Printer makes a terrible noise when feeding paper during printing

[GeoffG3]

Recently my HP 7830 has made a really load ratcheting/grinding noise when feeding paper during the print cycle.  It's particularly bad when returning the paper back into the printer to print the reverse side of a sheet.  I have tried the power off reset procedure (remove power cable and hold the power button for 15 seconds) ; this works for the first time I print (the grinding noises go away) but then comes back on later prints.  Clearly some gears in the feed mechanism are slipping/jamming and on two occasions now, the printer mechanism has stalled when turning over the paper.

is there anything I can do to resolve this issue?  the printer is out of warranty but is only  3 years old.

[sandytechy20]

@GeoffG3

Welcome to the HP support community.

I understand that you are getting grinding noise from the printer, I am glad to assist you.

From which tray are you trying to print?

Meanwhile:- 

Clean the rollers inside the top paper tray.

• Get a flashlight.
• Turn off the printer.
• Wait until the printer is idle and silent, and then disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
• Remove the paper stack from the input tray.
• With the flashlight, look down into the input tray and find the paper pick rollers.
• 
• Lightly dampen a cotton swab with water, and then squeeze it to remove any excess water.
• Clean the rollers with the swab, rotating the rollers with your fingers to completely clean them.
• Allow the rollers to dry for two minutes.
• Reconnect the power cord, and then turn on the printer.

Clean the paper pick rollers on a printer where the paper tray is located on the bottom.

• Turn off the printer.
• Wait until the printer is idle and silent, and then disconnect the power cord and any cables from the rear of the printer.
• Remove the paper stack from the input tray.
• Lift the printer and place it on its side or back.
• Pull out the paper tray, and then locate the gray paper pick rollers.
• 
• Lightly dampen a cotton swab with water, and then squeeze it to remove any excess water.
• Clean the rollers with the swab, rotating the rollers with your fingers to completely clean them.
• Allow the rollers to dry for two minutes.
• Set the printer upright.
• Reconnect the power cord, and then turn on the printer.

Clean the paper pick rollers under the cartridges or inside the paper tray area.

• Get a flashlight.
• Turn off the printer.
• Wait until the printer is idle and silent, and then disconnect the power cord and any cables from the rear of the printer.
• Remove the paper stack from the input tray.
• Depending on your printer model, use the flashlight to find the paper pick roller.
• Printers with the roller under the cartridges
• 
• Printers with the roller above the input tray
• 
• Lightly dampen a cotton swab with water, and then squeeze it to remove any excess water.
• Clean the rollers with the swab, rotating the rollers with your fingers to completely clean them.
• Allow the rollers to dry for two minutes.
• Reconnect the power cord and cables, and then turn on the printer.

Refer to this HP document for further assistance:- Click here

Keep me posted.

If this helps, please mark the public post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.

Cheers. 

[GeoffG3]

Unfortunately, cleaning as you advised above did not help.  Sometimes the paper feeds normally and other times the feed mechanism makes a grinding noise an occasionally actually jams.  I've inspected all of the feed mechanism and none of the gears show signs of wear.  It seems like the feed system doesn't always reset correctly when the printer initialises itself and this causes the subsequent grinding sound.

I think it could be time to replace it.