Bad Toner HP 55X or Bad Fuser LaserJet P3015

[BigPrint]

So the toner got low on the LJ P3015 and we got a 2-pack of HP 55X cartridges. Put a cartridge in and got ghosting when printing. Pulled it out and opened the 2nd cartridge and same result. Turned up the fuser temperature from Normal to High 1 for plain paper and the problem was reduced -- but some fine lines would appear from time-to-time. Put back the first cartridge (fuser High 1 kept) and same result.

Took out the fuser.  The fuser film was worn on one side where a metal brush dragged along the circumference as it rotates. The film looked clean where the paper goes over it. On close inspection there were impressions in the fuser film -- lines around the circumference every few millimeters. We think the roller it was on has grooves that show through (correct?).

Cleaned the paper dust out of the fuser assembly and tested it. Same problem.

So it seems like it needs the fuser replaced. But what bugs me is that the problem didn’t show up until the toner was changed. Is it possible that the genuine HP 55X toner was “bad” and doesn’t fuse right?

[Alex-TATS]

Hi @BigPrint,

When the toner in the cartridge is very low, that means that not enough quantity of toner is applied on the paper. That would be the reason why, when you replaced the low cartridge with a new one, the fuser's problem appeared. Yes, I agree that you should replace your fuser.

Cheers!

[BigPrint]

Alex,

Thanks,

I was leaning in that direction but thought it a weird coincidence. 

[davidzuts]

For anyone who sees this type of issue, the best thing to do is a half test. You put a sheet of paper on the manual tray and open the paper cassette. Now perform a self test and when the back edge of the paper enters the printer, quickly open the toner door to stop the printing. Remove the toner cartrdige and look at the unfused image on the paper below. If the image is fine, then the fuser is the issue and if the image has the defect, then the toner cartridge is the issue. Simple test to determine cause of issue.

[BigPrint]

Replaced the fuser and now just have repeated ghost images 76mm apart on the left side. These fade toward center so the right side of sheet is clean. Did the half-sheet print with the new fuser and it looks like no ghosting. Cleaned the transfer roller and the ghosting pattern was replaced by a column of ghost rectangles -- like a roller had debris on the edge. After a while it went back to  the first pattern of ghosting that fades toward center.

Should I replace the transfer roller?  

[BigPrint · Accepted solution]

Final Results

After changing the fuser the ghosting continued. So I changed the transfer roller and the problem cleared up after a few page. So I would ammend the "half test" procedure to consider the transfer roller and fuser both suspect.

[BigPrint]

Wouldn't you know? After printing OK for  a while the ghosting is starting to creep in. This time it seems offset lift-right instead of up/down!  What gives?