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From: laser-lovers@uw-beaver
Newsgroups: fa.laser-lovers
Subject: Re: Canon-engine smudgies
Message-ID: <1050@uw-beaver>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 00:31:07 EST
Article-I.D.: uw-beave.1050
Posted: Wed Apr 17 00:31:07 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Apr-85 02:49:26 EST
Sender: daemon@uw-beaver
Organization: U of Washington Computer Science
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From: jjhnsn@ut-ngp.arpa (J. Lee Johnson)

We have experienced a problem with our Imagen 8/300 that is very similar
to the "smudgies". We get one band that runs vertically down the page
about 2.5 inches from the left edge of the paper. The band is about 5/16
inch wide, and is definitely more pronounced on the lower half of the
page. As with the problem reported by Henry Spencer, the page looks fine
except for the gray band in the background.


Observations:

1. Changing the print cartridge has no effect.
2. Smudgies appear with both manual and automatic feed.
3. Smudgies appear only around glyphs, clear areas of the page are clean.
4. The smudgie band is already on the paper before it enters the fuser.
5. The gray band does not move when the paper is rotated in the feed tray
   (i.e. it is not a flaw in the paper)
6. Changing to a different type of paper "cures" the problem.

The only physical structure of the printer that correlates to the
location of the smudgie band is a solenoid back near the paper feed
slot. Of course, since I don't have a service manual, I am not sure
where to locate the "Plate, Fusing Feed" mentioned by Jim Potter.

One correlation we were able to make is that we had started using some
"reproduction" paper supplied by a user. Changing back to our old paper
"cured" the problem.  Actually, we occasionally get some light smudgies,
but nothing like the distinct smudgies we were previously getting.

My hack theory is that a combination of variable paper quality, poor
power and grounding, failure of the Canon engine to completely
discharge the paper, and magnetic interference from an aging solenoid is
causing our problems.  I'm going to check the "Plate, Fusing Feed" as
soon as I figure out where it is.
--
James Lee Johnson, U.T. Computation Center, Austin, Texas 78712
ARPA:  jjhnsn@ut-ngp
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