Printer Faults - Paper Jam Defore the Print Station

Some of the more expensive printers have several paper sensors before and after the regstration station. It can make sense for the printer software to ensure the paper really is feeding before accidentally giving the transfer roller a dose of unwanted toner powder.

The print station is deep in the heart of the printer so clearing the jam on a mono printer is usually a matter of opening the print cartridge door then removing the cartridge to get to the paper feed path.

As usual the page is not reaching a paper sensor in time, or the sensor flag is not working properly. Check for wear on the pickup and feed rollers and if they seem good check that the sensor flag is free to move. Recent printers have a service mode and may be able to report the sensor moving.

Other possibilities are faults in the cartridge - for instance the cartridge door not swinging out of the way of the print station properly.

Voltage faults could also give the problem - note if the paper seems to have got caught in the cartridge. Paper is attracted to the photoconductive drum surface and thin materials like bank paper can get caught in the drum. If paper does go into the drum it can cause all sorts of problems wrecking the scraper blade so that toner will leak.