Apple LaserWriter Pro 810 Troubleshooting Guide
Fault-finding for the Apple LaserWriter Pro 810, from Apple's LaserWriter Pro 810 Service Technical Documentation. Unlike Apple's earlier LaserWriters, the Pro 810 reports faults as messages on its control panel, and its engine has a built-in test print mode, a diagnostic mode that exercises each sensor and actuator, and a non-volatile memory mode for registration and fuser temperature.[1] Routine maintenance is on Apple LaserWriter Pro 810 General Maintenance.
Switch off and unplug the printer before any take-apart. The fuser is very hot when the printer is first switched off; Apple's instruction is to wait for it to cool, and the manual gives no time.[2] The laser is invisible, and Apple's label warns of exposure when the printer is open with the interlocks defeated.[2]
Test print mode
edit- Remove every paper source except the cassette to be used.
- Open the control panel keypad and switch on while holding ENTER. The display shows PLEASE WAIT and TEST PRINT 00.
- When the fuser is up to temperature, READY TO PRINT / TEST PRINT 00 appears. Press the DOWN arrow key; the printer prints a test pattern continuously at full speed.
- The counter goes up by one each time a sheet passes the exit sensor. Press DOWN again to stop; the display shows the number of sheets.
- Switch off to leave the mode.
Diagnostic mode
editSwitch on while holding the DOWN arrow key. The display shows PRINT COUNTER / SELECTING DG 30. Press DOWN again to read the six-digit total page count, and ENTER to step to the sensor test and then the output tests. Switch off to leave.[1]
In the sensor check (DG 02), the counter on the display goes up by one each time a key, sensor or switch changes state. Press and release each control panel key; flick the paper exit sensor and pre-registration sensor actuators; pull and refit each cassette (the count rises by two, for the paper size and cassette-out sensors), or hold a magnet to the paper size sensor; press the EP cartridge switch actuator. Opening the top cover should raise the count by three for the toner-out sensor. To test the interlock switch, unplug the toner sensor harness first, then open and close the cover: the count rises by one.[1]
| Code | Display | Test |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | PRINT COUNTER | Total page count |
| 02 | SENSOR CHECK | Sensor, key and switch inputs |
| 07 | FUSER TEMP. SET | Shows the fuser temperature setting held in non-volatile memory |
| 08 | FUSER TEMP. | Shows the present heat roller temperature |
| 80, 86, 81 | SOLENOID TRAY1, TRAY2, TRAY3 | Fires each tray's feed solenoid for 0.5 seconds |
| 82 | REG. CLUTCH | Registration clutch on |
| 84 | T.CLUTCH TRAY1 | Tray 1 transport roller clutch on |
| 85 | T.CLUTCH TRAY2&3 | Trays 2 and 3 transport clutch on |
| 83 | SOLENOID MBF | Multi-media power feeder solenoid, 0.5 seconds |
| 87 | MOTOR MBF | Multi-media power feeder motor on |
| 90 | MOTOR MAIN & LEDS | Main motor and erase lamp LEDs on |
| 91 | HVPS (C.COROTRON) | Main charger high voltage on |
| 92 | HVPS (DEV. BIAS) | Developer bias on |
| 93 | HVPS (T.COROTRON) | Transfer charger high voltage on |
| 00 | EXIT DIAG. | Stops a test that does not stop by itself |
Warning: codes 91, 92 and 93 switch on the high-voltage supply. Apple's table says not to touch the high-voltage power supply while they run.[1]
Non-volatile memory settings
editApple's caution is not to change these without understanding them.[1] To enter the mode, switch on while holding ENTER and the DOWN arrow key, release DOWN as soon as the printer starts, and keep holding ENTER while the display counts from 0 to 9; release ENTER when it shows 3. If the display goes blank, start again. CONFIGURATION / SELECTING NV 09 then appears. Press ENTER to step through the settings, the arrow key to change the right-hand digit, and ENTER to save. A setting not saved with ENTER before switch-off is lost.[1]
| Code | Setting | Factory value | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0X | Configuration (08 three trays; 09 three trays with manual feed or power feeder) | 09 | No |
| 1X | Video mode | 10 | No |
| 2X | Leading-edge registration, 16 steps of about 0.5 mm | 29 (28 on older printers) | Yes |
| 3X | Side registration, 10 steps of about 0.5 mm | 34 | Yes |
| 4 | Prints a test page after a registration change | – | – |
| 5X | Fuser temperature, 16 steps of about 0.8 °C | 58 | Yes |
| 6X | Laser diode power (C at 240 or 300 dpi, 8 at 400 dpi, 5 at 480 or 504 dpi) | 68 | No |
| 7X | Engine resolution (1 = 300 dpi, 2 = 400 dpi) | 72 | Yes |
| 80 | Paper matrix (0 domestic, 2 overseas) | 80 | No |
| 9X | Options | 90 | No |
Trying to change a fixed setting may show WRITING, but nothing is stored.[1] Table 5-5 lists a wrong value of non-volatile code 06 as the first cause of a U2 laser scanner fault; Table 5-2 gives the laser power code as 6X with a factory value of 68.[1]
Error messages
editThe controller shows POWER OFF/ON OR CALL SERVICE for a motor, laser scanner, fuser or non-volatile RAM fault. Switch off and on; if the message comes back, the printer needs service.[1]
| Message | What the engine detected | Likely causes, in Apple's order |
|---|---|---|
| U1 (main motor) | Main motor not at 1530 rpm ±10% within 500 microseconds of starting | EP cartridge; fuser unit; drive unit overload; drive gear; DC controller; low-voltage supply; main motor |
| U2 (ROS, the laser scanner unit) | Start-of-scan interval too long 20 seconds after warm-up, or beyond the fail value later | Non-volatile code 06 set wrong; low-voltage supply; DC controller; laser scanner unit |
| U4 (fuser) | Fuser not warm within 50 seconds; temperature fell below the low limit or rose above the high limit; sensor disconnected; bulb held on for 20 seconds after the motor stopped | Temperature sensor dirty, out of position or faulty; low-voltage supply; DC controller |
| U6 (non-volatile memory) | Non-volatile memory found defective at switch-on | Data scrambled; EEPROM; DC controller |
| E2 (paper jam) | Pre-registration sensor timing wrong after the feed roller starts (2.1, 3.1 or 4.1 seconds for trays 1-3), or on in standby | Open the top cover and remove the paper |
| E3 (paper jam) | Exit sensor not reached within 4.2 seconds of the registration roller starting | Remove the paper |
| E4 (paper jam) | Exit sensor still on 10.8 seconds after the registration roller starts, or on at switch-on or when the cover closes | Remove the paper |
| E5 | Interlock switch open | Close the top cover |
| J3 | EP cartridge switch off with the cover shut | Refit the EP cartridge. A false message means the EP cartridge sensor or the DC controller |
| J5 | Cartridge empty, counted from pages printed since the toner-out sensor tripped | Replace the EP cartridge |
| REPLACE CARTRIDGE | Toner-out sensor on after 10 more sheets | Replace the cartridge soon. A false message means the toner sensor or the DC controller |
| C3 | Selected cassette's size sensor off | Fit a cassette of the right size |
| C5 | Selected tray out of paper | Load paper |
| C9 | Paper in the manual tray when a cassette is selected | Remove it |
Paper jams
edit| Symptom | Possible causes |
|---|---|
| Feed roller does not take paper | Non-standard paper; cassette not seated; feed roller dirty or worn; cassette; feed solenoid; main motor |
| Paper feeds but jams inside | Transport clutch; registration clutch; main motor not up to speed; detack saw; feed, transport or registration rollers dirty or worn; outer turn-chute pressure springs or registration roller springs worn; top cover not closed properly; transfer charger/detack saw not seated |
| Frequent exit jams | Paper fragments in the fuser; exit and pinch rollers; fuser pressure or heat roller dirty or worn; fuser roller bearings worn; stripper fingers out of position or worn; detack saw |
Jams at the fuser can be a failed "Q" gear, the drive gear that turns the fuser. When it fails under load the fuser rollers stop and paper cannot reach the delivery sensor. Apple's 1997 Service Flash gives the redesigned gear, in a dark heat-resistant material, as part 922-1276, and says to inspect the fuser roller cleaning wand (922-0929) and replace it if it carries a lot of toner, to prevent repeat failures.[1]
Abnormal noise
editApple's list, for noise that is usually mechanical: the fan harness or cover touching the fan; a rattling laser scanner harness or cover; the main motor assembly; the registration roller; the fuser; the exit rollers; the EP cartridge; the paper feed roller assembly or solenoid; or drive gears that need lubricating.[1]
Print quality
editFirst check the site: a stable supply, no high temperature, humidity or dirt, no ammonia gas, no direct sunlight, good ventilation and a level printer.[1] Many print faults repeat at the circumference of one roller:[1]
| Interval | Part | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| About 125 mm | Drum (spots, dots, white spots in black), or the erase lamp (a residual image 125 mm below the real one) | Replace the EP cartridge, or the erase lamp |
| About 78 mm | Heat roller (spots, dots, residual image) | Clean the heat roller or replace the fuser unit |
| About 56 mm | Magnetic roller (black dots, white spots in black) | Replace the EP cartridge |
| Symptom | Apple's checks |
|---|---|
| Faint print | Damp paper (use a new ream); EP cartridge; transfer charger wire dirty, bent or broken (replace the transfer charger/detack saw assembly) |
| Blank page | EP cartridge gears worn or broken; something blocking the beam between the laser scanner and the drum; cartridge exposed to sunlight; transfer charger |
| White band along the paper | Damp or wrinkled paper; dirty transfer charger wire; main charger, drum or magnetic roller (try another EP cartridge) |
| White streaks along the paper | Laser scanner window dirty (clean it) or scratched (replace the unit); foreign matter in the beam path; transfer charger wire; EP cartridge; scratched heat roller (replace the fuser) |
| White bands across the paper | Transfer charger wire; cartridge exposed to light |
| Residual image | Paper; erase lamp; low temperature and humidity; EP cartridge; dirty heat roller |
| Skewed image | Paper loading; registration and pinch rollers (scraps between them); turn chute cover position and springs; dirt or toner in the detack saw |
| Image rubs off | Damp or coated paper; fuser temperature too low (adjust it in non-volatile memory); weak fuser pressure spring; worn fuser rollers |
| Wrinkles | Damp paper; feed and transport rollers misaligned or holding scraps; paper wound round the heat roller; fuser pressure spring; transfer charger/detack saw seated and straight; EP cartridge seated |
| All black | Replace the EP cartridge |
| Thin black lines along the paper | Scratched drum or streaks of uncleaned toner (EP cartridge); scratched heat roller (fuser); chipped stripper fingers; paper rubbing the EP cartridge at the transfer unit (transfer charger) |
| Black lines across the paper | Drum, developer bias or scorotron grid: replace the EP cartridge |
The EP cartridge contains the drum. Apple says it deteriorates very quickly in direct sunlight and should not be left in indoor light for more than 5 minutes.[1]
Printer hard disk
editIf the disk icon is missing from the startup page, the printer did not see the disk at switch-on. Switch off, make sure the disk is on and ready and the cable is sound, and switch on again. If it is still missing, increase the SCSI DELAY in the Setup Menu's Misc. menu; Apple's minimum is 20 seconds. A disk must also be initialised by the printer before use.[1]
Related pages
editReferences
edit- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 Apple Computer, Inc., LaserWriter Pro 810 Service Technical Documentation (Service Source), hosted as File:LaserWriter Pro 810 Service Source.pdf (see LaserWriter Pro 810 Service Source). Section 5, Troubleshooting: General p. 5-2, Test Print Mode p. 5-3, Diagnostic Mode and Table 5-1 pp. 5-4 to 5-9, Non-Volatile Memory Set Mode and Table 5-2 pp. 5-10 to 5-13, error messages Tables 5-3 to 5-5 pp. 5-14 to 5-18, paper jams Table 5-6 p. 5-19, abnormal noise Table 5-7 p. 5-20, print quality pp. 5-21 to 5-27 (PDF pp. 101-126). Section 6, SCSI Interface pp. 6-5 to 6-6 (PDF pp. 131-132). Service Flash, 9 May 1997 (PDF p. 159).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 LaserWriter Pro 810 Service Source, Section 4, Take Apart: General p. 4-2 and Fuser p. 4-25 (PDF pp. 25, 48); user safety and laser caution (PDF p. 3).