Laserjet 4 Plus

[Henning Luehrs]

Hi there.
Does anyone have a manual how to clean a Laserjet 4 Plus?
My one's printing dark stuff on the left side of every sheet!
It needs to be cleaned I'm afraid but I don't know what to do...

 

[Jan Gregor]

I have both manuals (service + user). Are you sure that problem isn't
with drum ? What do you mean by dark stuff ?

Jan Gregor

 

[Marek Williams]

Does anyone have a manual how to clean a Laserjet 4 Plus?
My one's printing dark stuff on the left side of every sheet!
It needs to be cleaned I'm afraid but I don't know what to do...

The symptoms you mention sound more like a bad wiper blade in the
toner cartridge. Try swapping the cartridge with a new one, or at
least a different one, even an old one that is mostly empty.

Simple cleaning can be done with a rag. If there really is a lot of
spilled toner in it, you need a special vacuum to remove it, as the
toner is so fine it will go right through even a HEPA filter and
you'll have it all over the place.

 

[Henning Luehrs]

hi there

I have both manuals (service + user). Are you sure that problem isn't
with drum ? What do you mean by dark stuff ?

There is a gray stripe about 5mm wide...

thanx

Henning

 

[Henning Luehrs]

Hi there.

The symptoms you mention sound more like a bad wiper blade in the
toner cartridge. Try swapping the cartridge with a new one, or at
least a different one, even an old one that is mostly empty.

Maybe that might help, I'm gonna look for one in ebay...

Simple cleaning can be done with a rag. If there really is a lot of
spilled toner in it, you need a special vacuum to remove it, as the
toner is so fine it will go right through even a HEPA filter and
you'll have it all over the place.

Well, should I try to clean it with a hand hoover? How can I do?
Only put out the cartidge, take the hoover and clean it?

Thanx

Henning

 

[Dave]

Well, should I try to clean it with a hand hoover? How can I do?
Only put out the cartidge, take the hoover and clean it?

No. The odds are that *any* vacuum cleaner you use will *not* have a fine
enough filter to catch the toner. It will just go straight through and
out the exhaust making a god-awefull mess of the place.

Dave

 

[Bill Higdon]

No. The odds are that *any* vacuum cleaner you use will *not* have a fine
enough filter to catch the toner. It will just go straight through and
out the exhaust making a god-awefull mess of the place.

Dave

That or cause a dust explosion, the original Canon SX toner was very
explosive in dust form. It caused more than 1 cheap vacum cleaner to
blow up.
Bill Higdon

 

[Donald]

That or cause a dust explosion, the original Canon SX toner was very
explosive in dust form. It caused more than 1 cheap vacum cleaner to
blow up.
Bill Higdon

If you know someone who works in the IT maintenance field ask if they a
printer hoover that you can lend.

 

[Bill Higdon]

If you know someone who works in the IT maintenance field ask if they a
printer hoover that you can lend.

Yes they use a HEPA filter to catch all the toner and make sure you
don't crate a mess either by blowing toner all over the place or
blowing the Vacum cleaner all over the place.

 

[Marek Williams]

Maybe that might help, I'm gonna look for one in ebay...

I go through a lot of toner cartridges and I buy all of them on e-Bay.

Well, should I try to clean it with a hand hoover? How can I do?
Only put out the cartidge, take the hoover and clean it?

Yes, just pull out the cartridge and wipe everything clean with a damp
rag. As for the hoover, I do that if there is only a tiny amount. If
there is a lot I use the big household vacuum cleaner and place it
outdoors, with the hose coming in through the door. That way the toner
doesn't spread all over the house. I leave the vacuum cleaner running
for a few minutes after I'm finished, and then I change the bag and
filter before using it again inside. Considering that the LJ4 is not
terribly heavy, it might be easier just to take the printer outside to
vacuum it. (My printers are too big and heavy to take outdoors.)

Professional printer repair people have special vacuum cleaners with
incredible filtering, so they can use them in offices. These vacuum
cleaners are extremely expensive.

 

[Henning Luehrs]

I just bought a cartridge at ebay at low price... I hope that will solve my
problem. I'm gonna tell you about the results when I received and tried it.
Thanx for all your support till now.

bye

Henning

 

[Henning Luehrs]

I've got the new (2nd hd.) cartridge now, the gray stripe diassapeared, but
now I have lots of dots on the printouts. What can I do against this?
There weren't there before!

Bye for now

Henning

 

[Marek Williams]

I've got the new (2nd hd.) cartridge now, the gray stripe diassapeared, but
now I have lots of dots on the printouts. What can I do against this?
There weren't there before!

Let's use a little logic on this problem --

1) If the gray stripe disappeared after changing cartridges, then the
gray stripe was caused by the old cartridge.

2) If you get spots when you use the new cartridge, but not when you
used the old cartridge, then the new cartridge is causing the spots.

Spots caused by a cartridge sometimes clear up as you use the
cartridge a bit. The reason a cartridge prints with spots is
frequently because the remanufacturer filled it with too much toner.
Try printing a bunch of pages that have lots of dark areas on them. If
it doesn't improve, then get another cartridge.

The Laserjet 4+ was a very popular printer, and there are zillions of
them still in use. Perhaps you can find someone locally with a 4 or 4+
(they use the same cartridge) who can let you borrow a cartridge that
you know works in his printer. If it works in your printer too, then
you have good grounds to return the cartridge you just bought because
it is defective.

 

[Ed Ruf]

I've got the new (2nd hd.) cartridge now, the gray stripe diassapeared, but
now I have lots of dots on the printouts. What can I do against this?
There weren't there before!

You could try searching HP's site for the HPCLEAN utility. Though it's
supposed to be for LJ5/6 printers I've used it with my LJII at home and
4000 at work. If you can't find it and don't mind being mailed a self
extracting executable e-mail me and I'll send it to you.
************************************************************************
************************************************************************
USER HELP FILE
For
HEWLETT-PACKARD'S LASERJET CLEANING UTILITY

For Use With

MICROSOFT(R) WINDOWS(R) 3.1 and 3.11
WINDOWS FOR WORKGROUPS 3.1 and 3.11
WINDOWS 95
WINDOWS NT 3.51 AND 4.0
MacOS

************************************************************************
Printers Supported, Utility Version Number
************************************************************************

The HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility supports all HP LaserJet printers that
operate with HP PCL Level 5e (HP LaserJet 5 and 6 family printers).

This file provides information for the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility as
available from HP electronic services, and from HP driver distribution
centers.

Component: Version Number:
----------------------------------------------------------------
HPPCLEAN.EXE LaserJet Cleaning Utility: 1.05
HPPCLEAN.TXT Help .TXT file
HPPCLEAN.BAT DOS .BAT file
HPPASS1.PRN DOS .PRN file
HPPASS2.PRN DOS .PRN file

************************************************************************
PURPOSE, INSTALLATION, OPERATION, REMOVAL & FREQUENCY
************************************************************************

-- PURPOSE:

The HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility is designed to remove excess paper and
toner particles that can accumulate on the fusing assembly (heating
element) rollers. The buildup of toner or paper dust results in random
spots on the front and back sides of the printout.

Running the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility at regular intervals can
extend the life of the fuser and reduce service procedures.

Question: How does it work? During the first pass, the large black box
on the cleaning page is fused into the paper. The page is then placed in
Tray 1, printed side down, and re-fed. During the second pass,
the toner from the first side is re-heated by the fuser assembly, and any
excess toner or paper particles on the fuser rollers adhere to the sheets.
The particles are pulled off the rollers and out of the
printer.


-- INSTALLATION:

For Windows users:
Installation of the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility consists of copying the
files to your hard drive. These files are listed in the component table
above. It is recommended to place these files into the LASERJET
sub-directory. EXAMPLE: C:\LASERJET\HPPCLEAN.EXE

Once the files are copied, double click on the HPPCLEAN.EXE file name to
execute the utility.

For MS-DOS users, see the DOS users section below.

For Apple users, see the MacOS section below.


-- WINDOWS OPERATION:

1. Start the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility (HPPCLEAN.EXE).

2. The main screen is displayed. To begin the cleaning process select
CLEAN... from the command bar. This brings up the PRINT screen.

3. In the PRINT screen, select a specific printer for cleaning. Select OK
to return to the PRINT screen.

If unable to select a different printer at this screen, exit the HP
LaserJet Cleaning Utility, and set the specific printer you wish to
clean as your DEFAULT printer. Then restart the HP LaserJet Cleaning
Utility.

4. At the PRINT screen, select the number of cleaning pages to be
printed for this operation. Three copies are default. (See Printer-
Specific Instructions below.) Very dirty printers may require six to
twenty pages to completely clean the fuser.

5. Select OK from the PRINT screen to begin the cleaning operation
Pass 1.

6. Dialog box #1 "Cleaning Pages -- Pass 2". The number of pages
selected in step four are printed with a black stripe and are fed into the
output tray. When the last sheet has been completed, take the
printed cleaning sheets and place them PRINTED SIDE DOWN in TRAY 1.(See
Printer-Specific Instructions below.) Press OK on the dialog screen to
continue.

7. Dialog box #2 "Cleaning Complete". Remove the printed cleaning
sheets from the output tray and discard them. Press OK to return to the
main screen.

8. At the main utility screen select EXIT when finished.

Note: You can cancel the utility at any time by selecting the CANCEL button
or the X in the upper right corner of each screen.

The Help selection displays the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility version number
and this HPPCLEAN.TXT file with Notepad.


-- REMOVING THE UTILITY:
To remove the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility simply delete the files and
program icons from your hard drive.


-- FREQUENCY OF USE:

The frequency of cleaning varies depending upon printer model, usage
levels, media type, and environment. For best results, run the HP
LaserJet Cleaning Utility whenever the toner cartridge is changed or when
random spots appear on printouts.


***********************************************************************
PRINTER-SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS
***********************************************************************

-- HP LaserJet 5P or 6P Operation

1. At least three cleaning pages are recommended for the 6P.
For the 5P, six cleaning pages are recommended as minimum.

2. Place sheets in Tray 1 PRINTED side DOWN.

3. If the Tray 1 light flashes, press the GO button on the front panel.


-- HP LaserJet 5L or 6L Operation

1. At least three cleaning pages are recommended for the 5L and 6L.

2. Either the Paper Input Bin or the Single Sheet Input Slot can be used
for feeding paper in the first and second passes.

3. Place the cleaning sheets in the paper bin or slot with the printed side
facing the rear of the printer.

4. When the Data Light (middle) flashes, you can either press the
Front Panel Button, or click on the RESUME button in the Software
Status Window to continue operation.


-- HP LaserJet 5 Operation

1. At least three cleaning pages are recommended.

2. Place sheets in Tray 1 PRINTED side DOWN.

3. If a Tray 1 message is displayed, press the GO button on the front
panel.


-- HP LaserJet 5Si or 5Si Mopier Operation

1. At least 12 copies need to be printed. Dirty rollers may require
several sheets to begin cleaning effectively.

2. Sheets are to be placed in Tray 1 PRINTED side UP because the toner
build up is normally on the upper roller rather than the lower roller.
Sheets can also be fed with the printed side DOWN if necessary.

3. Select LANDSCAPE orientation for letter or A4 paper to clean the full
width for the fuser rollers.

4. When using the HP LaserJet 5Si Mopier, turn off the COLLATE function
in the driver before cleaning. This step allows continuous feeding of the
PASS 2 pages from Tray 1. The printer hard disk option (accessory) may need
to be "removed" from the PCL driver to prevent the Mopy collate
operation. Restore the printer hard disk option when cleaning is
complete.


-- Local Port (LPTn) Versus Network Operation

1. The HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility can be run on a networked printer.

2. The Pass 1 and Pass 2 print jobs are spooled, allowing all dialog boxes
to be closed (click OK). The printer waits for the printed sheets
to be placed in Tray1.


***********************************************************************
TIPS FOR OPERATION:
***********************************************************************

In Windows 3.x and Windows NT 3.5x, a new program item and icon can be set
up to execute the HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility quickly.

1. Select the Program Group into which the new ICON will be placed.
Example: C:\LASERJET

2. Select: Program Manager, File, New, Program Item, and click OK for
Program Item Properties screen.

3. Use the Browse button to find the HPPCLEAN.EXE program (or type the
filename on the Command Line.

4. Select the Change ICON button, select the ICON and click OK.

5. In Description box of the Program Item Properties screen, enter a name
for the program item. e.g. "HPPCLEAN". Click OK.


In Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 a program short cut icon can be created
and placed in the HP LaserJet printer program group for quick access and
operation. (C:\WINDOWS\STARTMENU\PROGRAMS\HP LASERJET\HPPCLEAN.EXE).
1. Using Explorer, select the filename (HPPCLEAN.EXE) and press the
right mouse button. Select Create Shortcut.

2. The newly created shortcut ICON can be cut and pasted into the
LASERJET program group or the desktop directly.


***********************************************************************
MS-DOS OPERATION ONLY
***********************************************************************

For MS-DOS operation (non-Windows), the HP Cleaning Utility can be
executed by running the HPPCLEAN.BAT from any floppy or hard drive. Copy
the .BAT and *.PRN files to the desired location. The .BAT file is PAUSED
between the first pass and second pass. The .PRN file
location follows the .BAT filename.

If running from the floppy drive A:

Example: HPPCLEAN.BAT A:\

If running from the hard drive C:\laserjet\

Example: HPPCLEAN.BAT C:\laserjet\

Only three pages are printed per pass. Run multiple times if necessary.
The second pass sheets are pulled from TRAY 1. If the manual feed
light flashes, the printer button may need to be pressed. (See Printer-
Specific Instructions below.)


***********************************************************************
MacOS OPERATION ONLY
***********************************************************************

The Apple network configuration: Connect the computer to the printer with a
LocalTalk cable. Set up your network configuration in the
AppleTalk control panel to "printer port".

Note - Connections through Ethernet will not work with some of the
printers.

1. Copy the two files (HPPASS1.PRN and HPPASS2.PRN) to your hard drive.

2. Start the HP LaserJet Utility (3.1 or above).

3. Choose the FILES icon.

4. Select the file HPPASS1.PRN and download it.

5. Follow the directions in the above "Printer-Specific Instructions"
section for the appropriate printer.

6. Once the pages are positioned correctly, select the HPPASS2.PRN
file and download it.

When all pages have been processed, the cleaning procedure is complete.


***********************************************************************
HP Software and Support Services - Additional Information
***********************************************************************

Refer to your HP LaserJet user manual for additional methods of
obtaining software and support information, such as other driver
distribution centers, other online services, fax service,
online support, etc..

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INTERNET
Anonymous ftp library service is available for around-the-clock access
to drivers and technical support information for Hewlett-Packard
peripheral and computer products. Please note that paths may change
without notice. Access the Internet or FTP address and use the menus
to locate the software or support of your choice.

URL for Software and Support: http://www.hp.com/go/cposupport
URL for Access HP: http://www.hp.com

FTP address: ftp.hp.com
Login: anonymous
Password: your Internet name (or user identification)


************************************************************************
TRADEMARK NOTICES
***********************************************************************

MS-DOS(R), Windows(R), and Microsoft(R) are U.S. registered trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation.


************************************************************************
SOFTWARE LICENSE and COPYRIGHT NOTICES
************************************************************************

Information provided in this document and software called the
HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility is provided "AS IS." No implied
warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose
are given.

The HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility may be copied and distributed
only to users of HP LaserJet Printers. All files on the disk
must be copied without modification. All components of the Printing
Software must be distributed together. The HP LaserJet Cleaning Utility
may not be distributed for profit.

Copyright(c) 1997 Hewlett-Packard Co. All Rights Reserved.

************************************************************************
************************************************************************
--END--

 

[Henning Luehrs]

Thanks a lot for your support. Ive downloaded and tried it. It did not help.
I guess, the "new" cartriges is not quite good. I will talk to the seller if
he can
change it.

Bye for now

Henning

 

[Ed Ruf]

Thanks a lot for your support. Ive downloaded and tried it. It did not help.
I guess, the "new" cartriges is not quite good. I will talk to the seller if
he can
change it.

FWIW, in the readme file you'll note it recommends running this many times
for the 5/6 series printers, five or six times. You have mentioned
replacing the toner cart., but have mentioned nothing of the fuser wiper
and looking at the condition of the fuser roller itself. If this is covered
with trash, it could be a source of problems.

 

[Henning Luehrs]

Hi there

Well, the problem wasn't with the old cartridge, with that I had a gray
stripe on the
left side of the page. After changing the stripe was away,but now there are
the
black spots. it will be replaced by an other one soon... Hope then
everything will
be fine.

Bye

Henning

 

[Model Flyer]

FWIW, in the readme file you'll note it recommends running this many times
for the 5/6 series printers, five or six times. You have mentioned
replacing the toner cart., but have mentioned nothing of the fuser

wiper

Fuser Wiper? you have me puzzled, I've rebuilt several Fuser
assemblies for the LJ-4+ and never found a wiper, are you sure your
not getting confused with the LJ-III.
--

..
--
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
whatever at antispam dot net
No email address given because of spam.
Antispam trap in place