202 Troubleshooting Q1860-90918
General paper-path troubleshooting
Jams occur in the printer when print media either does not reach or does not clear a photosensor
along the printer’s paper path in a specific amount of time. If a jam occurs, a 13.xx PAPER JAM
message appears on the printer control panel. The following table contains general questions
you can ask and topics to explore before troubleshooting. See the 13.xx section in the event log
for specific error codes.
Problem Action
What is the frequency of the
paper jams (for example,
continuous, one jam per 100
pages, one jam per 1000
pages, or some other
interval)?
Ask the customer. Print or show the event log to determine the jam history.
See the display and event log sections of this chapter and evaluate the event
log.
Do jams only occur when
the media is fed from a
particular paper input
source?
Use the paper-path test to isolate the problem. See the next section for
details (page 203).
Do jams only occur when
paper is output to a specific
output bin?
Use the paper-path test to isolate the problem.
Do jams occur with a
specific type of media?
Try known good media. Make sure that media meets HP’s specifications.
Where does the leading
edge of the first sheet stop
in the paper path when a
jam occurs? Are any sheets
damaged or torn?
Attempt to duplicate the problem. Use the paper-path test to isolate the
problem. Inspect the paper path and all of the paper-path mechanical
assemblies that are located in advance of where the leading edge jams.
Is the customer loading the
trays correctly?
Observe the customer loading the trays. Tell the customer not to fan the
paper.
Is the customer overfilling
the trays?
Make sure that media is NOT above the maximum fill marks in the paper
trays. Observe the customer loading the trays.
Are the tray guides set
correctly?
Make sure that Tray 2 and 3 left-side paper guides are set correctly at both
the front and rear of the tray, and that the front guide is locked into the
correct position. For Tray 4, make sure that all adjustments are set
correctly—front, back, and side at the top and bottom of the tray.
Should the printer be
cleaned?
Inspect the paper path and rollers. See the cleaning procedures in
chapter 4.
When was the user
maintenance performed on
the printer?
Determine from the PCL configuration page the number of pages since the
last maintenance (page 205). The Printer Maintenance Kit should be
installed every 150,000 images.
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