HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

[chrisban35]

I have a group of Xerox WorkCentre 5755's that I've purchased recently and sold to clients. When I first put the machines in place, they all worked great. Now, all of a sudden, they are "ALL" mysteriously printing blank sheets. Different clients, machines came from different lease returns, but they're all printing/copying blanks! I've replaced the image units, Developers, etc and still blank. Normally, this wouldn't be weird, except it's happening at the same time to 4 different machines in 4 different client's offices.

Does anyone have an idea what might be going on here?? Is it possibly on "metered" and this is how Xerox shuts them down?? I am totally clueless and looking to my fellow techs for some help.... Thank you in advance for your help...

[Tonersniffer]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Have you personally seen it happen?

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Have you personally seen it happen?

Yes, I am the onsite tech. the machines are printing/copying blank. What is even more weird is that I took a drum unit from another XRX WC5755 and placed it in one of these machines and it says "This drum is not compatible with this machine"... Which is why I am wondering if it has something to do with "metered"? Although I cannot tell the difference. My questions are:

1.) How to determine if this is a metered machine, and these are metered supplies?

2.) How to take the machine out of "metered" mode and return it to non-metered, or whatever the term is for that.

3.) How to tell the two consumable parts from each other. ie, metered versus non-metered...


And, if that would not make the copies blank, then what else could possibly make 4 separate machines suddenly start printing/copying blank? I've been in this industry 26 years, and this ranks up there pretty high with the most bizarre things I've seen happen....

[Flash]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Check the pivot plate for the developer unit. It moves the developer unit away from the drum when you turn the lever to remove the drum. If it is not working properly the developer unit is not close enough to the drum and you get blank copies. The other possibility is the ROS but you usually get a code for that.

[Phil B.]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Check the pivot plate for the developer unit. It moves the developer unit away from the drum when you turn the lever to remove the drum. If it is not working properly the developer unit is not close enough to the drum and you get blank copies. The other possibility is the ROS but you usually get a code for that.

i doubt that ALL machines are having the same issue.. i agree with the metered idea

[r_mani77]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Did you rectify the problem ?

[Tonersniffer]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

So every printed copy is blank?
Every Print is blank?
or just some of the time.

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Check the pivot plate for the developer unit. It moves the developer unit away from the drum when you turn the lever to remove the drum. If it is not working properly the developer unit is not close enough to the drum and you get blank copies. The other possibility is the ROS but you usually get a code for that.

Hmmmm, did not check that! I will certainly go back to those units and see if that's viable. It would be seriously strange that all of them would have that same mechanical malfunction, but I will ALWAYS check out any lead as I am at the end of a road here.....Thanks for the suggestion...

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Did you rectify the problem ?

No, it's still there. And I poured back through the manual to see if I could find anything, but every item it says check, I've checked....

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

i doubt that ALL machines are having the same issue.. i agree with the metered idea

I'm a believer in coincidence, but 4 machines, same problem, when they're all in different environments, and with different clients, that becomes a little hard to accept coincidence. But, as any of us know, who've been in the troubleshooting business for decades know, crazy stuff does happen...

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

So every printed copy is blank?
Every Print is blank?
or just some of the time.

"All" of the time. There is never any print, or even a slight trace of a print on "any" copy... I have tested them all many many times, and the result is still 100% clear with no toner traces at all......

[adriansto]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Nothing to do with metered or nonmetered supplies. When you put the wrong drum unit into machine you get error message and machine dont work anymore.

Blank print/ copie mean no developer unit near drum, no charge on drum or no transfer voltage.
Open machine front door, cheat the door switch, and make copies or print and observe the sheet of paper movment. Panic stop of the machine when the paper sheet is under the drum and check for image on drum.
From here, I presume, you can handle it.
Usually the drum unit latch fails or not complet close and developer unit is too far from drum = blank copies.

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Nothing to do with metered or nonmetered supplies. When you put the wrong drum unit into machine you get error message and machine dont work anymore.

Blank print/ copie mean no developer unit near drum, no charge on drum or no transfer voltage.
Open machine front door, cheat the door switch, and make copies or print and observe the sheet of paper movment. Panic stop of the machine when the paper sheet is under the drum and check for image on drum.
From here, I presume, you can handle it.
Usually the drum unit latch fails or not complete close and developer unit is too far from drum = blank copies.

Thanks!

I did take one drum unit out of another machine and found that its connection in the back was turned sideways instead of vertical and it had a black insulated base around it instead of a white one. I am not sure how to tell which one is "metered" versus which one is not. But you're right! The machine did say "Improper drum placed, reinstall correct drum" -

You're the second to mention the distance from developer to drum and the drum locking mechanism. I will definitely make sure I pay closer attention to this. In one of the units, I had swiped a spot off the developer Mag Roller, and noticed that it did not turn. So it's also possible, on one unit, that I have a bad Mag Roller Motor. Because I also replaced out the Dev Unit and it was still not moving. But had not yet replaced the Motor that turns it. So, it is possible that I am just having a run of bad luck on this model and 4 of them popped up at the same time...

[chrisban35]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Thanks to EVERYONE who left some advice here! I am going to try the suggestions here and then report back.

[Phil B.]

Re: HELP!! - The Weirdest Blank Copy Spree I've Ever Faced

Thanks!

I did take one drum unit out of another machine and found that its connection in the back was turned sideways instead of vertical and it had a black insulated base around it instead of a white one. I am not sure how to tell which one is "metered" versus which one is not. But you're right! The machine did say "Improper drum placed, reinstall correct drum" -

You're the second to mention the distance from developer to drum and the drum locking mechanism. I will definitely make sure I pay closer attention to this. In one of the units, I had swiped a spot off the developer Mag Roller, and noticed that it did not turn. So it's also possible, on one unit, that I have a bad Mag Roller Motor. Because I also replaced out the Dev Unit and it was still not moving. But had not yet replaced the Motor that turns it. So, it is possible that I am just having a run of bad luck on this model and 4 of them popped up at the same time...

DID you turn the gear by hand to see if it moved? i would check the gear train for the drum/dev units