Light Print – HP Laserjet 2400, 2420, 2430 Printer – Laser Repair

 

Light Print – HP Laserjet 2400, 2420, 2430 Printer

Light print on the HP laserjet  2400, 2420, 2430 printer models is starting to become an issue in the last few years.  Light print  problems can be throughout the whole page or more  often they start on the left side printed page. The problem typically is a result of   build up inside the laser unit  motor mirrors and/or on the front mirror and internal lenses. The motor has several mirrors on top of it that rotate at around 20,000 to 50,000 RPM’s depending on the machines print speed. Build up of dust and debris on the mirrors and lenses results in light print  as the laser image produced inside the laser scanner unit has a rough time pentrating  through the dirt and writing a clear image to the drum inside the toner cartridge. Once you take the laser scanner unit apart and clean out the mirrors you can restore the print quality in your HP laserjet 2100, 2200 and 2300 printer. If you follow the instructions in this article you will remove the light print problem and be able to properly read the print on your paper again.

Tips for Cleaning Your HP Laserjet  2400, 2420, 2430 PrinterHP laserjet 2400 <u>light print</u> photo

The HP laserjet 2400, 2420, and 2430 printers stay rather clean inside so I would avoid using canned air inside the machine unless positively necessary. If you have toner build up inside the unit and you decide to blow it rather than  vacuum it, the main thing I can say is to make sure you cover the top of the printer cavity with a towel to avoid unwanted toner and dust from getting up into the laser scanner unit to  prevent light print where you didn’t have it before.

Troubleshooting light print in a HP Laserjet   2400, 2420, 2430 Printer

I added more detail to the troubleshooting tips. Instead of making this article extremely long I decided to create a new article and link to it. Below is the updated article for further assistance on your light print issues.
Troubleshooting Light or Faded Print – HP Laserjet Printers

Laser Scanner Cleaning Procedure for Light Print on a HP Laserjet  2400, 2420, 2430 Printer

Right-side cover
1. Slide the right-side cover toward the back of the printer to disengage it from the front, right cover and the right-side handle.ht-side cover
2. Lift the cover away from the printer.

Back cover
1. Open the face-up delivery door all the way, and then press the door down to disengage two door-stopsHP 2400 laser scanner
2. Remove two screws
3. Close the face-up delivery door, and then tip the printer so that it rests on its front.
4. Open the “legal-size” cover, and then disengage one tab.
5. Lift the bottom of the cover first, and then lift the cover away from the printer.
6. Tip the printer back so that it rests on its feet.

I/O cover
1. Rotate the I/O cover to clear tabs at the right side of the cover.
2. Lift the cover off of the printer.

Left-side cover
1. Remove two screws
2. Open the cartridge door.
3. Release one tab at the back of the printer by pressing the tab through a hole in the chassis, and then rotate the cover away from the printer at the back of the printer.
4. Slide the cover toward the front of the printer to clear tabs at the front, and then lift the cover away from the printer.

Top, right cover
1. Remove one screw at the back of the printer.
2. Lift the cover off of the printer.

Top cover
1. Remove four screws.
2. Lift the cover at the back of the printer, and then slide the cover toward the front of the printer to clear the tabs at the front of the cover.
3. Lift the cover off of the printer.

Laser/scanner
2. Release one tab on the air duct, and then lift the air duct out of the printer.
3. Disconnect two cables.
4. Remove four screws.
5. Lift the laser/scanner out of the printer.
6. To remove the laser/scanner PCA, remove two screws, and then lift the PCA off of the laser/scanner.

I gave the instructions to remove the laser scanner unit but really you shouldn’t have to remove it. I believe 1 screw and 4 clips hold the top cover on. I listed the uninstall procedure because some people find the clips easier to remove with the unit out.

Cleaning the Laser Scanner Unit on the HP Laserjet 2400, 2420, and 2430 Printer

Once you get the cover off the laser scanner unit cleaning it should be rather easy. It’s not a race so take your time and do it right the first time. Use a Q-tip to clean the mirrors and lenses. If you see any build up on the Q-tip get a new one before proceeding to the next mirror or lens.   The motor mirrors  on top of the motor can scratch easy as well as the odd-shaped  lenses.    Position yourself at a  good angle to the motor mirrors so you can see the dust build up on the mirrors so you can make sure you are properly cleaning them. If you start to see scratches on the mirrors from cleaning stop immediately and get a new Q-tip.  I typically clean them very gently  several times rather than try to  clean them once with more pressure. A little scratch probably wouldn’t hurt anything but lots of scratches or one in the wrong place can permanently damage the laser scanner unit and replacement would be necessary so again be very gentle and take your time.

HP Laerjet 2400 laser scanner cleaning

Not Exact Picture of Inside

Conclusion about Light Print in the HP Laserjet  2400, 2420, and 2430 Printer Repair

The light print problem in the HP laserjet  2400, 2420, and  2430 is becoming a more common issue as these machines age. Hopefully the article above will help you troubleshoot and diagnose your problem so you can resolve your light print issue in your HP laserjet  2400, 2420, and 2430 printer and get your machine up and running without any further print quality problems.

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Find additional printer service tips, manuals, and parts diagrams at: http://www.lbrty.com/resources.html/

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