Designjet 800 service station

[Lance15]

Got a strange issue I haven't seen before. The only thing I can think is I keep getting bad stations. Two of them, though? The call was for the plotter advising the user to make sure the printhead door was closed. Went and looked at it and the printhead door was closed properly, but, heard the grinding noise of the service station. Removed the right cover and noticed the wiper/cap sled wasn't moving. Ordered a service station. This one does the same thing. Thinking I had gotten a bad station, I received a new one. This one does the exact same thing.

To make sure something wasn't blocking the sled while in the unit, I removed it and placed it on top of the plotter. Did the same thing. Next, i removed the top cover and the wiper/cap sled so the only thing left was the motor and gears. Did the same thing. I'm confused. Could I have gotten 2 bad stations, or, is something else going on?

Manuals - Google Drive

It's an 18MB MP4. I don't think I can attach it here.

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

It's unlikely that you got 2 bad ones.

What do you mean it did the same thing? The motor turns but the sled doesn't move? Or the motor doesn't turn? Even when it's out?

You should be able to bench test it by just turning the gears with your finger.

I always keep one of those units with me. I take them apart and clean all the ink out. Then, when someone has a 21:01 error, I just swap them and charge for a rebuilt service station.

There's a little blue lever that hangs down next to the gears. Take that lever and move it forward, towards the front of the machine. It'll dangle loosely, so don't worry if it goes back again... lust make sure that you move it towards the front of the machine, and then don't touch it again. Then turn the gears to make the sled move towards the front of the machine all the way one way, then all the way the other way. You should see the blue piece move back and forth.

[Lance15]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

The sled doesn't move. It just makes the grinding noise from the video. The station works fine when manually rotating it by hand. Made sure that blue lever was positioned correctly. Yup, again, everything works fine when moving it manually by hand. It's just when it's running normal. Very strange.

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

It doesn't make sense that it would make the noise if the sled isn't moving. I would tach it with the covers off, to make sure the motor is turning. If the motor isn't turning, then it might be that little board it attaches to behind the control panel, but I would think, either way, it would throw a 21:xx code.

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

Is the carriage moving back and forth at all?

[Kiran Otter]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

If you got 2 service stations that do that, then I would assume it's not the service station. A 3rd one would probably rule it out completely. Do the service stations work in another printer?

I'd suspect the electronics module, the interconnect cable (though I've never had a bad one, but make sure it's seated completely at both ends) or the interconnect PCA (also probably unlikely.)

Kiran

[Lance15]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

Carriage movement is normal. Upon startup, the carriage goes over to the left, the service station tries to move, but, doesn't, then, the carriage comes back to the right and again the service station tries to move, but, doesn't, then throws the error.

Do the service stations work in another printer?

I'm not sure. I don't have another one to test on. Wish I did.

I would tach it with the covers off, to make sure the motor is turning.

I did take the cover off and the sled out. The only thing left was the motor and the gears. The ONLY thing I didn't take out was the actual motor itself. Was thinking about taking it out, but, decided not to.


I think I'll order the interconnect PCA (like Kiran said, not hopeful, but, have seen stranger things) and see what happens. Might also take the motor out of the service station and listen to it.

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

So does the motor turn... you should be able to see it turn, with the covers off. That would eliminate something electronic.

[Lance15]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

Yeah, I can't remember. Here's another movie I shot from the right side of the station. The side with the motor and gears.

Manuals - Google Drive

20171107_084048.mp4

[Kiran Otter]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

I know it sounds bad, but again, if you tried 2 different service stations.. my money is on it being something else. Reseat the interconnect cable and make sure it's not pinched somewhere; make sure you can move it back and forth as it travels through the frame to the EMOD.

Kiran

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

That's a step motor... so one bad connection would cause it to jiggle without ever moving forward. My guess would be the board that it plugs into, behind the control panel. The interconnect PCA.

Although, I once pinched that interconnect cable when I had removed the EMOD... I remember that it's easy to do. But that's a big old thick cable, so you'd have to pinch it pretty good to actually cut the wire.

[Phil B.]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

what happens. Might also take the motor out of the service station and listen to it.

before doing all the cable stuff and emod .. I would look at that motor... it's always ( IMHO ) the $3 part that is the cause .

[Lance15]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

before doing all the cable stuff and emod .. I would look at that motor... it's always ( IMHO ) the $3 part that is the cause .

That's my thought also. I once had a Lexmark ADF that was bad. It was producing a very similar noise to what this is making. I removed the motor and found it WAS the problem.

[theengel]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

Let us know what happens.

[Lance15]

Re: Designjet 800 service station

Definitely will. Waiting on the interconnect board. Must be drop-shipping from HP in California.