Hi, I just wanted to try again with this submission. Seemed to have problems with this unit since it was put in January. I have an attachment when magnified it looks as though miniature lightning bolts are zapping the toner making little spikes downward from the print. It is original toner. I have cleaned the entire paper path, contacts, transfer roll, static teeth, charge roller, and around drum blade. I tried upper and lower adjustments to transfer, charge roller, density, and performed drum refresh. Had no change. I returned and put in a brand new transfer roller. It didn't eliminate the problem, but seemed to reduce it at the time. I don't know if it will get bad again. Earlier it was getting bad build up on the pressure roller. I don't know if it might be related. I replaced the fuser, heavy build up went away, but still had a few specks show up. I would have expected that it shouldn't come back at all. Anyway I'm having trouble tracking down info at the moment. Machine only has 87,000 pages, problems started long before. Thanks for taking time out to look at this.
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Have you replaced the primary charge unit? I've noticed that after a while the rubber seal on the primary charge unit will "charge up" and attract paper dust and toner, then drag it over the drum. New units don't seem to do this. And cleaning is only a short term fix. =^..^=If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.
blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^= -
Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Well, cleaning didn't really do anything in the first place. I called kyocera tech support and sent them a print sample. They couldn't say for certain either. They suggested replacing the drum. I still can't see why it would happen at such a low page count.Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
what does the power situation look like?Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
There was a fuser mod for wear around 250k but this looks more like some transfer scatter I have seen in certain applications. It was once described as 'Flares' and they are always in the trailing direction. I imagine toner piles being scattered by static pressure going into the transfer roller.
The angle of attack is to thin out the toner pile and if necessary slow the machine down some.
The only way to get at this is driver settings.
Set the KX driver to KPDL mode and in Preferences go to the Imaging Tab and there are a few things to experiment with;
1) Half Speed Mode
2) Graphics Button - Line Thinning/Correct Fine line
3) Print Quality - Draft/Custom
You should be able to get a reasonable reduction in the defect.
By the way, any altitude or humidty factors pushing the limits here? Is it very dry or high where the device is?
GL!"Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn" - Benjamin Franklin
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
No. internal prints eliminate the driver.
So it's a lot to read, am I correct that you replaced toner, fuser and transfer roller but not drum or dev unit? I would try those (drum first) definitely and submit under warranty.Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
I was not saying it is caused by the driver, only that driver settings have been seen to make it better.
Believe me, I chased this on 2 different occasions, once even with a special production transfer guide. That case was more pronounced on label stock.
In the other case I believe local firmware was written. All of which I would expect to have been worked into this model.
You can try setting the media type up/down as well to see if it effects it."Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn" - Benjamin Franklin
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
seems like youve eliminated most of the issues of it being the machine. i would look at taking a different brand of unopened ream of paper and checking to see if the bleeding of toner is still consistent. Also would check the texture of the paper even if its normal 20lb.Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
If the texture is different even though the paper is the same weight print whisperer is right on. You'll have to slow the machine down so the fuser can get a consistent bond with the toner to the paperComment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Hello,
FYI: I have the same problem with my p3145dn (2000 pages, Original Toner).
But I do not fix this, because amazon will send me a new printer.
Strange effect, I've never seen it like this!
If I increase the fusing temperature (for example "thick paper") the effect becomes stronger ... (The picture shows this).Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Now amazon has sent me a brand new printer. It also makes these spikes (printout status page, menu plan, etc ...).
Now I'm a little perplexed ...
The serial numbers differ significantly, and smaller details also seem to be different, but both are "made in Vietnam".
The effect occurs with different types of paper. I have already connected the printer to a different power-socket, checked whether L, N and PE are also present (230V AC here in Germany), enviromental conditions are not unusual (20 degrees, 60% humidity). The effect is there even without a network cable (only printer connected to the socket).
Let's see what the Kyocera Support has to say about it these days ...Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Do you mean you changed the media type to Thick and used 20lb because this is the type of test I was posting about earlier in the thread, but fuser temp is not the only thing that gets changed.
What we are interested in here is the Transfer bias which must also be increased for thick paper. You should try a lighter weight setting (up to the point where fusing is insufficient), and the driver settings as well.
It is a problem only seen on this small printer engine and systemic as all your replacements have the same problem. They may have pushed the speed for this design too far as the toner particle size gets finer and finer.
I love your example because the toner is clearly blasted out of the line with white streaks where is has been removed. Like tiny solar mass ejections from mag field lines, always away from the direction of movement."Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn" - Benjamin Franklin
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
I don't see something like that as a solution, at best as a work-around. The problem still persists. Because what do I do if I want to print on thicker paper, then I cannot leave the parameters on "light" and the problem is there again!
If kyocera cannot fix the problem with other firmware, the devices have a bad design for me and I will not use them.
Another observation is perhaps interesting: When I got the first printer (2021-03) the air in the office was very dry. (30-40%). I couldn't see any spikes, but there was a slight toner shadow under thicker lines. Perhaps there may be no connection, but perhaps it is possible that a slight shadow can be seen in very dry air, which becomes "spikes" in more humid air (currently 60-65%) ...Comment
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Re: eco p3150 continuing image quality problem
Just got back from visiting this again. Put in a warrantee drum. Still looked like it was making image defect. Since people were mentioning paper types, I went to confirm settings. I found a setting under plain paper that was calling for heavy 1. I set it to normal 1, and it started printing properly. I don't know where this setting was before, and when I went back to look at it again and confirm it for all cassettes, it seemed to disappear once more. Weird, but at least it's working.Comment
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