there are 3 reason if the copy gray & less sharp:
1) the toner you are using is not compatible very well with the cartridge unit if you changed other compatible toner.
2) the cartridge going near the life-cycle, (also cause print blurred)
3) the photo drum going near the life-cycle
you may try to change the quality toner (original factory). or
change the cartridge if it is out of the life-cycle
There is a button right above the "Start Scan" button that says "Select Software". Use the arrow buttons (located over the Cancel button) to change how the documents are scanned.
Do a hard reset of printer to erase all memories. Then also uninstall and reinstall the driver and see what happens. Also make sure that you are using the correct driver for your OS
Grinding noises indicate either gears that are self destructing or something is stuck inside. Take out the cartridge(s), remove the paper and all the plastic that comes off. Unplug the cables. Now lift the printer, turn upside down and shake. If there are broken gears a local repair shop might try to fix it but most stores refrain from this.
Had a similar problem on a HP MFC3330
Fixed it with the following video aid:
"how to fix the scanner bulb warming up error hp 3330 or repair 3380 scanner bulb warm up problem - YouTube"
http://youtu.be/lqG_nmi3vC4
Hope it helps...
[Clearing the Memory]
You can selectively clear information stored in your multi-function printer's memory.
Press <Menu> on the operator panel until "Maintenance" appears on the top line of the display. 1.
Press the scroll button ( or ) until you see "Clear Setting" on the bottom line and press <Select>. 2.
The first available menu item, "Paper Setting" displays on the bottom line.
Press the scroll button ( or ) until you see the item you want to clear.
Paper Setting: Restores all of the Paper Setting options to the factory default.
Copy Setup: Restores all of the Copy Setup options to the factory default.
Fax Setup: Restores all of the Fax Setup options to the factory default.
Fax Feature: Cancels all of the scheduled fax jobs in the printer's memory.
Advanced Fax: Restores all of the Advanced Fax setting options to the factory default.
All Settings: Clears all of the data stored in the memory and resets all of your settings to the
factory default.
Sent Report: Clears all records of your sent faxes.
RCV Report: Clears all records of your received faxes.
Phone Book: Clears the speed dial or group dial numbers stored in the memory.
3.
Press <Select>. The selected memory is cleared and the display asks you to continue clearing the next
item.
4.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 to clear another item. 5.
OR
To return to Standby mode, press <Return>.
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[Page 130]
Dell Laser Multi-Function Printer 1600n User's Guide
ftp://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_printers_main/esuprt_printers/dell-1600n_User's%20Guide_en-us.pdf
