Black printing grey

Is the print rough? if so try a new fuser

Replace the fuser assembly.
The fuser melts the toner ink onto the paper.
As such, it's a vital part of the printing process.

You probably need new ink or new components.

This could be an issue with several different components. It could be the toner, fuser, or imaging drum. I recommend first replacing the toner as this is probably the cheapest component. After that try replacing the fuser. Fuser kits for this model can be bought off Xerox directly, same as the imaging drum, which is the last thing to think about replacing. It is most likely a problem with the fuser. Parts found here.

open the left side door and unscrew the two green screws that hold the fuser in the machine. look at the two rollers in the fuser. one is black and the other red i think. see if any toner is stuck to either of them, if so you will need to replace the fuser. check to see if the smudge is only with back or one of the colours. If it is on everything printed then the fuser is probably the cuplrit. If not then check each of the drums for tears on the blue surface. the drums are the same so can be swopped around. If back is smudged but colours are ok then the back drum is at fault.

First thing to consider is a toner getting low but it can be a drum, fuser (fixer) or transfer roller. If it repeats the grey at a certain interval it's likely a roller in the fuser/fixer, the drum (light sensitive coated roller is all it is) or a failing transfer roller (it charges to pull the toner image off the drum onto the paper and hold it till the heat of the fuser bonds it to the paper). Easiest and least wasteful, and what Brother would tell you to do first, is to replace the toner. If it doesnt correct it you still have the new toner to use once the problem is corrected. By virtue of it being fine except the end of the page sounds like toner. One way to figure it out definitively is send a page while the exit door is open. Watch and once half the page is out of the exit door open the toner door to stop the printing. It wont hurt anything but will allow you to see the end of the sheet before it goes to the fusing unit. Of course you need to be very careful removing the sheet to prevent damage to the fuser. If you get the grey on the bottom of the sheet during the half sheet test I mentioned then it's in the image creation and transfer, not the fuser/fixing stage. Replace the toner and try a full sheet. If corrected it was the toner. If not then the drum or transfer roller would be at fault. Drum is user replaceable and while expensive it's another item you can store back on the shelf till you need it if the new drum doesnt help.Transfer roller needs to be replaced by a service person.You could do it but you would need to have the section of a service manual to show you what to do.

I had replaced the fuser - no improvement. I removed the fuser, imaging unit & transfer roller. CAREFULLY using a vacuum cleaner I cleaned all units and the internals of the printer, rotating the roller on the imaging unit to clean all parts. (Warning Place Imaging unit on paper as toner escapes) After a few test prints the page cleared and duplicate ghosting cleared.

Need to replace the fuser.

Good Evening Robert,

The setting for non dell toner only controls the fuser temperature, and will not cause you any print quality issues. Toner is actually made up of ink and plastic. The fuser melts the plastic to "fuse" the image to the paper. Dell toner is set to "fuse" at a specific temperature. when you use non Dell toners, the temperature required to fuse may be different, and when set to non dell toner setting, the fuser temperature is raised to the maximum to ensure the other toner fuses properly. The down side to this is that you will wear out the fuser sooner then it should.

As far as the print quality issue you are having, it is most likey caused by the imaging drum.

Regardless of the estimated life for the imaging drum as stated by the printer, this is just an estimate. Many things can and will cause the imaging drum need replacing. ( Just yesterday I replaced a black toner in a 3115 that was less then a month old... genuine Dell... with more then 75% expected usage left because it was defective).

On this printer, each of the 3 colors and the black are all independent of each other with the exception of the imaging drum. Even within the imaging drum, cyan and black are independent of magenta and yellow on the first stage of transfer. When you have deteriorated print quality that effects more then one color, the first step is to replace the imaging drum.

The Primary transfer, secondary transfer, and tertiary transfer of the image are ALL contained within the imaging drum.

The chances of having 3 or 4 bad Developers is very very slim. If your print quality issue was related to only ONE color, then I would say you had a bad developer unit ( the 4 items located behind the imaging drum when removed). These are far more difficult and expensive to change.

The BTR ( bios transfer roller ) is the only other item that "could" effect your print quality, however, based on the symptoms you discribed, I doubt it. Besides, if i am not mistaken, the imaging drum kit comes with a new btr anyway.

Although I am sure you may be disappointed with the fact the drum unit is failing while showing it still has life remaining, the solution to replace it should restore your unit to full operation. The unit is light sensative, and effected by physical age as well as the number of prints it has supplied.

Please evaluate the solution i have provided and, rate the solution appropriately to show your support.

Thanks,
Cory

It is the fuser at rear giving you grief! The upper heat roller has a teflon coating that wears away allowing toner to stick to roller and smudgin prints as they pass threw it. The fix is to replace fuser assembly, take to brother dealer to fix.

You can prove it to yourself by timing the print to stop mid way threw machine then remove print cartridge and look at paper, you should see a image is good untill it hits the fuser,( pre fused image "rubs off" paper.) If you have changed drum and toner thats all it can be. They all do it in time.

Fuser is hot bit at rear, pull out drum and look in the back with a small torch you will see upper heat roller is worn, guestimation $90 for fuser plus labour to fit.