laserjet IIIP -- to keep or not to keep 1

[diogenes10]

Ive come into a IIIP, replaced with a newer model.

Spoke to the last user, single page runs apparently do ok.
Longer runs, say 3-5 pages, paper "jams". (& she thinks this is why she got it in the first place-so this is a long-term problem.) Although I'm not sure, I think in this case "jam" does not mean bunching or tearing-the paper just stops 1/3 to 1/2 the way out of the printer.

If this kind of thing is most likely caused by major circuit board repair/replacement I dont think I want to keep it. If the more likely cause is an easier or less expensive repair, I dont mind keeping it as a summer repair project and backup printer for home use.

Any comments, info, experience that might help me decide on this one?

Thanks.

 

[edfair]

Rubber roll replacement is called for.
The eject rolls turn spongy.
Suppliers have them on e-bay as buy/now items and it is worth it to replace them. And you probably will need the tray feed rolls and the separator plate before long.
They are good little printers. Everyone should have one.

Or you can do a google search for "HP error codes" and tie into some other suppliers.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[diogenes10]

I set it up in my office for a bit and now have more info.

The four rubber rollers on the metal bar at the top of the door are spongy.

I have two symptoms: noise and an infrequent jam.

JAM:
I finally got it to do it-it gives a #13 paper jam message.
(I've not done google research on that yet.)
The bottom of the paper is still stuck in the door when i open it. I threaded the paper back into the output tray, closed the door, reset the printer and it ejected the paper.
The ink did not smear, I think the whole process was complete except for the final eject step. I tried to print the page again, it stopped at exactly the same place. The third time it printed and ejected the page properly and did the balance of the print job without problem.

NOISE:
I decided to try a 35 page run on it yesterday. 3 noises.

1) Something like a squeegee or chamois on the windshield. A high tenor or low whatever comes above tenor, with an undulating characteristic to it. Sometimes it would be prolonged, other times it would be very short or come in little bursts of 2 or 3 sounds. The printer made these noises a lot at the beginning of the run, towards the end, say 20 pages and more, it didnt make them very often.

2) A very short duration, bass rubbing noise, that seemed to coincide with a sheet of paper going into the printer.

3) Very infrequently, a very quick noise with a pitch between the other two.

 

[edfair]

Feed rolls rub against the separator plate all the time when the feed is active and no paper at the entry.
Rolls are sleeved, not bearinged. (new word for the dictionary) They rub.
You'll get used to the noises.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[1101001100110101]

edfair is correct as usual. roller replacment it cheap and easy. if you still have issues after that then maybe it could be circuit board related. but, it doesnt sound like it is.

 

[diogenes10]

I got a roller kit on eBay and put it in last week. I thought I was an HP repairman! However my victory was short lived.

I had also purchased a quick reference guide on eBay but when I went to the service mode section to find out how to do a self test, the pages were missing. I was unable to figure out how to run the self test.

(Is that an easy secret to master?)

Then when I finally got the printer hooked up to a computer, it had developed a new problem. I started a new thread for that here:
thread697-1148739

 

[edfair]

From memory, last one I did was a couple of years ago, off-line, center bottom depressed, top right depressed. Prints a test sheet.
Should be embossed on the keys.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[Matt8450]

When you replaced the roller kit was that just the spongy exit rollers or did you replace the large grey D shaped input feed roller too? The problem you describe sounds like a worn/dirty input roller to me. Periodic cleaning of that roller is often all that's needed.

The best product, if you can find it, is called Fedron. It's toxic, corrosive to some plastic and should be used with caution, but it's like a repair kit in a bottle for feed rollers. Go to your local pro print shop and see if you can get some of what they use to recondition the rollers on their machines. In a pinch try 97% isopropal alchohol(not rubbing) it will clean some dirt and oxidation and may help but it's not as effective at making the roller pick up as a reconditioning fluid like Fedron.