HP 5500 Color Laser Toner Issue

[jbryanh]

I have a HP 5500dn Color Laser Printer. The color toner cartridges all run out at exactly the same time--when I'm certain that all of them are NOT empty yet. It seems that if one is empty, they all are empty.

What is going on here? I'm losing $100's of dollars on these toner cartridges that aren't empty yet. I opened one to see, and toner poured out for about 2 minutes--probably 2-4 cups worth--not even CLOSE to empty.

HP told me to update my firmware, which I did, and still the same problem.

 

[hpwizzard]

Please take a look at this doc. to understand the toner usage of your printer :

http://h20015.www2.hp.com/hub_search/document.jhtml?lc=en&docName=bpl11667

Further info :
Developer rotations
The developer rollers rotations are tracked on the print cartridge’s memory tag (e-label). Tracking
rotations enables the printer to signal that a print cartridge is low or out before the developer and/or
toner is actually worn out, which would result in print quality defects.
Over time, the toner loses its required properties due to excessive stirring and re-charging.
Although the cartridge will correctly signal LOW or OUT because of wear, some toner might remain
in the fresh toner hopper.
In addition to toner wear, the developer roller experiences wear during its life, so developer life
tracking is necessary. In situations where low-coverage documents are printed frequently, the
developer rotations might cause a LOW message before the toner level reaches its low level.
Toner sensor
For the first 75 percent of the cartridge life, toner depletion within the cartridge is calculated by pixel
counting. An optical toner level sensor then tracks the final 25 percent of toner. The toner is
measured and then reported on the toner gas gauge on the control panel or on the supplies status
page. The transition from pixel counting to optical toner-level sensing causes no fluctuations on the
toner gas gauge. Some toner might remain in the fresh toner hopper due to other cartridge
components reaching their end of life.
Photosensitive drum rotations
Photosensitive drum rotations are also tracked on the cartridge’s memory tag. Similar to the
developer roller, tracking these rotations enables the printer to signal that a print cartridge is low or
out before the photosensitive drum is actually worn out, when print quality defects would occur. The
photosensitive drum might cause a low message when low-coverage documents are printed
frequently. Tracking drum life is essential because of drum wear and the potential for overflow from
the waste toner hopper if the photosensitive drum life is extended past its useful life.

 

[PatrickBurwell]

A nice tip:

Toner cartridge ink clumps up in heavy humidity.
Place the cartridge on an A/C vent overnight and you get another week or more out of it once you shake it up and use again.


Patrick Burwell
burwellfamily.us