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  1. #1
    Service Manager 5,000+ Posts tsbservice's Avatar
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    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanHK View Post
    LaserJet 2420 grey background
    Here's part of a page printed below.

    Most of the left side of the page has a greyish irregular background, maybe 10% grey. The text is a bit faded and sometimes broken up.
    I got this printer a few months ago, Has 207,000 pages on the clock.
    I had another printer, same model, that was having a lot of jamming issues, so I took its 90% full toner cart for this and it printed perfectly.
    The fold out "tray 1" was damaged though, so I took the tray from the other printer. To do that I had to take off several panels and take the toner cart out. I did try to protect it. Cleaned dust out of the printer while I was at it. The print seemed to be still OK, then. I disposed of the old printer (no room for it). But shortly after this grey vertical bands appeared. I made a couple of the cleaning pages and ran the clean cycle, but made no obvious improvement.
    Is this some damage I did to the toner cart when doing the repair & clean? Can it be fixed, or will a new cart fix this?

    Note:
    posted on behalf of AlanHK
    A tree is known by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost, he who sows courtesy, reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.

    Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.

    I don't reply to private messages from end users.

  2. #2
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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Thanks tsbservice.
    Could not start a new thread myself so needed an assist.

    Quote Originally Posted by tsbservice View Post
    Note: posted on behalf of AlanHK

  3. #3
    Master Of The Obvious 10,000+ Posts
    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Did you use air to blow out the printer. It's just not a good idea to blow around toner. It has a way of settling down in hard to find places. I would start by cleaning the laser slit glass, and if that didn't help, I'd clean the laser mirrors and polygon mirror surfaces. =^..^=
    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 =^..^=

  4. #4
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    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    The last time I saw background like that on an HP it was refilled cartridges.

  5. #5
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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Quote Originally Posted by slimslob View Post
    The last time I saw background like that on an HP it was refilled cartridges.
    It's not a HP cart, but not a refill. I'd done a thousand pages in the old printer with it over 18 months and quality was perfect.
    Done another 500 or so since then hoping it would come good, but not happening.
    It's 90% full, but if it's the problem I'll replace it.

    Quote Originally Posted by blackcat4866 View Post
    Did you use air to blow out the printer. It's just not a good idea to blow around toner. It has a way of settling down in hard to find places. I would start by cleaning the laser slit glass, and if that didn't help, I'd clean the laser mirrors and polygon mirror surfaces. =^..^=
    Didn't blow anything; wiped, but might have messed it up nonetheless.

    Just took out the cart and found the metal plate above it rather dusty with toner, wiped that.
    Below image of the drum-- obviously has streaks of toner on it. Any point in wiping that? Or would it make it worse? I though it should self clean. Use a cloth with alcohol?

    Looked in the service manual, only mention of a mirror is "the mirror in the laser/scanner might be dirty. Replace the laser/scanner".
    Not really encouraging for maintenance.
    Presumably the laser slit is on this unit? Do I need to take it out to get to the slit?
    Attached Images Attached Images

  6. #6
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    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanHK View Post
    It's not a HP cart, but not a refill. I'd done a thousand pages in the old printer with it over 18 months and quality was perfect.
    Done another 500 or so since then hoping it would come good, but not happening.
    It's 90% full, but if it's the problem I'll replace it.



    Didn't blow anything; wiped, but might have messed it up nonetheless.

    Just took out the cart and found the metal plate above it rather dusty with toner, wiped that.
    Below image of the drum-- obviously has streaks of toner on it. Any point in wiping that? Or would it make it worse? I though it should self clean. Use a cloth with alcohol?

    Looked in the service manual, only mention of a mirror is "the mirror in the laser/scanner might be dirty. Replace the laser/scanner".
    Not really encouraging for maintenance.
    Presumably the laser slit is on this unit? Do I need to take it out to get to the slit?
    You should have provided that picture with your original post. That looks like you have a problem with drum cleaning. Could be a damaged cleaning blade, paper scrap on the blade or a build up of toner lint.

    Edit: If the laser shield glass were dirty you would get light streaks, possibly even blank stripes.
    Last edited by slimslob; 10-17-2021 at 04:11 AM.

  7. #7
    Master Of The Obvious 10,000+ Posts
    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanHK View Post
    ... Just took out the cartridge and found the metal plate above it rather dusty with toner, wiped that.
    Below image of the drum-- obviously has streaks of toner on it. Any point in wiping that? Or would it make it worse? I though it should self clean...
    The only situation in which you might want to clean a drum is if it had label adhesive on it. I use paraffin lamp oil on a Q-tip, and clean only the smallest affected area, then again with alcohol. Otherwise, yes, the drum IS self cleaning and if it doesn't you'll need another cartridge.

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanHK View Post
    ... Looked in the service manual, only mention of a mirror is "the mirror in the laser/scanner might be dirty. Replace the laser/scanner".
    Not really encouraging for maintenance.
    Presumably the laser slit is on this unit? Do I need to take it out to get to the slit?
    You do not need to remove the the laser to clean the slit glass. It is vertically directly above the drum and is covered with a mechanical shutter. Remove the toner cartridge and move aside the shutter to clean the glass. Use glass cleaner or alcohol on a shortened Q-tip

    To clean the laser you must remove the top cover. The laser is right on top. It removes with a few screws and a few harnesses. Take care with the ribbon cables. It comes apart easily to clean the mirrors, especially the polygon mirror surfaces. NOTE: Do not remove the mirrors from the laser! Clean them in place. It's not as difficult as it sounds.

    =^..^=
    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 =^..^=

  8. #8
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    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    PCR Roller inside toner cartridge (if a compatible HP cartridge) must be shot
    Defects are simple, our mind is complicated

  9. #9
    Service Manager 5,000+ Posts
    LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background - posted on behalf of AlanHK

    All you need to do is simply replace the toner cartridge.

    Only use genuine HP & you will never have this issue again.



    Let us eat, drink, and be merry, because tomorrow we may die!

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  10. #10
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    Re: LaserJet 2420 grey background

    Quote Originally Posted by Blizzoo View Post
    PCR Roller inside toner cartridge (if a compatible HP cartridge) must be shot
    Yeah, that seems likely. I asked in the manuals forum for some docs on the cartridge and got a remanufacturer's manual.
    That included a list of common problems:

    Quote Originally Posted by UniNet Imaging
    Dirty or Bad Primary Charge Roller (PCR): This will show on the test print as vertical gray streaks down the page, as a gray background throughout the page, or as ghosting where part of a previously printed area is repeated.
    Which describes the printout pretty much.
    I assume the dirty drum is consistent with this.

    Since this happened after I moved the previously good cart to a "new" machine my assumption was that the problem was the printer. But I guess transferring the cart somehow damaged it. Maybe a poor electrical contact.Though I've taken it in and and out of the first printer dozens of times to clear jams.

    I've had a few carts broken out of the box, but none that have failed in service before.

    Quote Originally Posted by blackcat4866 View Post
    You do not need to remove the the laser to clean the slit glass. It is vertically directly above the drum and is covered with a mechanical shutter. Remove the toner cartridge and move aside the shutter to clean the glass. Use glass cleaner or alcohol on a shortened Q-tip
    This shows the slit glass, I think? On the top of the cart; no shutter though. The only shutter is on the bottom, over the drum.
    A smear of toner on the left. Cleaned it but print quality not improved. Still plenty of toner marks on the drum. So this is a symptom, not a cause.

    So: seems clear the problem is the cartridge, so will replace.
    If my wife allowed me to keep the old printer and its cart I would have been able to swap it in to confirm, but such are the constraints of working from home...

    Might try to crack the cartridge. Probably can't fix it without new parts but it will be educational.

    Quote Originally Posted by copier tech View Post
    All you need to do is simply replace the toner cartridge.
    Only use genuine HP & you will never have this issue again.
    I'm sure that's true, but the HP cartridge is A$379.97. Compatibles are $25-$35. In 30 years I've only had a few issues with non-HP carts, so I accept the risk. Larger businesses may have a different calculation.
    But found someone local reselling a genuine HP cart almost as cheap, so will see if I can get that.

    Thanks all for the advice.
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