HP Pagewide Pro Unknown part

[Ennalia]

I have a question regarding the HP PageWide Pro line of printers. The print environment where I work has purchased between 50-100 PageWide Pros, including the 452, 552, 477, and the 577. 

On two separate occasions, I have seen the error "Device Failure: 0x610000d3". The first ended in a device replacement within the first 30days, and the second was fixed after an extensive phone and onsite troubleshooting experience with HP representatives. While I normally would be fine with any resolution, this was very, very strange and I want to know if others have experienced this as well. 

the solution was to open a compartment under the display screen and remove a hard plastic container/wedge that was locked into place. This plastic piece was referred to as an 'inhibitor' over the phone but I wasn't able to get any more information at that time.  This plastic piece seems to be in all of the PageWide Pros that I check, and they seem to work with it in or out. 

First I thought it may be to prevent damage during shipping, but It has an HP part number and isn't the standard orange 'remove me' color. 

has anyone seen this?  Is it in all the PageWides?  has it caused anyone else's to fail? 

I want to be sure If I have to be sure this is taken out during our setup process or if it is only on failure. 

worst case I figure this post can save someone else the hours of my life I won't get back from getting to this solution. 

the part number is D3Q17-60016 .

bottom of the partfront viewpart cavity

[Valsimot]

Your first thought is correct. That is used to prevent the ink cartridge station to be locked (not to move during shipping) nothing else.

[Ennalia]

Then how is the causing errors on the devices?  should it always be removed when received? 

[Valsimot]

It needs to be removed, you can't install ink cartridges without removing it.

[Ennalia]

It does not prevent the ink from being installed. It inhibits/restrains a lifting function during printer initialization and/or startup.

and that's the problem. it's only SOMETIMES that this shipping plug is causing an issue. it's not referenced anywhere and the printer will normally work as intended with this thing still inside. sometimes we get the printer and there isn't one installed in it at all. 

[desrt2]

Absolute statements are a logical fallacy.

The inhibitor/restrainer is not readily documented and very much unknown or at least unknown to me and the original poster.

I had a tech onsite from an HP vendor. He removed the side access panel and checked the lifter arms indicated in the error code.

The mechanism operated and functioned as designed.

It took almost 1 hour of troubleshooting for an HP Tier 3 - almost engineering level - technician to suggest the inhibitor.

in the device was the source.

Looking thru the 3204 page repair manual, installation document, user guide and online, I found no reference for the inhibitor.

In the installation guide and user manual, illustrations indicate the removal of shipping tape including the small access panel to the inhibitor but not the presence or removal of it.

Further adding to the mystery, the device is robust enough to be ran over by a truck. The common shipping plugs are thin, disposable plastic.

I don't doubt your assertion the device is a shipping plug. The issue is the trouble it has caused from lack of documentation/reference/illustration.

[Valsimot · Accepted solution]

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c05263194.pdf