C654e "Insert K Drum" message and alarm

[mjmjross]

Hey everyone,

I have been fighting this for a while and thought I'd chime in to see if anyone else has seen it. Once in a while, the C654e will chime at the customer and the display tells them to "insert K drum". They open the front door and wiggle the waste container and most of the time, message clears. I just got it to do it by removing the waste and blowing out the sensor. When I put the waste back in, the error showed up. I opened the door and wiggled the waste tank, closed the door and error cleared.

New waste tank last week.

Anyone else ever see that? I was careful enough to not bump it because I didn't want to move the drum at all during diagnosis, just the waste tank.

TC: 1259796

Thanks!
Mark

[allan]

Yes its supper common on these machines. There is a drum chip on the drum holder that needs to connect to the contacts on the developer tank.
That would sometimes not make proper contact.

Dig a bit deeper than the waste box and remove the IU assy (one screw), then remove the drum unit from the developer tank.
Check the contacts to see it they are bent or dirty also check if every thing is properly seated including the developer tank.
Shine a light in the cavity where the IU assy slides out there could be developer causing some trouble there at the back of the developer tank where it connects.
Use a toner vac to suck that out if any. Make sure to use the laser glass cleaner when done.

[mjmjross]

Thanks Allan,

In my haste I failed to mention that we brought it back to the shop last month after replacing the drum and developer and cleaning it all out. We kept it for 2 weeks trying to make it fail. Now that it’s back at the customers location, it started acting up again. Same error, all new parts. I’m thinking it has to do with that waste container sensor somehow.

Thanks again,
Mark

[allan]

Don't think that would be related. That error occurs when the resistor on the chip is not detected...

[EarthKmTech]

Thanks Allan,

In my haste I failed to mention that we brought it back to the shop last month after replacing the drum and developer and cleaning it all out. We kept it for 2 weeks trying to make it fail. Now that it’s back at the customers location, it started acting up again. Same error, all new parts. I’m thinking it has to do with that waste container sensor somehow.

Thanks again,
Mark


Machine shop or other heavy industry with harsh vibrations getting to the machine? Would explain why it only happens onsite.

[mjmjross]

Thanks for the reply. It at a retirement home in the back office. Pretty calm and quiet. I came back today for another issue and wanted to see if I could make it fail. All I did was :
1- open front door
2- removed waste tank and closed door. Got the obvious “install waste container” error.
3- reinstalled waste container and closed door. Error popped up (“set drum unit and close all doors”)
4- removed waste container and reinstalled (carefully both times as to not disturb drum unit)
5- closed door, error cleared. Machine back to ready.

[copyman]

I'm lost here. Not sure what the waste toner has to do with the drum but from you are describing only thing that makes sense is when you move the waste box it is moving the black IU slightly to break contact. I may have missed it did you check the contacts like the other poster said? I did see you had in shop and changed developer,drum etc. Everything you describe points to loose contact, switch, connector, etc

[srvctec]

If it was a machine I was servicing, I'd modify the part that holds in the K drum since it seems that it's not quite making the connections all the time. More pressure from the front to hold it in tighter might keep the issue from happening, provided the contacts are all clean to start with. The C451 series had a similar issue and I came up with a fix using old feed tires cut and taped around the arm that holds in the IU. No more issues and of course, a few months later KM came out with a bulletin and a metal strip to hold it in tighter.

[copyman]

If it was a machine I was servicing, I'd modify the part that holds in the K drum since it seems that it's not quite making the connections all the time. More pressure from the front to hold it in tighter might keep the issue from happening, provided the contacts are all clean to start with. The C451 series had a similar issue and I came up with a fix using old feed tires cut and taped around the arm that holds in the IU. No more issues and of course, a few months later KM came out with a bulletin and a metal strip to hold it in tighter.

Oh yea I forgot about the "K" IU's on that series not sitting tight. But I thought the bulletin was for dumping developer and on "E" series it was corrected? Like other poster mentioned there was a modified bracket to hold "K" IU in tight. Funny I just took one of those modified brackets off a Biz C654 that I stripped for parts. I can take a picture of it if you like? Maybe if you see it you can make one.

[allan]

Oh yea I forgot about the "K" IU's on that series not sitting tight. But I thought the bulletin was for dumping developer and on "E" series it was corrected? Like other poster mentioned there was a modified bracket to hold "K" IU in tight. Funny I just took one of those modified brackets off a Biz C654 that I stripped for parts. I can take a picture of it if you like? Maybe if you see it you can make one.

Do you have that builtin please? Have one that dumps and not sure why.

[copyman]

Do you have that builtin please? Have one that dumps and not sure why.

Hey allan. I'll dig up that bulletin and send in PM. If you have a 654/754 dumping black it's definitely the "K" IU not making good contact. The bracket holds IU in tighter for better contact. It's worked every time for me with dumping.

[copyman]

Here is the bulletin for the bracket that holds the Black IU in tighter. This bulletin is for the C451 but also applies to the C654, etc