Question Printer is wrinkling and also folding corner on top right paper when I print from tray

[mileena]

I have a Canon imageCLASS 5770 all-in-one monochrome laser printer running on Windows 7 that I bought in 2006.

I had always used Canon and Staples brand toner cartridges, and it was fine. Last year I used one discount cartridge from Amazon, and it was also fine. I recently just tried two separate SpeedJet discount cartridges from Amazon, and that is when I began to have problems after printing a few hundred pages.

Printing from the manual feeder is fine. But occasional pages from the paper tray started wrinkling when I printed them, and toner was spilled on the top left corners of the pages and sometimes the top right corner too. So I cleaned the rollers, just above the printer tray, and in the cartridge area, and wiped up all the toner. I also cleaned the outsides of the toner cartridges themselves with isopropyl alcohol and a micro-fiber cleaning cloth. And I cleaned the paper pick up area in the front of the tray. This worked for about 10 pages, and now it is always folding the upper right corner of the page and sometimes even printing askew with wrinkled paper. One time the paper was torn and left partially in the tray. I hear the paper wrinkling as it is near the toner cartridge.

The paper I use is about 6-10 years old, as I was able to buy reams and boxes cheap from Staples back then, but it always has been fine.

Again, printing from the manual feeder is perfect, other than toner stains on the upper paper corners.

Is this problem the discount toner? I have tried two cartridges, as they came in a two-pack from Amazon and the same thing. Or is it the paper?

Or is this the printer? Did I damage the rollers by cleaning them? The Canon manual doesn't tell you how to clean them (but HP does) except it says be careful not to touch the delicate pins on the side. by the toner cartridge.

Should I just go ahead and buy a new all-in-one laser?

Thank you.

 

[daveybrat]

Same thing happened to our old workhorse HP laser printer at work. We spent $150 to have the rollers replaced and a few days later it started crinkling the paper again. We got rid of it and bought a new Brother laser printer and it's worked fantastic for the last year.

Also we only buy generic cartridges from Amazon as well and never had any problems.

 

[C1]

A guess is that you have a small piece of trash (most likely a torn off bit of paper) somewhere in the transfer pathway used by the auto-feed system.

(Typically the manual feed uses a bit different [simpler/more direct] paper transfer route that also has the option of exiting direct out the back of the printerand to minimizes bending of thicker printed media. This is no doubt why the manual feed always works correctly, but not the auto-feed. )

Try carefully examining the paper path for the auto-feed especially on the side that the paper corners gets bent.

Clean the paper path surfaces with a medium stiff artists brush and vacuum out all debris from inside of the printer. Then use the test print mode to auto feed a few sheets as that mode is typically used also for cleaning the printer (read your printer manual).

And oh ya, the more times you get a crumpled sheet torn/ground up inside the printer, the more likely you are to be jamming more paper trash bits/particles in the paper transfer pathway.

 

[mileena]

Thanks to both of you for replying.

C1: I did check the path again, and there is no paper stuck in there. I've tried cleaning it twice before with no luck. At this point, for a printer that is 13 years old, I have resigned and am going to buy a new one.I appreciate your help.

 

[corkyg]

That is probably the best solution. Rubber rollers that feed the paper do dry out, and that can create an uneven pull that cause the scrunch.