Multiple Feeding – Tray 1 HP laserjet 4000, 4050, and 4100 Printer

 

Multiple Feeding – Tray 1 HP lasrjet 4000, 4050, and 4100 Printer

Alright this topic is very old but what kind of technician would I be if I didn’t at least make a quick article regarding multiple feeding in the HP laserjet 4000, 4050, and 4100. In this article I’ll discuss what causes this to happen and how to go about fixing it.

Typically  I get service calls out to  repair  dirty prints, feed issues, or squeaks  on the  HP 4000, 4050, or 4100 laserjet printers. HP Laserjet 4000, 4050, 4100 tray 1 load plain letterOnce I completed the repair and start to clean the rest of the machine I always check the tray 1 separation pad. If they have the old style pad in the machine I then ask them if it exhibits  double or multiple feeding. Of course I usually get two answers. No we never use it or yes if we stick a stack of paper in tray 1 it grabs four  or five sheets at a time. It’s the biggest pain in the butt, however we found if we only load one sheet of paper at a time it works ok. For the ones that say they never use it I always pull out the roller to check the sep pad rubber. If its shiny and worn I know they used it at one time. The reason why they never use it still could be the multiple feeding issue. In both cases I always explain to them the problem and that HP updated the part and I could repair it  then and their for only a few extra bucks. They almost always agree even if they tell me they previously haven’t used it and from that point on they know I’m not just out there to fix their equipment and leave. They know I’m looking out for them and really taking the time to make sure everything in their equipment is working.

Troubleshooting Multiple  Feeding in the HP Laserjet 4000, 4050, and 4100 Printers

Pretty easy.
1. Load about 20 sheets of paper in Tray 1.
2. Scroll to the information menu and press select.
3. Scroll to Paper Path Test and press select
4. At this point it will ask for copies or tray. Select tray 1 and then 10 copies and then select.

Ok now  10 prints will print out of tray 1. Typically it grabs several at a time or starts off good then grab more as the supply gets lower. 90% of the time you will see the problem. On rare cases it works fine for you.  Remember this is an MP tray so they probably aren’t feeding plain 20lb paper through it. Most likely, forms, envelopes, colored paper, checks, etc. are fed through it. So while you might not see it, running thin  tax  or insurance forms might really cause problems. At this point it really doesn’t matter. These pads are so stinking cheap and easy to replace it’s not worth a call back because you couldn’t duplicate the multiple feeding problem. So lets move on to the replacement instructions.

Note : If your printer already has the new style pad already installed to the right just follow the instructions for the HP 4100 Pad Removal

Tray 1 HP Laserjet 4100 Separation Pad

The HP laserjet 4100 came with the updated pad assembly. On this model all you have to do is remove the pick up roller and lift up on the front of the pad. Remove the old pad and replace with the new one.

Tray 1 Separation Pad Removal HP Laserjet 4000, 4050 Printers for Multiple Feeding

Tray 1
1.  Open Tray 1.
2. Push outward on the two slot hinges to release the pins on Tray 1.
3. Slide the Front Cover to the right and remove it from the three
hinges on the bottom.
Removing the Tray 1 Sensor Arm Cover
4. Firmly pull both sides of the Tray 1 Sensor Arm Cover toward you
until it releases from the shaft.
5. Rotate Tray 1 downward and remove it from the two hinges.
Note: HP updated this part too. If its been updated there will be a spring on the right hinge. These trays were getting broke all the time. HP added the spring for additional support.
Detail of the Tray 1 Sensor Arm Cover
Hint When you reinstall the Tray 1 Sensor Arm Cover be sure the Sensor
Arms move freely.
Tray 1 Pickup Roller4000 separation pad replacement
1. Open Tray 1. The Tray 1 Pickup Roller is in the center of the
Tray 1 Pickup Assembly.
2. Grasp the Envelope Entrance Cover and pull it straight away from
the printer.
3. Pry open the blue latch on the roller.
4. Lift the roller out.
Hint To replace the roller, make sure the pin in the roller lines up with the
hole in the shaft
Separation Pad Removal
1. Two arms hold it in place. With a flat blade screwdriver one at a time gently push the arms in and up over the post holding them in place. RED
2. There is 3 springs on the bottom of the pad assembly 2 usually come out with the pad assembly. Once I have the arms released I usually grab the assembly with both hands and put my thumbs under the pad assembly so the springs don’t go flying out. Yellow
Install Updated Separation Pad
1. Remove the pad from the assembly Should just pry off by pulling up on the front middle of the pad(Its Notched). It’s dang near impossible to get the unit installed past the idler rollers if the pads in.
2. Once you have the pad out insert the springs on the back post. Might want to use grease or something to keep them in place.
3. Align the idler rollers with the indents in the pad holder assembly.
4. Slide the pad assembly in place with the arms last.
5. Make sure the springs go on the post so they function right.
6. Secure the arms on the post
7. Install Pad back in the pad holder assembly. Back goes in first and then the front should just snap down with a little pressure.

Conclusion about the Multiple Feeding – Tray 1 HP Laserjet 4000, 4050, and 4100 Printer

As far as I can tell multiple feeding will be around as long as these machines are. The good  thing is that as more and more of the original sep pads get replaced with the new style ones the easier it will be to replace them in the future. Heck in the last few months I’ve at least replaced 15. Hopefully this article as helped others replace their separation pad for multiple feeding in the HP laserjet 4000, 4050 and 4100 printers.


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