form your statements, CMY look fine. Lack of K would make the colors a little bright. Black copies and prints are OK?

black copies are fine (because I can up the contrast to full) and black print is bad. Greys pretty much aren't there, and even black lettering looks poorly defined.

I'll check out the optical unit in the morning and report back..

[fireater]

remove dum unit . remove the toner bottle assy (leave hopper in) now you should see the laser slit glass .... clean it... clean the image quality sensor above the transfer belt (right hand side) clean the colour dev sensor and grey reference plate (left side) DO NOT TOUCH THE GREY PLATE VACUUM OR BLOW OFF ONLY. clean the colour toner insertion sensor and the also clean the colour dev rotaion sensor. These machine dust horibly these senors are always dirty. do the calibrations 05-395 05-396 05-1642 05-1000 to 1003

[macmedic]

remove dum unit . remove the toner bottle assy (leave hopper in) now you should see the laser slit glass .... clean it... clean the image quality sensor above the transfer belt (right hand side) clean the colour dev sensor and grey reference plate (left side) DO NOT TOUCH THE GREY PLATE VACUUM OR BLOW OFF ONLY. clean the colour toner insertion sensor and the also clean the colour dev rotaion sensor.

Im not sure how to access the image quality sensor or the plates.

Sorry Im using my knowledge of four pass colour lasers and my service manual so apologies for my lack of knowledge.

[fireater]

its such a complicated machine ... do u have the manuals? cause step by step instructions would take me forever to type in

[macmedic]

yes i have the service manual for the 3511. No offense to Toshiba, but its terribly layed out and hard to follow at points.

[fireater]

offend away ... toshiab manulas suck .. but you do realize also that you are working on possibly the WORST machine ever made?
image quality sensor is under the transfer belt (refer to transfer belt removal in service manual )
colour dev sensor with grey refence plate is beside the revolver unit. accessed on left side (remove finisher and bridge unit if equipped to access)
same area as the revolver sensor accessed on left side (remove finisher and bridge unit if equipped to access)
same area as the colour toner cartridge detect sensor. accessed on left side (remove finisher and bridge unit if equipped to access)

[fireater]

by the way .... you have the manual or the handbook..... manual is what shows you where the stuff and how to take apart. The handbook tells you codes and adjustments. (here in Canada there are 2 manuals) perhaps you are mising one?

[ToshibaTech]

In layman's terms you need to remove everything you can see inside the machine (not the revolver, but transfer belt, drum unit, dv unit) and vacuum/clean all the toner that is most likely piled up all over the place. There are position/registration sensors in the transfer belt unit so I'd blow it out good, the density sensor over the revolver and IQ sensor under the right end (transfer) of the belt. Clean your scanner optics also. Then do 05-395, then do your calibrations from user functions / admin mode. That'll be about as good as it gets without putting parts in it. Oh, make sure you don't touch the grey refrence plate on the density sensor over the revolver.

[audioimaging]

I'd like to start simple here.

Two questions:

How does the black developer look? It comes out fairly easily (remove grey cover behind waste toner bottle, two connectors and one screw and it slides out). It is fairly common for these to deplete and you will not see good brush on mag roller. Also if you take the top cover off, the developer unit will be almost empty.

Have you run test print 04-220? if so, how did it look? If the three colors all look good, it removes slit glass/transfer belt/drum etc and points directly to black dev unit. If colors look bad as well as black, it opens up a whole lot of possibilities, most which require a fair bit of knowledge of this hunk of dung.

[macmedic]

remove dum unit . remove the toner bottle assy (leave hopper in) now you should see the laser slit glass .... clean it... clean the image quality sensor above the transfer belt (right hand side) clean the colour dev sensor and grey reference plate (left side) DO NOT TOUCH THE GREY PLATE VACUUM OR BLOW OFF ONLY. clean the colour toner insertion sensor and the also clean the colour dev rotaion sensor. These machine dust horibly these senors are always dirty. do the calibrations 05-395 05-396 05-1642 05-1000 to 1003

OK.
I pulled off the right hand side as per manual,
* cleaned the metal plate which was filthy,
* cleaned all the toner off the colour revolver (don't worry didn't touch the developer!)
* removed the drum and checked.
* Removed the optical unit, cleaned it, the glass was very murky
* Put it all back together ran 05 395 and 396
* Powered back on ran calibrations from copier

The print is much better now - I would even say normal.

However still randomly got a CF40 in 05 mode after a test colour copy.

And strangely - never had this happen before but when i did the calibrations some of the colour printed a good half inch out of alignment - I'm hoping this is just the machine settling down after a major pull apart - or is it more likely a sensor was dirtied? I will report back if the alignment issue is persistent..

I did not perform
05-1642 05-1000 to 1003

Will I benefit from them or would have the calibrations in software altered them?