[rescue] RESCUE: misc DEC stuff, some questions

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Fri, 19 Mar 2004 @ 16:06 -0600, Wes Will said:

> >The DEClaser has 47K pages logged, but prints beautifully.  However, the
> >printout fades a bit on the right margin.  Is this just a toner cartdige
> >that needs to be replaced, or the fuser?  The manual is little help in
> 
> OK, it's either of these, and the easy way to find out which is to take the
> toner cart out, shake it side to side really well for a few seconds, and
> then reinstall it.  print a test page, and see if (even for a part of the
> page) the print changes.  

Not that I can see.  I wasn't vigorous with the shaking though.

> If it changes at all, even if it goes back to the
> same old smudged mess, it's the toner cartridge.  If it doesn't affect it
> at all, the fuser wire is dirty.  

There is no fuser wire in a DEClaser 3500.

It has a hot roller, and another on top that holds the paper down.

The hot roller has a light of some kind which heats it, and it appears
to heat evenly, though that's hard to check. 

I took the top off of the fuser, and then flipped the upper roller
around, no change.  I can't see anything on the hot roller visually that
looks like gunk.  It looks like the rest of it.  There is some burning
on the faded edge, but only at the very edge, and the paper doesn't roll
over that part.  I checked other working lasers, and they are often
burned there too.

I'll try the toner cart one more time.  I don't see visible defects on
the toner roller either, but I'll check more closely.

I'd hate to buy a toner and find out that isn't it.

I imagine a fuser kit is more than I can pay right now.

It's a very nice printer, with PostScript Lv2 and PCL 5, so I would like
to get it working.

It's sooooooooo close ... just that last inch of fade is ruining the
warm fuzzy rescue feeling.

Would cleaning the rollers be likely to help?  Is there a safe way to do
this?

-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- [Well, I have entered the "metallic years." 
Silver in my hair, gold in my teeth, lead in my ass... -- Sheldon Hall in
the rescue list]