Tips for Techs

[fixthecopier]

In an effort to help others and get my knowledge expanded, I thought to start this. It occured to me as I watched a tech struggling to put on a corona wire. It kept popping off leaving him to crawel around looking for the spring. On his fifth try, I walked over and laid a paper towel over the corona channel and when it popped off again, it stayed in the channel. I know every tech with years on him or her, has tons of stuff that could be shared, like using toner to power drum blades, or how car wax will help fix old glass on analog machines. I think if we think hard we can all remember some good ones.


1. Cover coronas when putting new wire in.
2. Wax old glass on analogs to help with stop position.
3. Do not vacuum out Konica DV boxes
4. Carry spare "e" clips in wallet. [ someone posted this last week]
5. Before unplugging all the wires on a board, look to make sure there if there are unused connectors, it can save you some confusion when putting it back together.

In other words the kind of things you find yourself schooling new hires on.

[Wild Bill]

If you loose your spring hook, get a large paper clip and take your needle nose pliers and create a loop at the end. Works great! I had a swing plate to replace on a HP 4250 and I used it to remove the spring on the little plastic toner cartridge guide. That big spring came right off!

[fixthecopier]

I started this thinking I would get a lot of info but nobody wants to play

[bojans]

1.Always bring original paper A4, A3 (Letter, Lodger) with you, which can compare with customers paper.

Many of my customers cut paper. And it's not always perfect size...
When you get too many strange jams go to 1.
;)

[blackcat4866]

I've been thinking, but most of my experience is situation specific. General suggestions don't work in all situations.

I think its good to be flexible when you're out on calls. If you always do this, or always do that, there's no room to make that intuitive leap, right to a simple solution.

General suggestions?
1) Wait. Try not to figure out the call in advance, before you get there. It can put you in the wrong train of thought, making you blind to a simple answer.
2) Listen to the enduser, and ask lots of questions. They have many more clues than you do, and often take some prompting to reveal them. I understand that much of what they say are false conclusions or speculation. It's your job to sort that out.
3) Observe before you start doing things to the machine. That pile of toner in the front door may have a lot to do with what you're there to fix. If you just vacuum it up and move on you just made your problem more difficult to solve. Don't ignore that loud grinding noise.
4) Fix. Diagnosing the problem isn't enough. Can you make the machine work better in anticipation of part arrival?
5) Test. Confirm that you you resolved the customers problem, and any problem you discovered too. You may have to back up a few steps to again listen and observe some more.
6) Document your solution. Don't count on remembering the solution 5 years later. After many years in the business you'll forget much more than you can remember. Excel never forgets, recalls all the details, and can be searched by keyword. My memory doesn't work that way. It needs some prompting.

And don't hesitate to treat each situation differently. =^..^=

[bilyahn]

Blackcat how do you have your Excel program setup? I would love to have a template or an idea of how to setup a database like this for our company. I can barely remember some of the fixes I did last week much less 5 years ago, especially if they were something off the wall. Or I will remember the problem but not the fix!!!

Thanks for the suggestions on service calls. I believe the biggest tip is to take your time! We all have schedules and time limits but sometimes you need to slow down and follow the steps like blackcat suggests.

[blackcat4866]

I am sure that I will regret this, but here it is.

I've attached the template for the Excel database. I have only one request. When you add a record to the worksheet also paste it to the New Additions worksheet. Once in a while post the New Additions worksheet to this thread and clear the New Additions worksheet. Zip the file and it will attach just fine.

For the database to be effective it needs a couple things:
Jam records should list jam codes.
Error Code records should list the error code.
Honesty is the best policy here. If it's your own fault, say so. If it's not resolved, mark Unresolved.
Excel functions best when there are less than 255 characters (including spaces) per cell. It sometimes takes some creative editing to make it all fit.
If you're concerned about anonymity, use only usernames in the source column.
Include as much detail as possible. The details of any individual call fade in my memory very quickly.

You Canon guys will recognize the coding. It hasn't changed in a very long time. I've made some minor adjustments to accommodate changes in technology.

Enjoy! =^..^=

[jamesyboy]

I think this is al a good idea top tips!
I always mark unused connectors on boards with a felt tip before removing the board saves confusion!!
Carry good calibration charts from a showroom machine they can be used to pull back a customersmachine

this could get a big subject and help a lot of people

[fixthecopier]

here is an oldie but a goodie. I was at a funeral home, an hour away, on a Friday. The machine was an old Minolta 1080 with void streaks. Has trashy developer, and the guy needs it to run that day. Hmm... how to filter crap out of developer? I ask the mortician if he had any ladies stockings. Sure we do, he said, we use them on the corpses. I poured the developer through the stockings and successfully got the trash out.

[fixthecopier]

Here is a tip for anybody who gets to work on shredders. Unlike a copier board, that is usually put together in such a way as to make it nearly impossible to plug in the wrong wire to the connector, a shredder will have a whole row of 2 prong connectors and all the wires are the same color. Draw yourself a map before unplugging anything. I blew a $2400 shredder to learn that.

Also, a lot of shredders that have oil tanks, have the tanks wired to the door switch. Machine will not run, and says the door is open, it may just be low on oil.

[minimerlin]

Here is a tip for anybody who gets to work on shredders. Unlike a copier board, that is usually put together in such a way as to make it nearly impossible to plug in the wrong wire to the connector, a shredder will have a whole row of 2 prong connectors and all the wires are the same color. Draw yourself a map before unplugging anything. I blew a $2400 shredder to learn that.

Also, a lot of shredders that have oil tanks, have the tanks wired to the door switch. Machine will not run, and says the door is open, it may just be low on oil.I tend to just take a few pictures with my PDA camera, also useful if you are about to strip down a drive system for the first time.

[fixthecopier]

I keep a digital camera with me, however almost all of the military buildings I work do not allow cameras or phones. I have had a photo save my ass a couple of times in the shop. I am afraid I will forget one day and pull my camera out in the wrong place, and , well, you may not hear from me for a while.

With that in mind, I could start a thread about the most embarrassed you have ever been on a service call.

Every section of the military has a "Command Center". This is usually a large room with giant flat screen tv 's on the wall and rows of computers and red phones. I had gone to one to look at a shredder. Outside the door was a table where you were supposed to leave your phone before walking in. I put my phone there and went in to check the shredder. There was nothing going on and only 4 or 5 people in the room. When I left, I forgot to pick up my phone and did not notice til I got home. I went back next morning and reclaimed my phone. Later that week my shop called and said I did not write down the serial number on my ticket for the shredder. I called the point of contact and had him meet me at the Command Center so I could get it. I was just going in for a minute and decided to keep my phone in my pocket. When he opened the door, the room was full of people and 3 of these giant screens were on, each one showing another command center at another base, all full of people, as they were having some huge meeting. I hesitated to walk in, but the sergeant said it was o.k., the meeting was not classified, just be quiet. As I walked through, I must have been at the exact center of the room when my phone started to ring! People at 3 other bases and the room I was in, all said or yelled "WHO THE HELL HAS A PHONE IN HERE?" I have this blurred memory of me grabbing my back pocket where the phone was and shrieking like a little girl as I ran for the door. I think I made up a serial number to close out the call, as I would not go back in.

[rthonpm]

Here's one I learned the hard way: don't always trust the model on the front of the machine. Check the labal on the back or frame with the model and serial number. I ended up eating an LD 232c controller ordered down because someone put a 232c sticker on an LD 228c, which uses a different board.

[jonhiker]

A sharpie can save the day.
Also, patience is very important. The most important call is the one you are on. We've all been in the situation with several calls waiting, some are down, etc.. mistakes happen when you lose focus on the machine in front of you.
Your fellow techs are a good resource.

[dickierock]

camera phone to take picture of connections on main boards you are not familiar with before stripping down,

tipex useful for marking units when swapping units/boards around for quick fault finding,also to mark rollers/motors to check if they have moved when you cant visually see yourself,

a fuser rebulid will take 15 minutes if you take your time,it'll take twenty if you rush..

gluegun,bradawl,assorted screws n clips,theres nothing that cant be fixed!!;)

[TonerMunkeh]

a fuser rebulid will take 15 minutes if you take your time,it'll take twenty if you rush...

Argh not with an MPC3500 fuser!

I found a good one the other day, rubber cleaner is very good for cleaning MP4000 mag rollers.

[Claudio]

Empty vacuum filter at least once before replacing it (saves money).
In your car stock, carry extra invoices, and technical supplies in you car in case you run out of something out in the field.
Always word your final invoice in such a manner that covers all issues with a machine and a recall is less likely (so if a customer wants to bring you back to their office, they will have to pay for your time).
If you rip one at the customers office, quickly open a bottle of Rubber Rejuvinator (I finally found a use for that stuff).

[OceCarl]

when swapping boards mark the original with a sharpie. also mark unused connectors with a red sharpie. rainex winshield washer fluid works great on copier class. can usually get it for 99cents a gallon at walmart.

[bilyahn]

Clear nail polish to repair smaller drums that develop a bias leak due to wear. This works really well on the smaller Sharp units. Just cover the bare spot that occur on the edge of the drum (outside of the print area) with nail polish let dry and your drum is good until PM time.

[mjunkaged]

One-way bearings/shafts: You can fix them by buffing lenghtwise around the shaft at the spot where the one-way bearing rides. 9 times out of 10 this will fix the problem WITHOUT replacing the one-way OR the shaft! VERY handy.

[mjunkaged]

On some of the older lasers, I've been able to crack them apart and clean and lube the polygon mirror motor. I used to use silicon spray oil or standard lube, then when I got into some older lasers, it wouldn't fix it anymore. So I switched to EZ-1 synth lube, and that got it. I imagine any brand of synthetic of a very light weight would work.

Also, tip for ROOKIES:
The biggest mistake I see rookies making is either not learning, or not remembering the three "I's" of technical troubleshooting.
1. IDENTIFY....see blackcat's post. Listen, think, observe, ask questions, make SURE you know exactly WHAT the problem is! (most get this first one). ALSO, look for other problems, the customer is not the tech. and can not see things you can with a trained eye.
2. ISOLATE.... this is where many new tech's get stuck. They don't know how to go about isolating subassemblies, removing options, etc. to find out where the problem truly originates. A read-through of the service manual should be required for each model worked on. You can't easily fix things unless you have an understanding of HOW THEY WORK.
3. INITIATE.....after 1 and 2 are complete. Sometimes concurrent with #2, but almost NEVER with #1. Also includes thorough testing of the machine's functions when you think you're done. If I had a nickel for every time I've said, "glad I checked that BEFORE I left" I'd have a drum full of nickels.

[krazeekidz3]

Hey, just wondering why you shouldn't vacuum out a developing unit on a Konica? Does this go for the Konica Minolta, as well? I always vacuumed the developing unit on a Canon box. I've only been working on the KM boxes for a few months. That wasn't in the Outward Associate training program.
Thanks! Everyone, I enjoyed some of these wonderful tips!!

[blackcat4866]

I don't know about Konica, but on Canon developing units you can blow the toner sensor by vacuuming too close to them.

There are two things you can do:
1) Keep a thumb or finger of the other hand touching the mag roller the whole time you're vacuuming. Sure you'll feel some shocks, but nothing fatal.
2) Don't vacuum right next to the toner sensor.

=^..^=

[fixthecopier]

Hey, just wondering why you shouldn't vacuum out a developing unit on a Konica? Does this go for the Konica Minolta, as well? I always vacuumed the developing unit on a Canon box. I've only been working on the KM boxes for a few months. That wasn't in the Outward Associate training program.
Thanks! Everyone, I enjoyed some of these wonderful tips!!



On the Konica's the vacuum will blow the aidc sensor. Real bad on 470's. If you have an old dv box, hold it and vacuum it and you should get a shock. That same discharge is hell on the sensors. You can get paint brushes at the dollar store to clean the boxes.

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

I got one.

If you have to move the machine both away from the wall and to the side to get to the back panels, unplug the machine first so as to not bend the electrical prong while it is still in the wall outlet.

[goodboy2010]

i am new
nice tips for me
thx for sharing!
waiting more posts from you

[dogsbody]

A clean machine is a good machine. It is not hard to clean the paper dust collectors and filters.
Take the time to clean the rollers, it is also not hard and doesn't take too much time.
Clean the mirrors.
Don't try to push your drums, the image may be OK but the old drum will make the insides of your machine filthy.
Do you PM's properly. We get PM kits from Konica, makes life easier, one part number and you have all the parts in one box, this is even more important which production colour machines.

[vincent64]

Make sure your end users throw away empty toner carts.
Have had a few put empty ones back into a mach when they ran out.
And have them get rid of old toner from there last machine, most is not compatible with the new one.

[fixthecopier]

Old contract toner is a killer. Ask if they have any, then tell them how much you will charge if it finds its way into your machine, and they will give it to you. I have busted the Army almost 40 times filling up their own bottles. I charge them $500 if it is just toner they put in. It is not always toner they put in.

[kingpd@businessprints.net]

I find it interesting sometimes how much toner a customer will have from their previous machines...I swear some dealers must be shipping it by the pallet.

[mntech]

General Tips:

Test everything; doc feeder, all paper trays, duplex, etc. (it sucks having to go back out to fix a machine you just fixed because you forgot to test tray 4)

I used to leave test charts on the platen glass all the time, attach a string or ribbon to the chart so if you forget to check, you'll see it hanging out.

Keep extra sets of feed tires in your bag at all times, so you don't have to run out to your car every time you need em. Also bring some parts in with you, saves a lot of time.

Scrub the outside of machines and make em look pretty. (You might have detailed the inside of a machine and everything is working great, but if the outside looks like crap, the customer will think you did a half-assed job)

Show customers sample copies/prints so they can see that the machine is fixed.

Better to put extra quarters in the parking meter in case you take longer than you expected. (even if you think its only going to be a quick 5 minutes you know the customer is going to want to chit-chat, and saves you from getting expensive parking tickets)

I'm sure this one is common sense; Use the platen glass as a workspace, just throw down a drop cloth or some paper from the recycling box, and you have yourself a good place to clean/rebuild units.

Don't forget; drums are photosensitive(sensitive to light), make sure you cover up your drums / drum units with some paper if you take them out. Also put them somewhere so they don't get scratched or kicked.

[JustManuals]

Never clear a paper jam by pulling the paper out contrary to the direction of travel. Always pull it out the way the paper flows. You can damage sensors and all kinds of things otherwise.

Paul@justmanuals.com

[Jules Winfield]

It's a good idea to clean up the dust off of all the covers and trays on every call. It's a perception thing. A clean machine looks like it runs good, while a dirty one looks like it's broken down. Customers are less likely to call in about every little thing if the machine looks clean. I've had customers call in for service simply because the machine looked dirty (no problems whatsoever with the machine).