kyocera taskalfa 3051ci Cassete 2 does not work. no paper level. only size ID.

[SysNerd]

hello good day! (or night) this might sound weird. but i've been given a free kyocera taskalfa 3051ci. copier (technically 2. i got a broken 3050ci too) along with enough spare toner to last me years.


the unit has only done 132.000 total copies/prints in it's life. which is not alot for a unit made for 150k a month.

the unit was delivered in 2015. and is currently still on the original firmware. (i have obtained the update files. just not gone trough a update yet)


however the unit appears to have a issue with the paper cassete 2. it will detect paper size. but it will not detect amount left or load.. and it will never use from paper cassete 2.



if i exchange cassete 1's drawer with cassete 2. no change in operations. cassete 1 works perfectly. while number 2 will only detect paper size.


if i close drawer 1. i can hear some motors go off. and the screen will say "loading paper' none of this happens with drawer 2. no error nothing.



i've tried digging into the service manual along with the hidden 10871087 menu. but i've been unable to spot any tests relating to the paper cassetes or it's switches.


i've tried crawling into the cassete space and inspected the switches and optical switches. but they all appear to be looking spotless. which is to be expected for a machine used "this little"


i did notice drawer 2 extends out a tiny bit more than number 1. but they both will "latch' perfectly fine with a paper cassete installed.


please advice on what i could try to do to fix the drawers operation? i've attached some photos of the drawers. paper screen. and the inside of the copier.

photo_2024-03-14_20-22-09.jpgphoto_2024-03-14_20-22-11.jpgphoto_2024-03-14_20-22-12.jpg

[still]

Set the paper trays to letter and ledger if using 11X17.

You can go into system menu and make the adjustments there.

There is also a paper empty switch on the feed unit..

Make sure the lift motor is lifting the paper

[blackcat4866]

The paper does not look like it is loaded properly. My suggestion is to:
* remove all the paper from tray #2
* perform a U906 partial reset to clear out the lift error.
* load a small amount of paper and set the guides to the correct size.
* test print
* if everything is working fine re-load the rest of the paper.

Most likely what happened is that an enduser loaded A4 paper to the left side of the tray. It attempted to lift, errored out, then isolated that tray, so that the rest of the machine can function. Later on, A3 sized paper was loaded to the still not functional tray.
=^..^=

[SysNerd]

The paper does not look like it is loaded properly. My suggestion is to:
* remove all the paper from tray #2
* perform a U906 partial reset to clear out the lift error.
* load a small amount of paper and set the guides to the correct size.
* test print
* if everything is working fine re-load the rest of the paper.

Most likely what happened is that an enduser loaded A4 paper to the left side of the tray. It attempted to lift, errored out, then isolated that tray, so that the rest of the machine can function. Later on, A3 sized paper was loaded to the still not functional tray.
=^..^=

running U906 made the tray get detected and the printer attempts to use it however it instantly paper-jams. with both A4 and A3 sized papers.

the first roller seems to work fine but it get's stuck at the 2nd roller. so i'd have to see how i can get to that mechanism and give the rollers a good clean perhaps.

i also haven't had luck by helping the paper yet either, it really wants to get stuck on that positon...

so it could be that something is slightly mis-aligned.

i dont see a easy way to get that mechanism removed though. so i'll have to dive in the service manual probably.

Screenshot 2024-03-15 031452.jpg

[blackcat4866]

Those rollers look VERY worn. I'd start there with new rollers. =^..^=

[KYO_OEM]

years ago (>10 years) i went to dealer for technical assistance because cass 2 wouldn`t loaded.
tech spend >4 h for repair, but he failed and owner asked for additional help.
I arrived at 11:00 am and finished work at 11:30 am.
Reason:
Blocked feed rollers!!
During removal from paper jam, the end customer took out paper in the wrong direction and feed roller stucked in upper position.
If Lift sensor 2 detect "ON", system will not turn the lift motor for the cassette base anymore, because upper position already reached.
Simple and easy.
Before onside visit i asked the tech if it would checked and he told me that it would done..
----no more comment----

Maybe this story can be helpfull
Feed Venus.JPG
If not, swap complete primary feed unit 2 against #1 for further checking

[jcg54]

running U906 made the tray get detected and the printer attempts to use it however it instantly paper-jams. with both A4 and A3 sized papers.

the first roller seems to work fine but it get's stuck at the 2nd roller. so i'd have to see how i can get to that mechanism and give the rollers a good clean perhaps.

i also haven't had luck by helping the paper yet either, it really wants to get stuck on that positon...

so it could be that something is slightly mis-aligned.

i dont see a easy way to get that mechanism removed though. so i'll have to dive in the service manual probably.

Screenshot 2024-03-15 031452.jpg

Its a fairly involved process to fully remove the Paper feed unit, The manual even has a section specifically for just removing both trays to just get at the wheels to change them out. Have you gone to the paper settings menu to tell the machine what paper it has in its drawer? You should be able to set the trays to Auto[inch] or Auto[metric] Depending on where you are, That would allow the guides in the drawers to tell the machine what kind of paper is in the trays.

Additional note for future notice on your machine, If you start to get lines on the pages you should be able to open up the machine (there are quite a few screws) and get to where the drums are, You can slide the charge rollers out without removing the drums and just clean the charge rollers with water and a rag and then let them dry fully and extend the life of your machine. Especially since parts are going to get harder to find after this year for that model.

[SysNerd]

Those rollers look VERY worn. I'd start there with new rollers. =^..^=

yeah good point. they looked better before i rubbed them with a slightly wet finger. but indeed.

maybe with some luck the 3050CI uses the same rollers and can be swapped with the 3051ci. i got the 3050ci stripped down a decent chunk and will be attempting to salvage good parts from it to keep my 3051ci running for a while.


but yes indeed the machine is *quite* involved to get into haha. i will be lifting it up onto it's wooden pedestal tonight so it's at a more comfortable level to be worked on




in terms of printing quality. it is not too bad. but has some slight streaking issues...

i've ran drum/developer refresh about 5 times and it improved a little but not fully gone yet.

it's not a huge deal on text prints. but it get's quite noticable on colors like magenta and cyan.

i suspect it's because of the dirt and grime that another forum member (@jcg54) suggested being a potential issue.

photo_2024-03-16_14-42-34.jpg

but i'd say that is not too bad so far. it's still a free device after all.

i'll slowly eliminate all issues where possible without having to spend too much on replacement parts :P


thanks for the advice so far. i will soon be trying to get to the Rollers and hopefully fix the paper feeding issues in tray 2. tray 1 luckily functions perfectly and had 0 jam's so far.

[SysNerd]

1 small odd issue i did notice that is not mechanical... is it keeps "waking up" and going to sleep in a inifite cycle after being asleep for 60 minutes,


i can hear relay's click on. fans turn for a little. then relay clicks off. then 2 seconds later that cycle repeats. no screen lights up though. it's just doing it's thing?

i've tried turning off/on power saving settings but it appears to be still doing it. so for now i will just leave it unplugged when not in use.


though to be honest. the unit is currently located closely to a radiator though. so perhaps the powersupply is just mad about the slightly too high ambient temps.

[blackcat4866]

The cyan and magenta developing spacers are bad. AFAIK the only way to get them is on a whole developing unit assembly. This was a common flaw on this series. =^..^=