Xerox Phaser 3500 Fuser Failure – Open Heat Error Message

 

Repair Tips to Solve the Xerox Phaser 3500 Fuser Failure Message

The Fuser Failure Message on the Xerox Phaser 3500 printer series means that the machine has an Open Heat issue in the fusing assembly. In this article, I’d like to talk about the error and what it means. I’d also like to give a few tips on an easy fix that might get your machine back up and running without unwanted repair cost. I’m not the biggest fan of some Xerox machines but these aren’t bad machines. I feel they are worth spending a little time or money to get them working properly.

Phaser 3500 fuser assembly 126N00286

Service Explanation of the 3500 Fuser Failure Message

Display Message = Fuser Failure

Open Heat Error – When warming up, the Fuser has been lower than 60 degrees Celcius for over 35 seconds.

Phaser 3500 fuser failure

Troubleshooting Advice for the Xerox Phaser 3500 Fuser Failure

Alright, the Fuser Failure – Open Heat Message means that some where in the AC circuitry there is an opening in the circuit. Without a closed circuit no AC power is being supplied to the heater lamp. Typically what happens is the fusing assembly overheats. When the unit overheats one of the thermostats, circled in red, in the picture above, opens. The thermostats are designed to open once they reach a certain temperature. The open to avoid further damage to the fuser or in a worse case scenario, fire. When the thermostat cools back down it is suppose to close. Often times, one of them fails to close when it cools, thus the circuit stays open.

Now, at this point, the service manual would have you replace the fusing assembly. Unlike early models of fuser thermostats, these thermostats can be reset. The best way to manually reset an open thermostat is to remove the thermostats from the fusing assembly. Use a volt meter to test for continuity across them together and individually. If you have continuity through both of them then check the heater lamp. If you do not have continuity then one or both will need to be reset. The best way, I found to reset them, is to take a can of compressed air, hold it upside down, and give the front of the thermostat a blast of extremely cold air. This usually resets the thermostat. Once done, check the thermostat for continuity, if reset, put the fusing assembly back together and test again.

Conclusion about the Xerox Phaser 3500 Fuser Failure

Obviously, this article will not fix all Fuser Failure issues. The best I can hope is that it will help some and provide others with a better understanding of the error and how to go about troubleshooting it. Overheat issues that lead to this problem can be caused by dirty thermistors, broken bushings, and other issues. Open heat errors can also be related to other issues like the AC power module, dirty contacts, or broken heater lamps. The information provided above is the most common cause I see related to this issue.

Thanks, Kevin

Click on the Link Below for the Replacement Instructions for the Fusing Assembly
 Xerox Phaser 3500 Fuser Assembly Removal Instructions

Click on the Link Below for additional information and ordering options for the Phaser 3500 Fusing Assembly  

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