Grinding noises and frequent jams in HP Photosmart 6520

[RadioJeff]

A piece of paper tore in the printer the other day and required a bit of tugging to get both pieces out. Since then, the printer has made grinding noises as it prints and every 2nd or 3rd piece of paper jams. And ALL pieces of paper have a notch or small rip at the same point after going through the printer. I checked under the printer and it's at the spot where a small stick of plastic teeth contacts the paper. I think this piece isn't moving at the right time (I can tell it's on a spring), causing the paper to catch on it as it gets pulled up into the machine. 

The standard "Paper Jam" routine isn't helping. Anyone have advice for this kind of problem?

BTW, the printer prints photos just fine. It's a problem with paper feeding out of the tray.

I've also been having frequent network problems with this printer for about a month, but I assume those are unrelated...

[Jamieson]

Hi @RadioJeff , and welcome to the HP Forums!

I understand you're getting jams, alongside some grinding noises.  I would like to help!

I would recommend removing the ink cartridges from the printer, and perform a power reset.  Disconnect the power cord from the printer and the power outlet, then wait 60 seconds. After 60 seconds, plug the printer back in. Ensure you plug the printer directly to a wall outlet. Make sure to bypass any sort of surge protector or power bar.

I would also recommend the steps in the following documents:

A 'Paper Jam' Error Displays on the HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 6520 e-All-in-One and HP Photosmart 652...

A 'Carriage Jam' Message Displays for HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 6520 e-All-in-One and HP Photosmart 6...

Good luck and please let me know the results of your troubleshooting steps. Thank you for posting on the HP Forums!

[cholliday120]

I have the same exact problem.  Were you able to fix your problem?

[rsagan]

i am having the same issues with noises, but also getting the paper jam error message and have gone thru the steps provided on the hp support web site.

[printess]

I tried all suggestions but my issue didn't get resolved. Then one paper sheet got stuck in an area where I had to pull it our from under the printer. That resulted in another issue - the roller with a spring - the spring is not connected to anything but the roller part and I have no idea where it is to be connected. Can't even lay it flat on the bottom. So I guess it is time to get a new printer.  

[Jack07310]

This procedure worked like a charm - really surprised and was about to junk the printer: 

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00255558

HP Deskjet Printers - The Printer Makes a Grinding Noise When It is Turned On or Printing

Issue

A grinding sound is heard when the printer is turned on or when it is printing. Blinking lights may accompany the noise. The problem can be caused by a carriage stall or a paper jam. To resolve this issue, follow the instructions below.

Solution

1. Turn the printer on.
   • For the 800, 900, 3820, 5500, and 6000 series, open the top cover of the printer. Verify that the carriage moves to the center of the printer. If the carriage does not move to the center, proceed to step 2.
   • For the 5100, 5600, and 5800 series printers, open the top cover of the printer. Verify that the service station (the piece below the cartridges) lowers, allowing access to the cartridges. If the service station does not lower, proceed to step 2.
2. Unplug the power cable from the back of the printer.
3. If the carriage moved to the center, or if the service station lowered, remove the cartridges. Check inside the printer for any broken parts.
   If the carriage did not move to the center, try to manually slide the carriage to the center. If the carriage is locked either in the left or right position, proceed to step 5.
4. Close the top cover of the printer.
5. If the printer is a HP Deskjet 900 series printer, refer to the HP support document Removing the Cartridges if the Printer will not Turn On or the Carriage is Locked (bpd50074). This document will provide information for unlocking the carriage from the right side of the printer. If the issue is on another model of printer, proceed to step 6.
6. Remove the rear access door, or the automatic two-sided printing accessory, and check for any paper jams or paper obstructions. Remove any obstructions.
7. Check to make certain the carriage is on the right side of the printer. Rotate the rear paper guide rollers upwards five times, then downwards four times. If the rollers will not move, open the top cover and slide the carriage to the right (if it is not already there and if carriage can move). Try to roll the rollers again while pushing the clutch in. If the rollers do not move, continue on to the next step.

   Figure : Location of the clutch

   
8. Replace the rear access door accessory, or the automatic two-sided printing accessory. Close the top cover.
9. Plug the power cable back in.
10. Turn the printer on, and replace the cartridges if possible. If the carriage moves, but there is still a grinding noise, there may be a paper feed issue. If the carriage will not move, then it is a carriage stall issue.
11. After installing the cartridge, if the printer has a solid power light, perform a self-test on the printer.

[touchyu2]

I have the same problems and have not solved them but in the case of the “loose spring” I did fix that but it had no effect on the printer jamming and failure to operate as designed. The spring goes over the long plastic post near it. It easily slips over the post and then acts to keep the two rollers in place. THC