HP 4MP jamming and skewing pages

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Roberts
  • Start date Start date
D

David Roberts

Hi,
I've been having some problems recently with my HP 4MP printer. It
just began jamming on a regular basis with the symptoms being that the
left edge of the paper is drawn in faster than the right. The result
is that the left edge begins to get crunched as it passes through the
printer. Sometimes it makes it all the way out (albeit with a crinkled
left edge) but most of the time it causes a jam.

I would have suspected the pickup roller isn't working but it seems to
be working too well since it's the left side (side of the pickup) that
is leading the right and not vice versa. Nonetheless, I have cleaned
the roller and the oblique plastic ones with rubbing alcohol to no
avail.

Manual feed works just fine as long as I hold the paper steady as it
is sucked in.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
 
Hi,
I've been having some problems recently with my HP 4MP printer. It
just began jamming on a regular basis with the symptoms being that the
left edge of the paper is drawn in faster than the right. The result
is that the left edge begins to get crunched as it passes through the
printer. Sometimes it makes it all the way out (albeit with a crinkled
left edge) but most of the time it causes a jam.

I would have suspected the pickup roller isn't working but it seems to
be working too well since it's the left side (side of the pickup) that
is leading the right and not vice versa. Nonetheless, I have cleaned
the roller and the oblique plastic ones with rubbing alcohol to no
avail.

Manual feed works just fine as long as I hold the paper steady as it
is sucked in.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Click to expand...


Replace the transfer roller.

Frank
 
David Roberts said:
Hi,
I've been having some problems recently with my HP 4MP printer. It
just began jamming on a regular basis with the symptoms being that the
left edge of the paper is drawn in faster than the right. The result
is that the left edge begins to get crunched as it passes through the
printer. Sometimes it makes it all the way out (albeit with a crinkled
left edge) but most of the time it causes a jam.

I would have suspected the pickup roller isn't working but it seems to
be working too well since it's the left side (side of the pickup) that
is leading the right and not vice versa. Nonetheless, I have cleaned
the roller and the oblique plastic ones with rubbing alcohol to no
avail.

Manual feed works just fine as long as I hold the paper steady as it
is sucked in.

Any suggestions?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Use a paper towel saturated with alcohol then wipe the roller. Work for me.
 
Use a paper towel saturated with alcohol then wipe the roller. Work for me.
Click to expand...
NO!!!!! NEVER use alcohol on the transfer roller. You can try
cleaning it with a very very mild dish detergent and cool water. Using
alcolhol will destroy the roller material much sooner rather than
later.

Frank
 
Ditto for using isopropyl alcohol for cleaning any rubber parts. The alcohol
has the effect of drying out the rubber... Ben Myers
 
Dewaine said:
You could be your toner cartridge that is causing the problem. Do you by any chance have another toner
cartridge (Empty one is OK) to test this?

Yes. Transfer roller and the transfer charge roller are referring to the same thing. I personally doubt that
is teh cause of the problem though.

Dewaine
Click to expand...

Thanks. I've done some more troubleshooting and think I can eliminate
the transfer roller as the problem. Basically, I removed the toner and
tricked the printer into thinking it was there. Then print a test page
and watched the paper get loaded. It seems that just after leaving the
'oblique' roller (left side just before hitting toner) it starts to
get misaligned with the left edge leading.

The pickup roller seems fine since the paper always gets at least
initially picked up by that roller. The oblique roller has some shine
to it so perhaps it needs replacing?
 
David Roberts said:
Dewaine <[email protected]> wrote in message

Thanks. I've done some more troubleshooting and think I can eliminate
the transfer roller as the problem. Basically, I removed the toner and
tricked the printer into thinking it was there. Then print a test page
and watched the paper get loaded. It seems that just after leaving the
'oblique' roller (left side just before hitting toner) it starts to
get misaligned with the left edge leading.

The pickup roller seems fine since the paper always gets at least
initially picked up by that roller. The oblique roller has some shine
to it so perhaps it needs replacing?
Click to expand...

Mine has recently been doing exactly the same thing - either creased or torn
down the left hand edge. I can't find anything obviously wrong with the
printer. I think the problem may be the paper. If it's a bit damp it loses
it's stiffness and the edge no longer maintains it's alignment as it leaves
the paper tray. Instead it tends to fold over. Try using a new crisp pack of
paper, or perhaps a thicker grade. It seems to have solved the problem for
me.
John
 
nodge said:
Mine has recently been doing exactly the same thing - either creased or torn
down the left hand edge. I can't find anything obviously wrong with the
printer. I think the problem may be the paper. If it's a bit damp it loses
it's stiffness and the edge no longer maintains it's alignment as it leaves
the paper tray. Instead it tends to fold over. Try using a new crisp pack of
paper, or perhaps a thicker grade. It seems to have solved the problem for
me.
John
Click to expand...
Thanks John. I tried replacing the paper and using a thicker (24 lb)
kind. It helped somewhat but the print still comes out at an angle
with a crinkled left edge (when it doesn't get jammed).
I've also since completely changed out the whole pickup assembly which
made 0 difference. Someone said a slight misalignment in the tray
guide could cause a problem but mine looks pretty dead straight.

Any other ideas before I junk it?
Thanks
 
Thanks John. I tried replacing the paper and using a thicker (24 lb)
kind. It helped somewhat but the print still comes out at an angle
with a crinkled left edge (when it doesn't get jammed).
I've also since completely changed out the whole pickup assembly which
made 0 difference. Someone said a slight misalignment in the tray
guide could cause a problem but mine looks pretty dead straight.

Any other ideas before I junk it?
Thanks
Click to expand...


Obstruction. Follow the paper path.
 
Back in the bad old days of typewriters, office supply stores sold a
product called "rubber roller restorer" for cleaning and conditioning
the platen. Maybe they still have the stuff.
 
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