MP830 Loud Ratcheting Noise

[rocker]

For the last 1 or 2 months our MP830 has been making a LOUD ratcheting noise, sometimes before it prints, and always 1 or 2 minutes after it has completed printing. The printer, fax, scanner, and ADF are all working fine, and there is no error messages or bits of paper stuck anywhere. I am guessing it may have something to do with the purge unit drive?? What is actually going on and is there an easy fix?

 

[turbguy]

I would suspect a fouled optical positioning strip, a semi-transparent thin piece of film that runs through the print head carriage and is anchored on the left and right sides of the printer. Ink can foul the strip and then print head looses track of where it is, left-to-right, thus hitting mechanical end stops in the printer and causing the carriage drive belt to slip on the cogs and produce the noise. The strip can be carefully cleaned if fouled with distilled water or Original Windex and cotton Q-tips.

Run your printer with the cover open (you will have to defeat the cover-open switch) and see where the print head is when the noise occurs. Report back.

Wayne

 

[rocker]

The print head is at the far right-hand when the noise occurs.

 

[rocker]

Upon more testing: With the cover open and the switch on the RH side depressed (but not the cover-open switch on the LH corner) the print head was at the far RH. However, with the cover open and both switches depressed so it will actually print, the noise occurs when the print head is slightly RH of center (RH of print head is even with RH side of opening).

 

[barfl2]

Is it fouling on the cleaning pads which are situated in that area? have either of the pads been disturbed from within the frame in which they sit. Not sure but I had a MP760 and they were in that area. To get access to view you may have to first power up and then pull the plug out so that you can push the print carriage freely from side to side.

You then have a look and see if anything is obstructing the print heads path. I assume you have checked that all the carts are locked in and not catching the cover. Newer models have only a very small clearance.

 

[turbguy]

Upon more testing: With the cover open and the switch on the RH side depressed (but not the cover-open switch on the LH corner) the print head was at the far RH. However, with the cover open and both switches depressed so it will actually print, the noise occurs when the print head is slightly RH of center (RH of print head is even with RH side of opening).

If the print head is not at either extreme left or right position when the noise occurs, then I don't have any idea what the issue is. Good luck!


Wayne

 

[rocker]

I have visually checked for anything that might be interfering with free movement of the print head and everything seems fine. The pads underneath are in place and reasonably clean. If I start with the cover open and power disconnected, and then connect power while holding both "cover open" switches, it "whirrs and hums", the print head cycles back and forth (freely it seems), then it stops slightly to the RH of center, and then after 1 or 2 seconds the loud ratcheting occurs for a few seconds, then the print head returns to the far RH and rests there.

 

[The Hat]

The first thing you should do is to disable the top cover trip switches so your printer will work with the lid open hands free.
Next is to turn on your printer and when the print head moves to the centre of the carriageway pull the power cord out of the wall.

Now you have a dead printer with a print head that can be moved eider way by manually pushing it freely and slowly yourself.

Move the print head fully to the left hand side of the carriageway and then to the right, if it fails to complete its travels
i.e. it bumps into something then move it away from that restriction and investigate what is blocking its path.

Its probably the top arm of your purge unit that is getting in the way of the returning print head,
it could be bunged up with ink or the spring has come away from it.

(That's my opinion on the probable cause of your problem) !

 

[rocker]

With the power disconnected the print head slides manually all the way left and all the way right with no problem. It seems to easily travel the proper distance to the RH, as there is only the print head locking lever (on the LH side of the print head) remaining visible in the opening in the center of the printer. The print head is definately sitting over the 2 pads and 3 wipers when it is in the RH position. As I had mentioned in post #7 (perhaps not properly explained), the noise often occurs when the print head is sitting to the right of center (while it seems it is supposed to rest there momentarily), but nowhere near the purge tank on the RH side, then at the seemingly proper time it travels to the RH (easily) where it rests until called upon to print again. It would seem that it is not a problem with the movement of the print head itself, but with some other part of the "procedure" that the printer is programed to do after it is finished printing for 1 or 2 minutes (and occasionally before it starts to print).

 

[The Hat]

When the print head stops near the centre of the printer, it is checking the condition of your cartridges
with the red laser light underneath before it can commence any other functions. (All the printers do that)

I still think its the top arm of the purge unit (your locking lever) that is on occasion
failing to move low enough to allow the print head clear passage everytime.

Its the only possible explanation that I can see so try moving your print head out of the way
and giving this area of your purge unit a good clean using Windex and a toothbrush
and finish off with a couple of squirts of Windex, cover the surrounding area with a piece of paper (Minimise splashing)

At least by doing this you can then take the purge unit out of the equation altogether
and look for another explanation if that was not the real cause in the first place..