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HP LaserJet Toner Mess

T

tomhanser

Member
I have an older HP LaserJet 5MP that's been working fine for many years, but lately it's been spilling toner on to the shiny metal plate just below the toner cartridge. Imagine the spots all over the resulting prints.

I keep cleaning up this toner and it keeps coming back. These cartridges are close to $100.00 - I can get another used laserjet for half the price.

But before I replace it, does anyone know what's causing the small amount of toner to spill out on to the shiny metal strip? Apparently the paper must pass over this strip and that's the toner spots are coming from.

It might be an easy fix, and then again...it might be toast.

Thanks!
 
Please take a picture of where this is happening. It may be a very simple fix.

On the other hand, you can get the big daddy color laserjet 4650dn for a real steal these days. $250 ish. I just bought one and will never look back. I can duplex a 80 page color manual in like just minutes. This same task on a inkjet takes almost an hour or more.
 
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Sounds like a leaking toner cartridge. Worth replacing? Probably not. Replace the whole system as suggested by Compman55.
 
HP's all in one toner design is great for high volume, high rotation, as the drum will last quite a while. However they seem to wear out from lack of use. I replaced a toner in my LJ II in 6/00, and by 2005 it was streaking & ghosting.

On my 4650DN, lets say the CYAN toner gets streaked but all others are good, I can swap in just a new CYAN and be done with it. Other printers use a seperate photo conducter drum and if it fails it is pricey. Some also use a rotating carousel which uses one single drum for each color. When this breaks its time to chuck it in the trash.
 
Apparently the toner cartridge IS leaking - every time I wipe up the mess it comes right back again, immediately, messing up prints.

The cartridge is $96.99 through HP, $55.00 through Amazon.com.

The printer cost me $25.00 used at Seattle's RE PC. You do the math!

Unless there's a way to repair an aging, leaking toner cartridge, I'll have to toss this printer out.

Thanks, everyone.
 
I personally find it a bit silly to toss a printer because the toner cart is leaking... Sure you can buy a 'new' refurb but does it come with a full toner?

I might have bought my HP4050 for $300 and a new cart is $98 but... it just keeps on chugging and repair parts are ultra cheap.
 
yea look up the instructions for the toner refill for that model, findthe waste reservoir, drill or melt a hole, easier if you have a soldering iron or some such tool and empty that. tape up the hole and if it still messes up u got ur answer.
 
0roo0roo said:
yea look up the instructions for the toner refill for that model, findthe waste reservoir, drill or melt a hole, easier if you have a soldering iron or some such tool and empty that. tape up the hole and if it still messes up u got ur answer.
Click to expand...


+1

The waste resivoir can indeed plug up before the toner depletes.
 
Dear Compman, can you tell me where to drill/melt a hole to empty the waste reservoir on the HP 4650DN? Mine is leaking toner on the transport bet and pages. seems like this is the cause.
 
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