Tape on toner cartridge

This is quick but it made me laugh. I was working on a photocopier and noticed a used toner cartridge on the floor next to the machine waiting for the cleaner to hopefully pick it up. What got my attention though was the packing tape was still covering the shutter on the cartridge.

So the toner had been taken out if it's box and jammed into the machine without the user spotting this tape. Amazingly the tape tore and stretched to allow the shutter to open and the machine to work. If it didn't I am sure I would have been called to fix it.

An Unknown error

Yesterday I got asked help with a Bizhub C754e that had some scanner problems. Most mornings the machine would have a C-9401 error when first used. According to the manual C-9401:

While this seems to indicate that the exposure lamp is the fault I was asked to change the CCD first. We didn't have a new CCD in stock but we did have a Bizhub C654e that was being stripped for parts that I could take the CCD out of. 

I went out to the C754e first thing in the morning to find the scanner had been locked out and the history showed that the C-9401 error had caused this. The actual swapping of the CCD was straight forward as was getting it lined up.

However when I powered up the mc I was given a C-D291 error. When I looked up the code in the manual I found an entry for the code but the only description there was "Unknown". What does that mean?

I knew that it was most likely caused by the CCD so I checked that all the cables were seated correctly but that was ok. The only thing that I could think that was different between this CCD and the original was the firmware. The manual never mentioned updating the firmware when installing the new CCD but the manual also doesn't mention anything about using a 2nd hand CCD either. 

The machine already had the latest firmware loaded on it as did the machine I took the CCD out of but I loaded up this firmware again, rebooted the machine and now it works.

So if you have a C-D291 error or other unknown error try reloading the firmware, you might get lucky. Also changing the CCD fixes the C-9401 error.

Power cord instructions

I had a comment on my IH power supply post about what power cords are used on these machines so here is page from the installation instructions which may help.

Paper behind the trays

At least once per week we will get calls about a copier that has an error after a jam with a code C-0202, C-0204, C-0206 or C-0208. These codes will be displayed on a bright red screen that states that one of the paper trays can no longer be used. The message continues to ask if the user wishes to continue to press a "Continue" button on the screen then prompt the user to turn off then on the sub power switch which is on the control panel. If this is done as instructed the copier will work as normal except the affected paper tray will no longer be selectable. Usually the user will panic at seeing a scary red screen and call us or will fail to read the on screen instructions and turn the copier off and on at the main switch and will have the error again once the machine starts up.
The C-020x errors are common to all Konica Minolta Bizhub copiers and printers. The code refers to the paper tray lift motor malfunction and the last number refers to which particular tray is affected, 2 for tray 1, 4 for tray 2, 6 for tray 3 and 8 for tray 4. The error occurs when tray has been pushed into the machine and then engages the motor behind the tray that lifts the paper into the feed rollers above but the paper does not reach the upper limit sensor within a set period of time. If the machine tries to lift the paper in the tray but waits for a longer than reasonable time for either sensor that shows that the paper is at the correct height or the sensor that shows the tray is empty then the machine presumes something is wrong and stops.
While I have had a couple of lifting motor gearbox couplings fail in the last few years and once had an upper limit sensor fail these are fairly rare. Just about every time I see these errors it is because of a sheet of paper getting behind the tray and preventing the lift gearbox coupling with the lifting plate in the tray. The paper usually gets behind the tray if there is a miss-feed from the tray and the sheet ends up between the feed and separation rollers and the tray is then pulled out and the stuck sheet stays in the machine and falls behind the tray. When the tray is then pushed back in the sheet is pushed into the lift motor. To prevent this the on-screen instructions for clearing the jam and the instructions in the user manual both state that before pulling out the tray the lower right hand side door should be opened and any paper pulled out. But not many users read the instructions.
Removing paper from behind the tray is not as easy as it sounds even if know it is there. This is because of the group of switches behind each tray that detects the position of the guides in the tray to automatically detect the size of the loaded paper. To prevent accidental damage to these switches by people reaching into the machine the designers of the machines added brackets at the front to prevent the trays from being removed. The brackets are in different places on different models or even on different trays but are easy to spot if you know what you are looking for.
Once the paper is removed opening and closing the front door of the machine will clear the error code or if the tray has been locked out then switching the machine off and on at the main switch will allow the tray to be used again. After the tray can be used again the cause of the original jam should be investigated to prevent the chance of the same error happening again.
So the lesson is if you have a jam always check for paper in the right hand side of the machine before pulling the trays out.