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richp21
01-08-2009, 09:08 AM
Hi. I have a relatively old HP6P. It has recently started making a grinding noise when I power it on. The noise stops after 5 secs. It makes the same noise when actually printing. Eveything prints fine, but I would like to fix whatever might be causing the problem. I don't think I can open the printer and watch while it's printing to see what's causing the noise. Is there a way to troubleshoot this? TIA forany ideas!

Rich
prntrfxr
01-08-2009, 11:59 AM
Remove the toner cartridge and power it up, see if it goes away. If noise stops replace the cartridge. Most likely its the fuser especially if the noise is coming from the back. The gear drive as is on the left side of the machine, but I've never had a drive go bad yet. Have had to replace a motor.
MichaelTech
01-09-2009, 01:49 PM
The small white gear on the drive motor is probably cracked, and barely hanging on. Must replace motor, cannot get just the gear.
richp21
01-09-2009, 02:35 PM
Remove the toner cartridge and power it up, see if it goes away. If noise stops replace the cartridge. Most likely its the fuser especially if the noise is coming from the back. The gear drive as is on the left side of the machine, but I've never had a drive go bad yet. Have had to replace a motor.

Thanks for your reply! It is the cartridge. No noise when I remove it. It does print OK, so is still advisable to replace the cartridge?
JJprinter
01-09-2009, 03:38 PM
you should change the cartridge because a gear in the cartridge is not seated properly and can cause damage to your printer
richp21
01-10-2009, 07:51 AM
Thank you!
richp21
01-10-2009, 08:00 AM
I just replaced the cartridge, and the grinding noise is still there. Does this mean the motor needs to be replaced (as suggested by MichaelTech)? Is that an expensive repair? Is there any downside to just using it without fixing it?
Thanks!
prntrfxr
01-12-2009, 03:55 PM
The problem could be:

fuser,
motor, or
gear drive

fuser is more expensive, motor and gear drive are priced around the same.
your cost depends on whether you have a tech put it in or you do it yourself. The top cover is a bear if you've never taken it off before. Gear drive is the hardest of the three to replace.
richp21
01-13-2009, 01:30 PM
Thanks. From your post, I'm guessing that it would less expensive just to buy a new HP low-end laser.