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Chapter 5
MAINTENANCE
AND TROUBLESHOOTlNG
Subjects covered in Chapter 5 include -
l Cleaning the printer
l Replacing the ribbon
l Replacing the print head
l Troubleshooting
Dust and heat will make any mechanism wear more quickly. The best
maintenance is preventive, and the first step is correct location of the printer.
This is covered in greater detail in Chapter 1, but in general an environment
comfortable for humans is best for both the computer and the printer.
CLEANING THE PRINTER
Cleaning the printer regularly will prolong its service life. Use a damp
cloth on the exterior every week or so. For stubborn dirt, you may moisten
the cloth with alcohol or water containing a mild detergent, but be careful
not to spill any liquid into the interior of the printer.
Use a soft brush to remove paper dust and lint from the interior. A small
vacuum cleaner can also make this task easier, but be very careful not to
bend or injure any electronic parts or wiring. The printer contains delicate
electronic parts, so only clean those places where you have easy access.
REPLACING THE RIBBON
The printer uses an endless-type ribbon cartridge in which the ribbon
is recycled automatically. When the print becomes faint, it is time to replace
the ribbon cartridge.
To remove the old cartridge, take off the top cover, grasp the ribbon
cartridge by the two arms at the front and lift straight up. To tit the new
cartridge, guide the ribbon between the print head and platen, then press
down until the cartridge snaps into place. See Figure 5-l.
REPLACING THE PRINT HEAD
The dot matrix print head has a life of about 200 million dots, or years
of normal use. When printing is too light even after replacing the ribbon,
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