Hp DesignJet 5500 cautionary tale

**Synaux** · 08-28-2020

The other day I was troubleshooting a bad HDD/PSU.

It has been a long time ... and that back panel has a very unnecessary cable management system on the left side (looking from the rear). In some frustration, and in the dark, I was slightly more aggressive that I probably should have been and in process of disconnecting the cable-management-fixture-thingamajig, I disconnected 2 of 3 of the "Trailing Cables."

I reconnected them then kept getting odd PH errors, etc. I reseated and repeated.

It turns out at this age, these cables cannot be fussed with. The adhesive that kept the leads on the ends of the cables lost all sticktion and were literally fraying and falling off. I had to order new Trailing Cables (not very expensive...but...). So do not do what I did. Keep those ribbons connected!

Hope this might be in the back of someone's mind when servicing one of these.

(I know these machines are getting old, but they are honestly one of the most dependable and well engineered old beasts out there.)

**D Hook** · 08-28-2020

I've repaired a few of these and make it a point to never touch those cables either unless replacing them (not fun!). Found out the same way you did. And you're right, those machines are so bullet proof it's amazing, compared to some of the newer models. Parts are still pretty easy to find and consumables are priced reasonably (but you have to shop around for the printheads as those can start to be more than the machine is worth sometimes). They still work with Win10 but takes a little time to get setup. The only problem I've found difficult to solve is loading media profiles but easy if you can get the machine to work on the Web Access feature.

I'm pretty sure that if I could only own one printer, that would be a close contender for top place.

Thanks for the reminder.

**Kiran Otter** · 08-28-2020

Yes! Absolutely avoid disconnecting the trailing cable on these printers if not necessary. It's very easy to blow either the carriage or main PCA by trying to plug the cables back in and the little fingers going everywhichway (technical term.) It's even worse on the 1050C model A because there's no fuse to protect the main PCA.

Even if I'm doing a belt on the 5500 or 1050Cs, I'll keep the trailing cable connected, and unfasten the trailing cable holder in the middle of the machine, and if that's not enough, the one where the cable bends and goes down through the aluminum casting, just to avoid disconnecting it.

Kiran

2019-02-14 12.02.48.jpg

**Synaux** · 08-30-2020

Originally Posted by D Hook

I've repaired a few of these and make it a point to never touch those cables either unless replacing them (not fun!). Found out the same way you did. And you're right, those machines are so bullet proof it's amazing, compared to some of the newer models.

Yeah the cables just arrived and I am NOT looking forward to this job considering the mess they made just taking them out of the package. It somewhat reminded me of when I get fishing lines tangled up. Any sage advice to make this easier?
I was thinking some electrical tape to keep them together during installation would help?

It really is amazing how these machines perform. Yes, the PHs are overpriced--in my opinion--for what they are, but there are many ways to recondition them and force them to function far past their prime. Aside from that, I have only had issues with the drive belt (basically a consumable), TCP settings not sticking and now an error with the HDD.

This is a long winded way to ask my next question... for the HDD, I have read that it is paired with the board it is connected to. This seems crazy to me but ok. The service manual that I have is absurdly vague. And I have never had to do this so please forgive my ignorance. What is stored on the HDD? Is it like many MFPs and doesn't store crucial data like FW, etc? Can I just go find an IDE HDD in storage and swap it?

Also, the HDD spins and sometimes (rarely) the code does not show and I noticed a message something like "preparing HDD" with success. SOooo I am thinking PSU based on what I have read. Thoughts?

Apologies, I did not intend to ask so many questions, but the documentation I have is simply not helpful.

**D Hook** · 08-30-2020

The last time I changed a set of flat cables out on a 5xxx printer, I took some bond paper and carefully wrapped the ends of the cable tightly and taped it to the cable bundle so it would hold the cables together and also protect the ends of the cable when you snake it through the openings down to the PSU. Worked great. You don't want to put any tape on the foil ends of the cables because it might damage them when you try to remove the tape. The only problem I ran into was to be sure the cables moved correctly after fastening them down to the bed of the printer. Some of the cables you can buy come with an new hold down clamp and are pre-folded so they move correctly when the printhead moves. Others come without and are a little more difficult to install, IMO. You can tape them together as you need but be sure to remove the tape before running the printer so the cables can slide as needed.

Which service manual are you using?

If the HDD is failing they can be found on ebay for around $75, last time I purchased one. They come preloaded with firmware and media profiles. It's pretty much plug and play. Anyway, that's been my experience. Check the sellers feedback of course and read the description carefully or ask the seller to confirm it's loaded already. Also, be sure you're buying a HDD that matches your model; either a PS model or non-PS. Non-PS will not work on a PS model. If you haven't loaded a new hard drive before, download a copy of the HP service manual https://tonerinkprint.com/5000-5500.pdf (free) and follow the steps. There's a couple things to avoid when you load a new hard drive.

I'm sure others have additional tips on the repairs. Let us know how you get on.

**Kiran Otter** · 08-30-2020

Just a note; it is possible to replace the hard drive with a blank drive, and load the firmware using the parallel port. Of course finding a computer with a parallel port these days might be a problem. I have an old laptop with one I keep around for things like that. If you can get a drive preloaded for $75, that sounds like a deal.

I found a thread on HP way back when that talked about it. Dropbox - Installing a new blank hard drive in a DesignJet 5...pdf - Simplify your life

I also want to note; 9 times out of 10, when I've encountered a 5500 that says the HD failed, it was the power supply, not the hard drive.

And replacing the trailing cables isn't that difficult. I pull the old ones out, lay them out on a table, and bend the new ones to match, swapping over the holder and stiffener. Just make sure the length from the holder to the carriage is the same. If it's too short, it won't reach the carriage when it's all the way to the left, and if it's too long, the stiffener won't keep with the cables correctly. You have some wiggle room where they snap into the top of the carriage, so once it's done, you can pull the loop of cable and stiffener to the right (away from the carriage) to bring them all together, and then they'll track back and forth together correctly.

The last cable I got which was just the flat cable rolled up in a bag, was almost a foot longer than the original. I left the extra length at the main PCA end and just let it run down and back up to the connectors. I ignored the cable holder with the ferrite thing.

Kiran

**Synaux** · 08-31-2020

You guys are awesome.
Instead on quoting everything, here are my responses.

I had already looked up the PSU and the HDD on eBay and prepared to get whatever in necessary (it is all fairly cheap all things considered). I am currently leaning towards the PSU especially considering this is not a constant failure. If a HDD fails, it has failed. And in general, will fail each and every time even if it is just data corruption.

I have been in the computer repair business since I was 15 so I know the value of keeping legacy equipment so no problems interfacing with the drive (my gf hates that the guest bedroom is full of old garbage that I “might” need someday—she is going to get an earful tonight). I have probably 50 drives that could work. Are you saying to manually load the FW and profiles to the drive directly? I have all the files, but only ever used it directly to the printer.

I have the “Service Manual” that I acquired from Paul (rest his soul), I do not see a version number or anything and it is very possible I missed some things.

Anyways, thanks. I will report back after I get the cables installed

**Kiran Otter** · 08-31-2020

Personally I'd get the pre-formatted drive mentioned on ebay and save the trouble of doing the process I mentioned. I just mentioned it since we were talking hard drives. But I'd replace the power supply first.

Also you can still buy a new PSU from HP. They're still in stock, amazingly enough. $266.19

Kiran

**Lance15** · 08-31-2020

And in an incredible white PCB!

**tonerjockey** · 09-03-2020

Originally Posted by Synaux

The other day I was troubleshooting a bad HDD/PSU.

It has been a long time ... and that back panel has a very unnecessary cable management system on the left side (looking from the rear). In some frustration, and in the dark, I was slightly more aggressive that I probably should have been and in process of disconnecting the cable-management-fixture-thingamajig, I disconnected 2 of 3 of the "Trailing Cables."

I reconnected them then kept getting odd PH errors, etc. I reseated and repeated.

It turns out at this age, these cables cannot be fussed with. The adhesive that kept the leads on the ends of the cables lost all sticktion and were literally fraying and falling off. I had to order new Trailing Cables (not very expensive...but...). So do not do what I did. Keep those ribbons connected!

Hope this might be in the back of someone's mind when servicing one of these.

(I know these machines are getting old, but they are honestly one of the most dependable and well engineered old beasts out there.)

thanks for the heads up. i hate when things like that happen. and never a good time.

have a great Holiday.