HP M451dn color printer; not feeding from tray 1

[Wild Bill]

When tray 1 is empty, the printer prints fine. If paper is added to tray 1, the printer jams and states the jam is in tray 2.
Tray 1 feed solenoid does not actuate nor does tray 2 feed solenoid when it jams.
Troubleshoot Tray 1 input sensor;
a.) Loaded paper in tray 1.
b.) Jams in Tray2.


My thought; If tray 1 input sensor was bad it would feed fine from tray 2 because it would not be recognizing it.
Troubleshoot Tray 1 feed solenoid;

Using 2ndry Service menu to show solenoid does actuate and yes it does…

HP had me change tray1 feed solenoid and of course that did not repair problem.


Open the 2ndry Service menu by pressing the Left Arrow button and the Cancel button
simultaneously.
b. Use the arrow buttons to select Pick roller, and then press the OK button.
Press the OK button again to confirm that you want the roller to rotate.
c. Listen for the roller to rotate. When the roller is done rotating, unplug the power cord, and
then place the power button in the off position.


It took me a better part of a day to change the Solenoid because you have to remove the power supply…Guess what? Removal instructions are not in Service guide.

Hp told me this is an unknown issue. One week later I had another completely different printer do the same thing. Fine their sending me a replacement, I would like to know what the issue is. I have a good idea but wanted to bounce this of you guys first. Any help is appreciated.

[Wild Bill]

Guess will never Know

Sending back to HP for exchange; Closed

[Yeeter]

One week later I had another completely different printer do the same thing. Fine their sending me a replacement, I would like to know what the issue is. I have a good idea but wanted to bounce this of you guys first. Any help is appreciated.

Sounds like there is potential that this will reoccur, given you have had two different printers show this symptom.

I dont know the exact design of this one, but it seems like if using tray 1 - that tray 2 is not activated and thus the paper from tray 1 gets pulled into the shared paperpath section. But if not sensing tray 1, then it tries to activate and pull from BOTH trays. Creates a jam and it happens to give a tray 2 error - but maybe the issue is in the tray 1 sensor.

[Wild Bill]

I started looking at tray 2 feed assembly and it got me thinking. Why would on the completely the other side of the machine effect tray 1?
I started thinking and looking at what it takes to remove and replace tray 2 assembly when I spotted the guide used for a optional tray 3 that was out of position ( part of feed assembly). I popped it back and Eureka!
Thinking it possibly happens when using a dolly/cart to deliver it.

[kenpb]

Wild Bill, yup you're absolutely right.
I've been unable to use tray 1 on my Laserjet M451dn for a year now. Every time I loaded paper in tray 1, I'd get a "Jam in Tray 2" error. I was looking to swap out the tray 1 solenoid, but the access screw is buried behind the power supply. It would have been a huge job.
Then I found your post, all these years later.
There is a plastic frame around the path for paper from the optional tray 3. It sits on the bottom of the printer near the rear. There's also a sensor flag inside that frame. The frame is composed of 4 separate pieces that can be dislodged easily when the printer is picked up or moved without care. If the frame is dislodged, the sensor flag can also be shifted out of a neutral position. That creates the seemingly unrelated error message when paper is loaded into Tray 1.
"Eureka" is right.
Thank you.

[Phil B.]

Wild Bill, yup you're absolutely right.
I've been unable to use tray 1 on my Laserjet M451dn for a year now. Every time I loaded paper in tray 1, I'd get a "Jam in Tray 2" error. I was looking to swap out the tray 1 solenoid, but the access screw is buried behind the power supply. It would have been a huge job.
Then I found your post, all these years later.
There is a plastic frame around the path for paper from the optional tray 3. It sits on the bottom of the printer near the rear. There's also a sensor flag inside that frame. The frame is composed of 4 separate pieces that can be dislodged easily when the printer is picked up or moved without care. If the frame is dislodged, the sensor flag can also be shifted out of a neutral position. That creates the seemingly unrelated error message when paper is loaded into Tray 1.
"Eureka" is right.
Thank you.

this thread was dead in 2012.... -=8=- years ago... please grave robber let any thread over 2 years old R.I.P.

[tech28]

No fix for that problem, just get another one from wholesaler for 25-50 bucks. been many posting thru the years and no solution. We throw those out when they develop and come with the proble, (we use em for parts)if you still have any out) we do, we just dont fix/sell them again.

[kenpb]

You miss my point.
My printer is fixed. I snapped the plastic trim around the tray 3 paper path back into place. That restored the tray 3 paper path sensor flag to its normal position, and the problem went away. No more tray 2 jam error.
The M451dn I have has only 13000 copies. It’s good for another 10 years.
i can only hope that someone else can avoid throwing their printer away.

[tech28]

Sorry, misunderstood your problem, I thought you were having jamming in the bypass tray, not picking up and causing jam. Sorry dude. Great you found out how to resolve your problem.

[blackcat4866]

Wild Bill, yup you're absolutely right.
I've been unable to use tray 1 on my Laserjet M451dn for a year now. Every time I loaded paper in tray 1, I'd get a "Jam in Tray 2" error. I was looking to swap out the tray 1 solenoid, but the access screw is buried behind the power supply. It would have been a huge job.
Then I found your post, all these years later.
There is a plastic frame around the path for paper from the optional tray 3. It sits on the bottom of the printer near the rear. There's also a sensor flag inside that frame. The frame is composed of 4 separate pieces that can be dislodged easily when the printer is picked up or moved without care. If the frame is dislodged, the sensor flag can also be shifted out of a neutral position. That creates the seemingly unrelated error message when paper is loaded into Tray 1.
"Eureka" is right.
Thank you.

Thanks for sharing. Some of us do want to hear of your successes. =^..^=