LaserJet 5Si Spills Toner

[redwardz]

I have a LaserJet 5Si that keeps spilling toner, even with a brand new toner cartridge; I have cleaned the inside extensively, but the problem remains. Does anyone have any ideas what might be causing this?

[cs_steve]

What do you mean by "spills toner"?
When you look inside the machine, there is toner spilled inside, or do you just mean you see a print defect on each page?

Generally , print defects that appear to be toner spots are caused by one of three things:
- toner cartridge, fuser, or transfer roller

If you are seeing extra print, specifically duplicate images several times on each page where a faint image repeats itself down the page, you may need to replace your fuser...

You may also need to switch to a higher-quality brand of toner cartridges, if you are using remanufactured ...

[redwardz]

When I start printing, the first page has some specks on it, the second page has globs on it, and the third page jams the printer.

When I remove the cartridge, there's a loose pile of toner dust as well as solidified toner on the fuser roller. The pile of loose dust tends to accumulate on the right side of the opening where the cartridge goes.

I got this result not only from the old cartridge, but also from the new cartridge that I bought from PrinterTechs.

I also have an extended maintenance kit on order from PrinterTechs that should arrive by 6/12.

Thank you for any assistance that you can provide.

[redcow]

Either try the cartridge in another printer and/or send it back to the vendor. You might try borrowing one from another printer if you can find one.

How old was the old cartridge before it started dumping toner. Is it also a remanufactured cartridge from the same source as the "new" one?

[redwardz]

I'm not sure how old the original toner cartridge was, but I'm reasonably sure it did not come from the same source as the 'new' one.

BTW - a correction is in order here - the 'new' toner cartridge did not come from PrinterTechs, but from a seller on eBay. Oh well.

I think I'll try one of PrinterTechs' toner cartridges and see if that helps - right after I clean up my LJ5Si - again.

So, is this a problem that can only be caused by a bad toner cartridge?

[woodss]

My question is? Does the drum rotate if it doesn't then you have jams.
Put a mark on the side of the drum, and put it in, if it moves then the drum is rotating, if not then you either have a jammed drum or a bad gear train.

Also there could be a problem with the transfer roller, hence the speaks.

It sounds to me that the gears in the printer are going bad, and the transfer roller, but also it can be the transfer roller out of alignment.

As for the spills, bad toner cartridge.

Stuart Woods DipIT Web Dev

[redwardz]

It sounds like it would be a good idea to perform a maintenance overhaul with the kit I have coming, and fire it up with the new Printertechs cartridge, also coming.

I'll take a close look at those gears you mentioned and see if they need replacing as well.

My thanks to all who participated in my very first forum thread, ever.

I really appreciate all of the assistance that all of you have provided.

More on this situation later

Thanks -

Rick

[woodss]

you will discover that is a mechanical problem.

In my opinion LaserJet 5si printers are though the tooth, many need their gear trains and paper replaced, they are durable machines.

Whats the page count?

They were very good machines and still are when fully working.

If you have access to a air compressor, blast air throughout the machine.

[redwardz]

How do I:
1. Get the page count?
2. Determine whether the gear trains need to be replaced?

Will canned air suffice?

[woodss]

You can do it via service mode to get the page count, the information of that is on this website.

If there is broken teeth on the gears of the gear train it can cause the mechanics to jam, or parts of the gear train to not to rotate, this is caused by broken teeth, thats the reason I asked u to put a mark on side of the toner cartridge drum.

Since you can print a page sometimes there shouldnt be a problem with the gear train, you would hear clicking or thumping noises inside there.

Try uninstalling the transfer roller and reinstalling the transfer roller see if that solves the issue.

As with canned air, any compressed air would do.

[cs_steve]

Yes, print defects are not signs of mechanical issues ... the gear assemblies on these machines do not have known issues, they rarely ever wear out ...

this excess toner issue is much more likely to be solved by simply replacing the toner as it sounds like you are about to do...

[redwardz]

Success!
I went ahead and installed PrinterTech's extended maintenance package, it was a breeze to install. I also got rid of my 'bargain' cartridge and installed a PrinterTech toner cartridge, and now everything is printing perfectly!

Many thanks to all of the generous and talented folks out there who gave me some of their time and expertise to help me out, I hope I get a chance to return the favor.