HP PSC 1510 is screaming at me!

**awa13** · 09-04-2010, 01:42 PM

My HP PSC 1510 All-in-one Printer makes a loud clicking noise before printing, and after I close the front of the machine - you know, when the cartridges slide all the way over to the right side of the machine. When they get there, it's like they want to keep going or something, thus the click, click, clicking. The thing is, it is REALLY LOUD. It still prints normally and movement of the cartridges do not seem to be prohibited.

Troubleshooting steps performed:

-Removed power cord from back of unit. Waited one minute. Reinserted power cord and allowed to fully boot up.
-Removed power cord and USB cable, waited 1 hour, plugged all back in.
-Contacted HP Technical Support via e-mail, but they wrote me back admitting they do not know what the problem is.

**Big Al** · 09-13-2010, 01:00 PM

We work on a lot of these ink jet printers. They all have a lot of similarities. There is a plastic strip with a lot of vertical black lines, called the Locator Strip by HP. This tells the electronics where the cartridges are. If this strip gets dirty it can make the mechanisms do strange things. Getting to it is a hassle in some of the all-in-one printers. The round stainless steel rod needs a light coating of oil or grease to prevent overloading of the carriage motion motor. If the strip loses its tension because someone cleared a jam with reckless abandon then the characters printed will have horizontal blurring.

Sorry, best I can do with this one.

Al

**awa13** · 09-14-2010, 01:51 AM

Thanks Al - that makes sense.

I ended up correcting the problem by purchasing a new HP Printer - the C4680. Not too happy with some things about it, but it will have to do for now.

Again, thanks for your response as it does make perfect sense.

Now I just need to find someone who wants my old printer that maybe can repair it and use it, or sell it.