Possible output sensor fault in Laserjet 2600n after jam

[boatey]

Cleared a paper jam in the output area of old Laserjet 2600n printer. Paper path is clear, but system reboots with error Paper jam in output bin.  Can't see any paper in the path, and select button does not clear. Is this printer now defunct?

[Reskape]

Hello @boatey

For the looks of your explanation it looks like it 

I guess that all you can do its use onoe of those compress air and put in on the unit and see if you can floss any debris of paper from the inside , if not it look like the sensor went bad and that assembly needs to be replaced 

[boatey]

Thanks for taking the time to help. Appreciated. Is there any way of over-riding the error condition and feeding paper through the fuser unit to try and clear it? I'm not sure the fuser units are still available, and would cost more than a new printer.

I presume it is the fuser unit which would need replacement?

[Reskape]

Not the fuser but the paper delivery assembly or even the top cover 

The price to get that replace could be similar to the price of a brand new printer 

You can call this number 888 447 0078 ext 813 

With that team you can find out how much a discount you can get in exchange for another printer (not new but still with 1 year of warranty )

[boatey]

Thanks for the reply. 

Is there any schematic or drawing anywhere which shows the location and access to the relevant output paper check sensor? I have looked through the HP documentation but there is not details of the exactitudes of that particular sensor.

Re getting a rebuild, I am in the UK, and it is cheaper to discard the printer, but it seems such a shame to be so disposable. It has served well and has a bank of near new inks in it. I am pretty handy, and if I could find the sensor, cleaning it might be an option. Is it a tactile or optical sensor?

I think the paper was pulled out too vigorously after a jam, so it might be a trivial problem if I could get at the sensor.

Cheers.

[davidzuts]

Just do a google search for the service manual as it is available for no charge on the net.  Once you have the manual follow the procedures for removing the fuser and you may then see what is wrong.  Hint:  Once the top cover is removed you should be able to see what is wrong.

[boatey]

Can anyone tell me what type the paper output sensor is, manual or optical?

[GaryL1]

Manual.  HP rarely uses optical sensors on printers.  Mainly just for media reflection and to tell what coatings are on the paper.

The sensor is a small plastic flag shapped thing on a small plastic shaft.  This flag sticks out 90 degrees and the shaft connects back to another flag that falls between two magnetic break swicthes that see the circuit as open or closed and trigger the jam alert.  It looks like a horse shoe or a U shapped thing.  It has two 22 or 24 gauge wires running from it that go to the DC controller. 

If you pull the cover, it should be right where the paper would come out of the fuser.  It is sensitive enough that the paper can move it back and forth.  Sometimes removing a jam can cause the sensor flag to pop orr or even break off.  You can pop it back on or crazy glue it.

Unfortunately, you can't bypass this sensor becaue one position tells you it's jammed, and if you trick it out, the unit will just site there like an idiot R2D2 blinking at you.  I had one of these little things and when it had issues, it was a frustrating little pain in the neck. 

Don't waste too much time messing with it.  Give it an hour or two then toss in the towel.  Just basic shop repairs costs as much as a new, low volume unit.

[boatey]

In the center of the two last rollers in the output queue there is a little finger which connects to a plastic rod. This rod runs along behind the right side above the rollers, and is attached to a plastic flag sitting between the two cheeks of a non-contact sensor. The sensor appears to be magnetic, and is wired through a pink three-wire ribbon strip down into the printer.

Is this the sensor which is reporting the jam?

In my case, the entire assembly is intact and apparently working ok. So either the sensor has failed, or the boot sequence in the cpu has been corrupted ????

According to the manual a jam is detected by a timing sequence. So it looks more like a program hang than a hardware fault, unless I am looking at the wrong sensor?

[GaryL1 · Accepted solution]

Yes, although I forgot aout the color of the wire.  Pull it off the network and do a cold reset.  This will clear out internal programming. 

Then run a test or config page and see if it gives the error.   If it only throws an error while pushing out a job, the issue could be anything from the page set up defaults to the DC controller.   That part number is RM1-1975 and they are less than $20 on eBay. 

I am assuming you did all the little "gotcha" checks, like make sure no cracks in the tray, make sure the default paper size is correct, pulled the fuser and fed a piece through by hand, or get a dental type mirror and a little LED flashlight to check it... etc.

With these little things, there are not many of us with experience on them because they were considered disposable.   While I personally have worked on thousands of printers, I only worked on my own 2600N, but you had no other responses answering your question.