HP Z3100 - 02.1.10 error message

[deanwork]

A few days ago I made a print with my seldom used Z3100 backup printer. It is always plugged in and I run a color target through it every week to keep the ink flowing.

I noticed a few black rubber spots on the print so I checked the belt out. It looked fine with none of the usual frayed or worn areas associated with a belt that needs replacing. So, I turned off the printer, unplugged it, and with a good light on it I very gently and carefully cleaned the belt with a lint free cloth  dampened with distilled water. I made sure none of the electronics or the head cables got wettened  by the cleaning. Then I dried the belt gently with another lint free cloth.

I let that sit for an hour and then plugged back in.

When initializing,  the head moved normally but the initializing took a long time, then it flashed the error message- 02.1.10 and asked to call for tech support if restarting didn't help.

I've done the usual unplug and restart and also removing and replacing the formatted board on the back.
Everything is very clean and the head assembly looks and moves normally. From the front the head cable looks normal.

I've done a lot of searches on this code and read the manual and it seems the error message relates to the "trailing cable" or its connection that connects the print head assembly to the main board in the back of the printer.

Has anyone encountered this error message? You can't print at all with it. I'm trying to avoid tearing this whole printer apart. If I have to do that I'll replace the belt at the same time. Just too much work going on to get into that right now but I don't want to let it sit too long without monitoring the nozzles. I might have to pay some to look at it.

John

[tonywong]

Hi John,

Funnily enough I just got this error this weekend when I changed out the belt on my z3200/24. When I reassembled my printer I forgot to attach the trailing cable, and it gave me the same error as you got. Of course the carriage did not move at all until I plugged in the cables.

Did some fluid run down the flex cable and into the connectors? The connector lays flat on the surface and then bends down and goes onto the logic board.

Maybe pulling the flex cables out and cleaning the connectors would help.

Page 6-101
http://robogravure.com/hp-designjet-Z3200-service-manual.pdf

[deanwork]

Hi Tony,

No there was no water dripping anywhere near the head. I was super careful about that.  I think in moving the head assembly I must have pulled the cable out somehow. It looks like it could have come loose from either the head area or the main board.

Did plugging the cable back in totally solve your problem? I have read that getting the cable connection to fit back in the board without bending it is really tricky.

How difficult is it to access the main board and the back of the head assembly?

I'm trying to decide if I should do this myself.

John

Hi John,

Funnily enough I just got this error this weekend when I changed out the belt on my z3200/24. When I reassembled my printer I forgot to attach the trailing cable, and it gave me the same error as you got. Of course the carriage did not move at all until I plugged in the cables.

Did some fluid run down the flex cable and into the connectors? The connector lays flat on the surface and then bends down and goes onto the logic board.

Maybe pulling the flex cables out and cleaning the connectors would help.

Page 6-101
http://robogravure.com/hp-designjet-Z3200-service-manual.pdf

[Mark Lindquist]

Before you go tearing into the printer John, pull the formatter back out and replace the battery, even if it has been newly replaced. 

CR2032 3 Volt from the drugstore.  Simple and could fix your problem.  If not, then start digging deeper.

http://z3200.com/HP-Z3200_Printers-HOW-T0s.htm  (Bottom of page)

-Mark

BTW - You could make an offer of $150 on this formatter and hard drive (OEM)and see what they would take:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Q5669-60576-Q6675-67029-For-HP-Designjet-Z3100-PS-Formatter-Board-Main-board-ink/301898437463?hash=item464a8c9357:g:LQUAAOSwxH1UFojd

I just got a new formatter board and hard drive for my Z3200 24" and it was virtually plural and play and all the gremlins were suddenly GONE. I paid like $150 for a new one and I left the old firmware it came right on it and have been printing ever since.

[tonywong]

Yes, once I plugged it back in that specific error never came back, so if there is a problem with that cable/connection you will likely have that error.

I never pulled the cable from the carriage assembly, just on the opposite end on the left side of the machine, so I don't know how difficult it is to access and disconnect the trailing cable from the carriage assembly.

All the left side access on the trailing cable and threading it was relatively easy.

[deanwork]

Thanks Tony,

It's hard for me to tell exactly how to access the end of the trailing cable you are referring to from the diagram. If I am in front of the printer ( where your print comes out) are you saying all I have to do is remove the left side cover to access that board where it fits in? Or are you saying the left when facing the printer from the rear?

Mark, I will replace the battery on the formatter board first. Good idea. I don't think it is that because it happened immediately after I had cleaned the belt. But it should be replaced anyway and now is a good time. Since the printer was unplugged I should not have shorted the main board . And thanks for the link for buying the formatter board.

If I have to tear this whole thing down I'll look at everything and replace the belt at that time . That's coming soon anyway. I have that good belt and that bushing . Is it possible to check if everything is working before you reassemble the whole printer?

Yes, once I plugged it back in that specific error never came back, so if there is a problem with that cable/connection you will likely have that error.

I never pulled the cable from the carriage assembly, just on the opposite end on the left side of the machine, so I don't know how difficult it is to access and disconnect the trailing cable from the carriage assembly.

All the left side access on the trailing cable and threading it was relatively easy.

[tonywong]

Yes, left side from the front. Use the link to the pdf to read backwards from 6-101, basically you'll need to pull off the front undertray aluminum/plastic cover, and the shroud that surrounds the formatter in order to access the screws that will take off the left side cover.

Once you pull out the ink carts, paper clamp handle you should be able to pull off the left plastic cover and at the bottom you'll see the trailing cable lead downward to the bottom.

That's off the top of my head, the pdf walks you through it pretty well.

http://robogravure.com/hp-designjet-Z3200-service-manual.pdf

[deanwork]

Thanks, that is what I needed to know.

So the other end of the trailing cable goes into the head assembly, requiring practically the whole printer to be dissambled?

I replaced the battery, that didn't do anything.


quote author=tonywong link=topic=123368.msg1028856#msg1028856 date=1519337310]
Yes, left side from the front. Use the link to the pdf to read backwards from 6-101, basically you'll need to pull off the front undertray aluminum/plastic cover, and the shroud that surrounds the formatter in order to access the screws that will take off the left side cover.

Once you pull out the ink carts, paper clamp handle you should be able to pull off the left plastic cover and at the bottom you'll see the trailing cable lead downward to the bottom.

That's off the top of my head, the pdf walks you through it pretty well.

http://robogravure.com/hp-designjet-Z3200-service-manual.pdf
[/quote]

[tonywong]

Pretty much yes...

I *think* you can do it with only pulling off the *left* side but I haven't been able to do it yet, maybe it would stress/contort the carriage components too much to work around only the left side coming off. If I could figure out how to jenga the carriage apart in situ I could do a belt replacement in 15 minutes.

It's a bit tedious to pull all the ancillary plastics off just to access the right and left sides, but if you need to pull off the trailing cable and install a new one you're going to want to pull the entire thing apart the official way anyhow, since the cable runs a fair bit along the carriage path and it's kind of delicate to work around an installed encoder strip.