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From: GREG@wcc.govt.nz (Greg West)
Newsgroups: comp.laser-printers
Subject: Re: Dark lines on edge?
Message-ID: <9105151623.AA10901@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
Date: 15 May 91 18:43:47 GMT
References: <9105071854.AA21794@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>
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Organization: Christchurch City Council, New Zealand.
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Approved: laser-lovers@brillig.umd.edu
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In article <9105071854.AA21794@crayola.cs.UMD.EDU>, c3ar@ZAPHOD.UCHICAGO.EDU (Walter C3arlip) writes:
> Our laser printer, an HP Laserjet III, I believe, has started printing a
> thick jagged line of black down the right hand edge of almost every page.
> I remember seeing this on laserwriters when I was a grad student, and it
> was always mysteriously fixed by someone.
> 
> Can anyone instruct me on how to fix this?
> Will it go away with a new cartridge?
> Is there something that needs adjusting or cleaning?
> 
> Any suggestions will be appreciated!
> 
> --Walter
> _____________________________________________________________________________
> Walter C3arlip 		        	**** carlip@ace.cs.ohiou.edu ****
> (the "3" is silent)                  
> _____________________________________________________________________________
> 
> 
> _____________________________________________________________________________
> Walter Carlip 		        	**** carlip@ace.cs.ohiou.edu ****
> (the "3" is invisible)                   **** c3ar@finite.chi.il.us ****
> _____________________________________________________________________________

Yes, the problem should go away with a new cartridge.

We have also had this problem(a solid black line down the right-hand
side of  the page).  We have this problem with Apple Laserwriter
printers although we recently have bought a few HP Laserjet III's one of
which has given this fault.  I am fairly sure that the actual engine in
the Apple Laserwriter is the same as the HP Laserjet III.  One of our
Laserwriters in particular had this problem on nearly every cartridge
around  the middle of last year but the problem seems to have gone
away(so far!). It often occured from about 3500 to 5000 pages in the
life cycle of the EPS cartridge.  In the past when we called the service
dealer they said  "faulty cartridge - replace it"(which we think it
isn't).  Replacing the  cartridge does fix the problem until the new
cartridge starts giving the black  line.  The problem seems to be with
the EPS cartidge, sometimes the drum gets worn on one side of the drum,
if you take the cartridge out of a Laserwriter  that is giving problems
you should see that there is a sort of a grey line were the coating has
been worn away on one side of the drum. 

Just Recently I was talking to an EPS cartridge salesman who was famliar
with    the problem.  He said possible causes were :


1.  Since the actual toner acts as a lubricant, if not much toner is
used on  each page(there is not much printed on each page) then this
could lead wearing  on the right-hand side of the EPS cartridge. ( I
don't think this is the case with our Laserwriter as the printing  is
not really any different from the other Laserwriters)

2.  When the Laserwriter is turned on and not being used it does a sort
of a  self test and rotates the drum.  This may cause a problem as there
is no toner  to lubricate the drum.  The self test is done every 15
minutes when not in use,  if the printer is left on over-night this self
test will get done quite a few  times. ( The printer was always left on
at night(except the weekends), but it is now turned off at night)

Also the salesman said  that if a BROKEN black line appears down the
right-hand side of the page then it may be possibly be from the corona
wire in the EPS cartridge.  Clean the corona wire with the special
little brush inside of the laserwriter or use a damp cotton bud.

I don't know why the drum gets worn(if that actually is the problem). 
Does any one know what's wrong?  

				Greg West
                                Christchurch, New Zealand

p.s.  AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH Just as I was typing this one of our
Laserwriters(not the one that had previously given us problems) started
printing a black line  down the right_hand side of the page :-( It had
done 4300 pages on its  cartridge(it should have done at least 5000) so
I replaced the cartridge.

-- 
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| Greg West  (Computer Operator)    (Direct Dial In) Phone +64 3 711-871|
| Christchurch City Council     Internet mail address "greg@ccc.govt.nz"|
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