HP Laserjet printer output with vertical stripe

Any ideas what's causing this very specific problem? I'm guessing it must be a fairly cut-and-dried issue, but Google isn't helping. Everything looks clean inside the printer and I've given the cart a good shake (which concludes my knowledge about printer servicing)

Picture at:

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(this is an otherwise blank printed page of A4; text etc prints fine). Printer is an ancient B&W HP LaserJet 5.

I'm still thinking toner cartridge?; it's an original HP one off ebay, only fitted a few weeks ago (and they usually last me over a year); that said, as these printers were obsolete years ago, although the cartridge pack was sealed, it must be pretty old too - I don't know how well they keep (there's no date).

Thanks for any tips David

Reply to
Lobster
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I would say the drum in the toner cartridge. It can happen. My manual says the same.

I have a 4M+ (very similar) - in fact, I have eight.

I got some smearing on the main one a couple of weeks ago, but the toner was nearly out, so I changed it. The smearing got worse, mainly vertical stuff although not as well defined as yours - that was with a new cartridge. I thought it might be the transfer roller (old cartridge might have voided toner over it) so I changed that - no difference.

I got a spare fuser out, but thought I'd just try another 'new' cartridge first. Bingo! All absolutely fine.

I think some of the ones off eBay get badly treated and are internally damaged. I don't mind; I buy two or three at a time and reckon that if one is occasionally duff (and it's happened before) I am still winning compared to the cost of a new cartridge.

Reply to
Bob Eager

Thin black lines tend to be either scored drum, or dirty corona wire, but not sure what would cause a thick grey stripe like that ... is it even? any corresponding mark on the drum? does it correspond to width of any rollers?

Reply to
Andy Burns

It's the blade inside the toner cartridge that wipes off excess toner (I think!). Anyway, a new cartridge will solve your problem.

Reply to
GB

Try cleaning that corresponding edge of the photo conductive drum in the cartridge with IPA solvent. Use a soft cloth, and try not to expose it to too much light.

(print quality issues with old (even if "new" old stock) drums are not uncommon alas)

Reply to
John Rumm

If it is a physical indentation on the paper it is usually the silicon rubber roller in the fuser which has become scored. If you can see up the paper outlet you may be able to see a mark on it.

You can get replacement fuser units but they are not cheap. EG

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Reply to
Peter Parry

I replaced the fuser on my LJ5 about 10 years ago. Since then, it was barely used. When I decided to end my relationship with the printer (after over 20 years), I tried selling it but there were no takers. The secondhand fuser sold on ebay for around £20, though.

The rest went in the bin, which was a great shame, as it had only done

70k prints.
Reply to
GB

When I looked at a 'gift' of a parallel port lasterjet, i calculated the electricity cost of leaving it on semi permanenetly and the onconmvenienet of a parralel cxable and threw it in the skip...

renewable energy has driven up selectricity costs so much that it is cost effective to spend money on LED bulbs and printers and TVs that will 'go idle' and evcen sweitch themselves off.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Network cards are easy to come by. The wall behind the printer has eight network ports...

As for leaving it on, I don't. I have a remote controlled 'plug' with the remote on my desk.

Reply to
Bob Eager

Precisely why I had decided to part company with it.

Reply to
GB

Cannot see picture, but the laser printer is basically a Xerox machine with a different way to eletrostatically charge the paper. common faults are. Damage to the drum, part of the toner cart on most HPs, usually green. Coroner wire whiskers. These are the wires that carry the high voltage near the drum. Often platinum and can grow whiskers or erode in time due to coronal effects. Damage to other parts , like heated roller that fixes the toner by melting it to the paper.

I don't have much experience of what stock faults there are in your printer, but the only time I had it a bit it was near the end of a toner cart. cleaned everything and replaced with a compatible one and all was sweetness and light again. Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

On a laser jet 4 and perhaps 5 (and possibly a few other models) there was a brush for cleaning (maybe not a corona wire). It was clipped to the inside of the toner cover (plastic in a contrasting green or blue colour) and it was shaped to fit into a slot in the printer or toner cartridge. From memory, the brush was inserted into the slot and moved back and forth a few times over the whole width of the cartridge.

Reply to
alan_m

replying to Lobster, Iggy wrote: It's the Toner Cartridge that's gone bad and is laying out too much toner. You'll only need a new Toner Cartridge. If you want free Toner Cartridges forever, then only buy Verbatim Cartridges. They're good for about 2/3rd's of their life and Verbatim honors the Lifetime Warranty with a new cartridge endlessly. Just fax or email them a picture like yours and they shoot out a new cartridge.

Reply to
Iggy

That's right. Green one. I still have them on mine.

No slot as such - just run it along the teeth; do it when changing toner. Unfortunately made no difference at all last time - turned out to be the new (eBay) toner.

Reply to
Bob Eager

calculated

Or evem parrallel or USB print servers.

I've just returned to service a HP LJ1200 with an TP Link ethernet to USB printer server. The combination of print server and printer may well consume more power than the colour Laserjet. However 99.9% of our printing is monochrome and the colour Laserjet "self tests" at least once a day and the colour toner levels slowly fall. You can buy

*a lot* of electricity for the cost of a set CYMK toner cartridges....

Now that's an idea but I'm not the only one to use the printer. It would be "too complicated".

Reply to
Dave Liquorice

It's just SWMBO and I. The remote is midway between us (we have facing desks).

Reply to
Bob Eager

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