Tip & How-To about Epson Stylus Office Equipment & Supplies
Fix printer that stopped working and all the lights came on
Re my problem with my epson printer: I found the problem, one of the spring loaded plastic things, located below the round rod that the print head assembly travels on has a broken latch. This allowed the plastic thing to move forward and block the print head assembly. I was able to push the plastic piece and it's spring back into place, then I wedged a toothpick inside the coil portion of the spring and the metal tab that supports it. It has ben working for over two weeks now. Jim R.
A friend had a similar problem, but I've now diagnosed and fixed it.
In this case the print head was not returning to its little 'nest' on the right. It turned out that the white plastic bits in tht nest were lifted up; when I pushed them down the print head could return home and it stopped saying paper-jam. By this time, I had the printer apart and I found a spring floating around loose, and a bit of black plastic that looked like a spring connection point that had broken off. It turned out to be one of the springs holding the 'nest' plastics in place. The bit of black plastic had broken off the base of the printer.
I melted a hole through from the inside with a fine soldering iron, then fitted a small bolt and nut of about the right length to stick up inside and hold the spring. I fitted the spring over the bolt and put a pair of nuts locked together on the end of the bolt and lock-nut to keep the spring in place.
It now works!
Method 1: Using Software. ===================== Go to Start Menu Open 'Control Panel' Open 'Printers & Faxes' Right-click on 'Epson AL C900' Select 'Properties' Select 'Optional Settings' tab Select 'Printer Settings' The option at the bottom lets you select which toner you wish to change.
Method 2: Mechanical Solution. ========================= Switch the printer off Open the front door Just inside the door, on the left, just above half-way down (to the left of the toner-changing aperture), look for the following: A horizontal rectangular hole with four raised plastic posts (2 above / 2 below). Behind the hole is the end of a hollow plastic rod. Use a broad-bladed screwdriver to push this spring-loaded rod about a centimetre into the machine. That releaces the ratchet and the cartridge carousel can be rotated anti-clockwise by hand.
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It sounds like the print head may be jamming on the parking mechanism (usually because the actuation lever is stuck in the up position). Turn the printer on, and as soon as the print head moves, pull the power cord out of the back, or switch it off at the mains. You should now be able to move the print head over to the left by hand out of the way. If you can't move the head, it means it's jammed on something, and you will need to dismantle the printer (see below) to investigate further.
If the head moves OK, look in the "parking bay" at the right end where the print head parks itself and see if there is a plastic arm sticking up. If there is, gently pull it towards you and it should spring down. Now turn the printer back on and it should operate normally. If it happens again, repeat the process a few times to see if it clears the problem. Otherwise it means the parking mechanism is gummed up with dried ink and needs a good clean (see below).
Alternatively, if you see that the whole parking mechanism itself has moved up to block the way, this means a spring has come off. To get this back on again requires the printer to be dismantled - as does the cleaning job above!
Should you decide to have a go at further investigation, cleaning or re-fixing springs etc, let me know if you are going to do this because I can help you with how to get the case apart, how to refix springs etc.
ONE OF THE ARTICLES IN, www.fixya.com/support/t262916-printer_carriage ,GAVE US SOME GOOD INFORMATION. IT REFERS TO A PAGE IN A PARTS MANUAL THAT WAS IN PDF FORM, WHICH WE HAD TROUBLE DOWN LOADING. WITH THE DOWN LOADING OF AN UP DATED ADOBE, WE MANAGED TO VIEW IT. THE ASSEMBLY THAT THE WHITE PLASTIC L SHAPED PIECE WAS MOUNTED TO WAS HANGING DOWN, AND HAD COME LOOSE. THE PLASTIC L PART GOES ON ONE OF THE SHAFTS ON THE LITTLE WHITE PLASTIC CARRIER, THAT MOUNTS INTO THE SLOTS. NOTE THEIR IS A SMALL SPRING THAT IS ON ONE SIDE AND IT ATTACHS TO ONE OF THE SHAFTS ON THAT SIDE OF THE WHITE PLASTIC CARRIER. PUT IT BACK TO GETHER IF THE PARTS AREN'T BROKEN AND THE PRINTER SHOULD WORK. I FEEL IT WAS THE SPRING COMING OFF OF THAT SHAFT THAT ALLOWED IT TO COME LOOSE, AND SHUT THINGS DOWN. GOOD LUCK
It sounds like the print head is jamming on the parking mechanism (usually because the actuation lever is stuck in the up position). Turn the printer on, and as soon as the print head moves, pull the power cord out of the back, or switch it off at the mains. You should now be able to move the print head over to the left by hand out of the way. Now look in the "parking bay" at the right end where the print head parks itself and see if there is a plastic arm sticking up. If there is, gently pull it towards you and it should spring down. Now turn the printer back on and it should operate normally. If it happens again, repeat the process a few times to see if it clears the problem. Otherwise it means the parking mechanism is gummed up with dried ink and needs a good clean (see below).
Alternatively, if you see that the whole parking mechanism itself has moved up to block the way, this means a spring has come off. To get this back on again requires the printer to be dismantled - as does the cleaning job above!
Should you decide to have a go at cleaning or re-fixing the spring, the first thing to do is to download the service manual from:
http://www.mediafire.com/?m6ouftizois
- so you can see how to remove the case etc. Let me know if you are going to do this because, when you have got the printer covers off etc, you will some tips on how to get this blasted spring back on again!
If you decide to do these things, report back for all of us to benefit from your experience.
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