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COMMON TONER CARTRIDGE PROBLEMS
As some problems can be caused by both the toner cartridge as well as the drum cartridge, we have listed both here.
BACK-GROUNDING: Toner cartridge and Drum cartridge; By far the most common problem with these cartridges, there are three major
common causes.
1. The first is contaminated toner. If the old toner in the toner cartridge was not fully cleaned out, a shaded background will result usual-
ly over the entire page. This can also be caused by a contaminated cleaning brush in the drum cartridge, which is directly related to a bad
toner cartridge. (See cartridge theory at the beginning of this article).
2. If the developer roller in the toner cartridge is worn, it will tend to pull too much toner, and back-grounding will result. This normally hap-
pens only on cartridges that have been recycled a few times. A normal roller will have a somewhat mottled look, and the texture should
be smooth. If the roller has lines, small cracks, or just doesn’t look right, don’t use it.
A dirty developer roller can also cause this. If the roller has a white or bluish coating, it must be cleaned. Be sure to use only a dedicated
Brother developer roller cleaner. Any other type of cleaner will probably react with the toner and cause another set of problems.
3. Another back-grounding issue can result from the toner being used. Not all aftermarket toners will work together. This is because there
is always a small amount of toner left on the drum cartridge cleaning brush. Most aftermarket toners will work over the OEM, but not all
will work over another aftermarket toner. If your cartridges work in house but background out in the field, it can be that the drum unit has
failed, or that another aftermarket toner was used previous to yours. Check with your vendor to make sure that your toner will work on top
of another (all) aftermarket brand(s).
DARK BLACK VERTICAL STREAKS: Drum cartridge; This is normally caused by either a dirty primary corona wire, or the blue corona wire
cleaner is not in its "home" position on the left side of the cartridge.
GRAY VERTICAL STREAKS: This is normally caused by a groove in the developer roller. If the roller has a groove worn in it, it must be either
replaced, or re-surfaced by a company that specializes in this.
LIGHT PRINT: Drum cartridge; Can be caused by a dirty or worn Transfer Roller. These rollers are located inside the cartridge. In our tests,
they should last at least 2 cycles.
BLACK OR WHITE HORIZONTAL LINES: Toner cartridge and Drum cartridge; Black lines normally appear when there is a build up of toner,
White when there is a dead spot, or contamination of the roller.
SOLID BLACK PAGES: Drum cartridge; Bad drum ground contact, probably from the drum axle shaft to the contact gear inside the drum.
PERFECTLY STRAIGHT THIN BLACK LINES DOWN THE PAGE: Drum cartridge; Scratched drum.
BLACK DOTS THAT REPEAT 4X/PAGE: Drum cartridge; Bad drum, or something is stuck to the drum surface.