Laserjet P2055dn prints only from tray 1, manual feed.

[Awesome14]

I'm running Debian Linux 11 Bullseye on PC hardware, with a HP Laserjet P2055dn connected by USB 2.0. I replaced the pick-up/feed rollers, separation pads, and transfer roller. Print looks great. Tray 1 works really well. But tray 2, the drawer, doesn't work. It's like it doesn't exist. The printer simply will not print, nor throw an error, except 'load paper', if tray 1 is mempty. Yesterday it worked, except it was jamming up. That's why I did the maintenance work.

I don't think I let anything fall off without putting it back on. But it seems like IN THE EXPLANATION for changing the lower PICKUP ROLLER that there are some steps I did not understand. I thought it might just be an error.

But, after having read a bit here, I think I might removed the printer and put it back fresh with hplip. Any other things I could consider? Anything hardware related? I've been repairing printers since the HP Laserjet III, so I don't think I  messed up the maintenance kit.   

[Repairatrooper]

Easy way to narrow down between hardware and software is to load paper in tray 2, make sure Tray 2 is set for plain letter paper and then try to print any of the reports from the control panel of the printer. If these do not print from tray 2 you likely have a hardware issue.

[Awesome14]

Ok, good to know. I'll check it out.

[Awesome14]

I was able to print reports from Tray 2. But multipage jobs are a theater of paper jams. Nothing like how the printer used to work. a few weeks ago! 

I get a ton of ghost jams. I think I might  have a defective feed roller. I'll try a different one. Also, on the bottom of tray 2 there is a small latch that must be engaged to put pressure between the paper and feed roller, to produce friction to feed the paper.

I cannot, for the life of me, determine how the machine engages the latch, leading me to wonder if I lost a piece of the tray.

It feeds ok when the cassette is full, but after about 10 pp. It won't feed right anymore. After that, about three pages will print of a 10 page job, followed by a jam.

It may be a ghost jam, or a real jam, and it is anywhere in the paper path. 

I'm thinking perhaps the drive selenoids are old and sticking, messing up the timing on the feed. Is that a known problem on the 2050? Any other advice. I haven't worked on one before. I read the manual, and it's your basic laserjet, but every printer series has its own secrets!

[Repairatrooper · Accepted solution]

I have seen issues with that tray design where the paper level indicator gets out of place and prevents the tray from lifting properly. This is on the left front side of the tray and there is a little c shaped nylon and the metal tray is supposed to sit in the hole of the C, but sometimes winds up under it, preventing lifting. Multifeeds can also be caused by a worn separation pad in the tray. Did you replace the separation pad?

[PeterGroft]

Printing using manual feed

1. Make sure that the product is idle and the Ready light is on.
2. Access the product Properties dialog box.
   • Windows XP: Click Start, click Printer and Faxes, right-click HP LaserJet P1xxx series, and then select Properties.
   • Windows Vista: Click the Windows icon (), click Control Panel, click Hardware and Sound, click Printer, right-click HP LaserJet P1xxx series, and then select Properties.
   • Windows 2000: Click Start, click Printer and Faxes, right-click HP LaserJet P1xxx series, and then select Preferences.
3. Click the Paper/Quality tab.
4. Select Manual Feed from the Source is drop-down list.
5. Load paper or an envelope into the priority feed slot, depending on the print job.
   • Slide the paper guides to the outermost position on the priority feed slot.
   • Load paper or an envelope in the priority feed slot, print side up.
   • Slide the paper guides inward to rest snug against the paper or envelope edges.
6. Click Continue, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the manual feed print job.

Greetings,

Peter

[Awesome14]

Probably helps to read the op.

[Awesome14]

Repairatrooper:

Thanks for the help. I checked the paper-level indicator. It's correct. But, I also deleted the printer and reinstalled it using the latest HPLIP package for Linux instead of cups.  I did also replace the separations pads and rollers  up and down.

Now the printing controls work properly. It prints from the tray selected, along with with all the other settings. I think I had driver soup. 

Seems to be OK now. Yours was the best. I l;earned about the little paper indicator. Are you a printer tech?  

[Repairatrooper]

To answer your question, yes I am a printer tech with 20+ years field experience, which I find more useful than any of the classroom training I have taken when it comes to troubleshooting problems and being able to explain things to non-technical people.