Dell 3000cn Laser Printer - Splotches?

sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
edited November 2011 in Hardware
Not sure if this is the right board, but nowhere else seemed appropriate...

I have a Dell 3000cn laser printer and I'm noticing some ink splotches/smears when I print color pictures. This printer has had a lot of use, but all the toner levels are very high so it cannot be that. Possibly something just needs to be cleaned? The imperfections always seem to be in one single line all together.. as if it's one certain spot inside the drum (or whatever). Maybe by looking at the picture you guys might be able to tell something I cannot...

Circled in red...

scan0002hn9.jpg

Comments

  • Venz-DirgeVenz-Dirge Silicon Valley
    edited October 2007
    I work on printers for a living..

    it appears the "splotch" is affecting more than one color, I would check your suspect your drum cartridge, there's a chance it could be the fuser as well, but judging by your sample pic you should be able to spot the defect.

    sometimes a little something gets on the drum and can be cleaned off (very carefully with a soft lint-free cloth)
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited October 2007
    Venz Dirge wrote:
    sometimes a little something gets on the drum and can be cleaned off (very carefully with a soft lint-free cloth)
    That is what I was hoping to hear! Something that might just need cleaning... I'm pretty scared to take this printer apart since I know basically nothing about the internals of a laser printer, but is it relatively easy? Do I need to open up the drum itself or is the part exposed?
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited October 2007
    Well basically now I'd just like to know how to properly clean the insides of a laser printer... drum roller and areas like that. Even if it doesn't entirely fix the problem I'm having, it could help! Any tips are welcome.. thanks.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited October 2007
    Nobody has ever cleaned inside their laser printer? :confused:
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited November 2007
    Bump... :rolleyes:
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited November 2007
    Look for the fuser, I don't know that printer at all but I do work with a lot of HP printers. Generally in the workgroup grade and up (which is what yours is) the fuser is removable. Pull it out and slowly rotate the fuzer looking for the imperfection. If it's not on the fuser then it could very well be on the master roller, which is typically near the fuser and presses the paper to the fuzer. Just roll it and look for a smudge.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited November 2007
    Thanks! I should probably look for a more technical manual of my printer to identify all the inner parts.. the PDF manual I have is just very very basic.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited November 2007
    Well it turns out it's not something, at least according to Dell, that could really be cleaned. It has something to do with the amount of color the printer puts on the page. Basically, when I print a photo using XP's Printer Wizard, it prints with those splotches as posted above. When I opened the same picture in Photoshop and printed it in RGB Mode, it printed flawlessly with no marks at all. I guess the Dell techs really DO know what they're talking about! They are supposed to be sending me a new drum kit at no charge :cool:
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited November 2011
    sfleuriet wrote:
    Well it turns out it's not something, at least according to Dell, that could really be cleaned. It has something to do with the amount of color the printer puts on the page. Basically, when I print a photo using XP's Printer Wizard, it prints with those splotches as posted above. When I opened the same picture in Photoshop and printed it in RGB Mode, it printed flawlessly with no marks at all. I guess the Dell techs really DO know what they're talking about! They are supposed to be sending me a new drum kit at no charge :cool:

    Congrats, drum kit should help.
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