Error message: HARDWARE PROBLEM ERROR CODE 0502 Only prints top part of page and then gives error code [email protected]

After months of use, your printer might get the habit of stopping in the middle of a page and showing "Hardware Error 0502" on the LCD display. If you leave the printer alone for a while, it might start printing again. Then again, it might not. Pretty annoying.

The Lexmark support site will let you power off, remove the power cord for 30 seconds, take out the cartridges and fiddle with some encoder strip. This whole procedure might take you up to 30 minutes and it will not help (been there, done that).

On the All-In-One printer seems to be a coating on the metal rod that the cartridges travel on. Just wipe this rod with a kleenex and the problem seems to go away. Somehow it presents a drag on the cartridges and causes an error.

Clean that with a paper towel. The towel will be black from ink residue, but you will be able to print again.

hello

this should help

Lexmark printers with "Hardware Error 0502? Published on February 11, 2006 in hardware. 252 Comments Tags: 0502, error, fix, hardware, lexmark, printer. Good tip for the Lexmark All-in-one inkjet printer owners (mine is the X6170):
After some months of use, your printer might get the habit of stopping in the middle of a page and showing "Hardware Error 0502" on the LCD display. If you leave the printer alone for a while, it might start printing again. Then again, it might not. Pretty annoying.
The Lexmark support site will let you power off, remove the power cord for 30 seconds (!!), take out the cartridges and fiddle with some encoder strip. This whole procedure might take you up to 30 minutes and it will not help (been there, done that).
The real answer is given by a person called 'clem':
Hardware Error: 0502.
On the multi function machine seems to be a coating on the metal rod that the cartridges travel on. Just wipe this rod with a kleenex and the problem seems to go away. Somehow it presents a drag on the cartridges and causes an error.
Clem
(from fixyourownprinter.com)
This works! Clean the ****** with a paper towel (another page talks about re-lubricating the thing, but that was not necessary in my case). The towel will be black (ink residu, presumably), but there you go printing to your heart's desire again

After months of use, your printer might get the habit of stopping in the middle of a page and showing "Hardware Error 0502" on the LCD display. If you leave the printer alone for a while, it might start printing again. Then again, it might not. Pretty annoying.

The Lexmark support site will let you power off, remove the power cord for 30 seconds, take out the cartridges and fiddle with some encoder strip. This whole procedure might take you up to 30 minutes and it will not help (been there, done that).

On the multi function machine seems to be a coating on the metal rod that the cartridges travel on. Just wipe this rod with a kleenex and the problem seems to go away. Somehow it presents a drag on the cartridges and causes an error.

Clean it with a paper towel. The towel will be black from ink residue, but you will be able to print again.

The 0502 error can have any of four possible causes:
- A faulty black/photo cartridge
- A faulty color photo cartridge
- A dirty encoder strip
- The encoder strip being out of position
.... most of the time, it's the encoder strip that is giving the problem..
goto
http://support.lexmark.com/index?userlocale=EN_US&locale=EN&page=content&segment=SUPPORT&productCode=LEXMARK_X5150&id=HO2707

Check this out for the error. The trick here is to make sure the bar is cleaned and lubricated with furniture polish or cooking oil.

http://blog.forret.com/2006/02/lexmark-printers-with-hardware-error-0502/

The error is caused by either the cartridges or the encoder strip. Here's a link to the Lexmark website to guide you on what to do. Just click on this link: http://bit.ly/affECc .

i once fixed the hardware message by putting the tape back on the back of the cartridge...then fixed the perpetual paper jam message...

he real answer is given by a person called ‘clem’: Hardware Error: 0502.
On the multi function machine seems to be a coating on the metal rod that the cartridges travel on. Just wipe this rod with a kleenex and the problem seems to go away. Somehow it presents a drag on the cartridges and causes an error.
Clem
(from fixyourownprinter.com)
This works! Clean the ****** with a paper towel (another page talks about re-lubricating the thing, but that was not necessary in my case). The towel will be black (ink residu, presumably), but there you go printing to your heart’s desire again.

check out the solution here http://blog.forret.com/2006/02/lexmark-printers-with-hardware-error-0502/

I have a lexmark x5150 printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine. I keep getting the message: hardware error 0502. The cartridges are stalled on the left side and the printer won't do anything. Can someone help me??