z3200 44in PS - 01.1: error Printmech and Formatter questions

[EricWHiss]

Hi,
I've got a HP z3200 printer that just quit working and I'm trying to get back up and running.   I did replace the little lithium battery on the formatter card, and the first time powering up it did do the FSCK for about 10 minutes, but the printmech board error came back. It didn't move anything or do any other mechanical actions, just straight to the red light and error.   

 I bought a new hard drive for the formatter and a new printmech board from Partshere and the items seemed to have been shipped directly from HP parts.    I put in both the new drive and the printmech board and tried to start up. Only got a blank screen on the center display, no text, nothing.   I was told by another parts supplier that the printmech board pairs to the formatter and that the only way to replace the printmech board is with a new drive in the formatter.  Partshere confirmed this.  One of them told me that it would through an error on the first startup but then restart normally and do the fsck etc on the 2nd go.  Non of that is happening unless I've not waited long enough or done something else stupid. 

I've read on this forum that the printmech pairs to the formatter board too I think but think it was the board not the card.    Does anyone know for sure about the pairing?   And why does it say in the HP z3200 service manual that one should not replace both the printmech and formatter at the same time?   If they pair how else should it be done?   

I've tried replacing my old drive and printmech card and I got the fsck once but the same error again - but at least the display was showing something.     Thanks for any ideas / suggestions.

Regards,
Eric Hiss

[Mark Lindquist]

You must have a matching Fomatter board and hard drive.  AND it must be the correct Revision number, either A or B.  You can find that number on the back of the printer - for example, Q6718A.

If you put any incorrect combination, either hard drive or formatter board in, it will not work.

Assuming your printer is an "A" version, and assuming you put in a NEW Rev. A formatter and hard drive, when you restart the printer, it will go immediately into FSCK (File System Check), then will throw an error.  Press the "turn off printer" button from the front panel and the printer should shut down.  Wait briefly, then press the start button, and the printer should come on and this time initialize, but you must give it a lot of time.  If it does not initialize, shut the printer down from the front panel again, and if required, try this exact same procedure at least three times. 

If after the third time, no go, turn off the printer again from the panel.  Then turn the on/off switch in the back to off, then unplug the printer AND the network cable.  Let the printer sit for at least a half hour (this resets the machine), then making sure the on/off button in the back is still set to "off", replug in the power cord, (but NOT the lan or USB cable), then turn on the power switch in the back to "on".  Watch to see if the printer initializes, then watch for errors.  If it throws another startup error, power the unit off again from the front panel button.  Then power the print back on with the front panel button.

Do not plug in the LAN or network cable until the printer has fully initialized.  If it initializes and says it's ready for paper, then and only then, plug in the LAN cable and be patient for the network ID to come up.  It takes a little while.

Now if your printer is a Rev. B model, you must have a NEW matching Rev. B Formatter and Hard Drive. 

One thing you can try if the printer begins the FSCK but gets hung afterwards, and it takes a LONG time, is to do the shutdown, pull the plug method as described above, and then pull out the formatter board with matching hard drive, and remove the battery from the formatter card.  Let it all sit for a half hour, then put the battery back in, then the formatter card with hard drive and try the procedure again.

This is a time consuming careful process.  BE PATIENT.

In the state you are currently in, just check to see that your card and hard drive are correct (either A or B) and start over, as stated above.

Good luck -

Mark

[EricWHiss]

Mark,
Thanks for the info.  My printer is Q6721A model however what's really odd is that it had a B version printmech board in it to start with and worked fine all these years.  I gave PartsHere my model number and they supplied me (via HP parts) with a B printmech board that has the identical part number as what was in my printer originally -  Print Mech #05669-20262 B

The hard drive that was originally fitted is a part number 0A78261 model RB date 6/23/10 with firmware RB12-RB_11.0.0.3 M2 S4 OS:RB_2.1.2  and the one they sent to me is a 360gb drive with part number Q6719-60046 Model RB date 7/17/17 and the firmware was TR12_RB_16_00_01.1    M2 SW OS:ITER_0.0.3.b

I don't know if that last bit on the new drive OS:ITER is an important difference or not - since the older drive says OS:RB

Are you saying to put in both print mech and formatter at the same time?  Why does the power need to be off for so long?

I just tried this again with the original formatter and print mech cards -  power cord was out for 30 minutes - it does the status bar to 100% (but no FSCK this time) then gets to the rotating hourglass and then says it's initializing just before the error message comes up.  Normally once it gets to this error I can not use the power off button on the printer. This time it did say it was shutting down, but didn't - screen now frozen.
I'm going to try and find out if the OS on the hard drives makes any difference.

Thanks,
Eric

[Mark Lindquist]

Eric - I had some lingering issues with my Z3200 24" printer and I just bought one of these:

Q6718-60047 Formatter board w/ HDD - NIB - HP DJ Z3200 24'' & 44'' series

Notice mine is Q6718-60047 and yours is Q6719-60046.

I paid $138.00 for mine - put it in and it worked immediately.  It had older firmware on it that I just left as is and it's working great.

I think something must have been switched on yours at some time.  HP no longer supports Rev. A models and they must have just shipped you a Rev. B Model.

No - don't put print mech and formatter in at the same time. Read my email again please.

Unplugging the cord and leaving allows the static and residual charges to dissipate.  I don't have time to explain the physics ---

I know what I would do with what was sent to me if I was in your position...

I'm very pleased with the New OEM board that strepx (eBay) sent me.

One could get that formatter and board and put it in and it just might work.  Just a thought.  :-)

-Mark

[EricWHiss]

Mark,

Nothing has been switched on my printer except the power supply and fan which I did myself about 2 years ago.  It was delivered this way to me with a A in the model number and B rev parts from new.

I did turn up the formatter board in an ebay search last night and wondered and also the formatter on the HP parts site - wow!  the one on ebay is 1/10th the cost of the HP one.    I may take that route now that I know you had success with one.   

I can't see in your first post when in the sequence I'm supposed to install the print mech card, maybe I'm going blind, but I can't see any mention of it?   In the service manual it's only written that they should not be installed at the same time... 

btw - if you want to explain the power cord out / time thing - I've got a physics degree (and an art degree) from UC Berkeley so I should be quick on the take there.   

[Mark Lindquist]

It's really just the capacitors discharging and removing voltage from the anode/cathode gates of SCR's. Sometimes it takes a while for the capacitors to discharge - which is why I have had good luck with at least 15 minutes and best performance with 1/2 hour.  It's not physics but rather simple electronics - usually when I say physics people stop asking questions.  I really don't care how or why it works, I just know that it does.

HP discusses this in the manual if you want to dig through that tome to find a sentence or two about pulling the plug to reset it.

They don't say before3 or after re: the print mech card.  It stands to reason that if you try the initialization sequence before installing the print mech card and it doesn't work, then it stands to reason you could then install the Formatter Board and Hard Drive.  It is actually probably 6 of 1 half dozen of another really.  I'd try installing the formatter board first, then if that didn't work, I'd go for the print mech board.

I'm not an HP technician - just someone who fixes and has fixed several of my own of these printers nd helped a lot of people fix theirs.  Usually people who try to fix these things themselves get way over their heads.  Many have common sense and some experience and do well.  They're pretty easy to fix, but not always.  When there are several tiers or problem issues, troubleshooting becomes compounded and it becomes tricky.

-M

[EricWHiss]

Update:  I spoke to a technician at HP who said that there is only one version of the Print Mech card (even though mine has a B under the part number it doesn't matter) and and that the pairing that goes on is not between the print mech board and the formatter but rather between the formatter and the main board.   So the order of replacement of the Print Mech and the Formatter drive doesn't matter at all.  It is important to not replace them at the same time.

Also I learned that the hard drive that I was supplied will only work with the current model of this printer Q6721B not A so that's what's been holding me up.  I was shipped the incorrect version of the hard drive for my printer. 

I'll be back with updates once I get that.

[Mark Lindquist]

Update: ...I learned that the hard drive that I was supplied will only work with the current model of this printer Q6721B not A so that's what's been holding me up.  I was shipped the incorrect version of the hard drive for my printer. 

OK.  Like I said.

Making progress.

-M

[EricWHiss]

My printer is running again!   One more mistaken piece of information that has been floating around is that the hard drive in the formatter needs to be replaced when the print mech board is replaced.  This surly must be when the Main PCB is replaced instead?    Since I learned that the Print Mech board doesn't pair with anything, I decided to try putting the new one back in and give it a go.  Seems that that was the only thing my printer needed.   Definitely the formatter drive need not be replaced along with the Print Mech board.   

Btw - here's why I thought I had a Rev B  Print Mech board  see picture.  That big B by the part number which I had assumed meant rev B means nothing even though some Print Mech boards have Rev A printed in the same position.  Actually to HP the part number means nothing also, same for the part number on the bar code stuck to the board.  The number they go by is the number on the box which was #Q6675-67801

[Mark Lindquist]

That's great you are up and running again Eric.

I had not heard of the print mech board needing to be replaced, paired with the formatter board.  What is correct is that the Formatter board and hard drive need to be paired.
The main thing is that you are back printing again.

Best,

Mark

[deanwork]

My Z3200 is 10 months old.

Last week my MK-Red head gave the error message to replace it. Did that, then the same thing with the Mag- Yellow head. Replaced that and they were both in warranty. Then immediately  got the 02.1.10
Error that relates to the carriage and the trailing cable. I had that same damn error when my belt shattered in the Z3100 a week earlier.

The HP tech was out here for hours yesterday and couldn’t figure it out. Replacing the formatter board didn’t solve it and there was no visible problem with the trailing cable and its end point plugs or the carriage itself.My printer is clean as straight off the assembly line.

 So......he ordered more parts and today is going to replace the main board assembly, the trailing cable and the entire carriage assembly for good measure so he doesn’t have to come back a third time. HP makes them overnight the parts as they are provenly needed as apposed to keeping them in stock in Atlanta. Thank God I’m still in warranty. I’m going to have to buy that 3 year extension soon. I don’t trust this thing in the long term without it.

Good news is I have a really good and nice tech and he’s going to fix the belt on my Z3100 while he is doing the 3200. I ordered and received the good belt.

The tech says besides the belt replacement he has had very few service calls over the years for the Z3100 but a lot more electronic parts failures for the 3200 model. My theory is, and I have no real evidence, is they are probably putting cheaper components in  them these days. I think the same is true of Canon. My made in Japan 8300 is printing like new after 8 years, while everyone I know who had a Chinese made 8400 has already gotten rid of it by this point.

John

That's great you are up and running again Eric.

I had not heard of the print mech board needing to be replaced, paired with the formatter board.  What is correct is that the Formatter board and hard drive need to be paired.
The main thing is that you are back printing again.

Best,

Mark

[EricWHiss]

There seems to be a lot of uncertainty out there about the pairing - at least in the parts suppliers.  The HP designjet tech that I got to speak with (even though mine is well out of warranty, because I had bought parts from HP parts I got passed through to one) said that the formatter definitely pairs with the main circuit board.  It may well be that the hard drive also does some pairing too with the formatter also, but definitely the Print Mech board does not pair with anything.  There apparently are two versions of the Print Mech board that operate with the Model A versions of these printers - the one that says Rev A and also one that has a big B on it.  Both of these are compatible with the Rev A formatter and main boards. 

[Mark Lindquist]

You must have a matching Fomatter board and hard drive.  AND it must be the correct Revision number, either A or B.  You can find that number on the back of the printer - for example, Q6718A.

If you put any incorrect combination, either hard drive or formatter board in, it will not work.

Mark

There is no uncertainty on my end, as I said much earlier in my first response to your post.  Formatter and hard drive must be paired.  That is it.  Simple.
The hard drive looks for the serial and model number of the printer when it first boots. These things must jive or no go.

The print mech card (IC board) is independent of all other boards - there is no cross checking happening there.  If HP tech told you otherwise, they are wrong.

[Mark Lindquist]

My Z3200 is 10 months old.

Last week my MK-Red head gave the error message to replace it. Did that, then the same thing with the Mag- Yellow head. Replaced that and they were both in warranty. Then immediately  got the 02.1.10
Error that relates to the carriage and the trailing cable. I had that same damn error when my belt shattered in the Z3100 a week earlier.

The HP tech was out here for hours yesterday and couldn’t figure it out. Replacing the formatter board didn’t solve it and there was no visible problem with the trailing cable and its end point plugs or the carriage itself.My printer is clean as straight off the assembly line.

 So......he ordered more parts and today is going to replace the main board assembly, the trailing cable and the entire carriage assembly for good measure so he doesn’t have to come back a third time. HP makes them overnight the parts as they are provenly needed as apposed to keeping them in stock in Atlanta. Thank God I’m still in warranty. I’m going to have to buy that 3 year extension soon. I don’t trust this thing in the long term without it.

Good news is I have a really good and nice tech and he’s going to fix the belt on my Z3100 while he is doing the 3200. I ordered and received the good belt.

The tech says besides the belt replacement he has had very few service calls over the years for the Z3100 but a lot more electronic parts failures for the 3200 model. My theory is, and I have no real evidence, is they are probably putting cheaper components in  them these days. I think the same is true of Canon. My made in Japan 8300 is printing like new after 8 years, while everyone I know who had a Chinese made 8400 has already gotten rid of it by this point.

John

My theory is, and I have no real evidence, is they are probably putting cheaper components in  them these days.

I have noticed this as well John.  Good thing you've got a good tech guy.

-Mark

[Peter McLennan]

This stuff scares the pantz off me.  Mine has about 20 days of warranty left and I just had a red/black head scare. HP wants $2k per year for an extended warranty.  I live six hours drive from any repair techs.

[deanwork]

Where do you live?

Yea, replacing the majority of the freaking electronics 8 months after purchase is a very bad sign indeed. Especially since I treat my printers like they are delicate little babies.

John

This stuff scares the pantz off me.  Mine has about 20 days of warranty left and I just had a red/black head scare. HP wants $2k per year for an extended warranty.  I live six hours drive from any repair techs.

[Mark Lindquist]

This stuff scares the pantz off me.  Mine has about 20 days of warranty left and I just had a red/black head scare. HP wants $2k per year for an extended warranty.  I live six hours drive from any repair techs.

If you like your printer it's worth it to buy the warranty.  I bought the 5 year warranty from HP within the 30 day period of my original purchase on my last one. The other 3 I have don't have warranties of any kind.
They're pretty easy to work on if you have knowledge and experience, but can be a pain, regardless.  I think their warranties are worth it. You could check around and see if any other resellers have a better deal.

Mark

[deanwork]

Anyone who has purchased a Z3200 recently from Pro Imaging in the States needs to go online and check your warranty status. I did before this mishap and found out they had the incorrect purchase date on mine and I was showing three months out of warranty, with my serial number, which was incorrect. The Hp guy in South America told me that this unit had previously been purchased by another party and someone had already registered it. It was a new unused printer. I sent him my purchase invoice so he agreed to reregister it under the correct date. If he had refused to do that I would have been really screwed.

Yea, the last thing in the world I need is to have to learn how to work on this printer. The Epson 8ks are now on sale for $3000.00 . I think I screwed up.

John

If you like your printer it's worth it to buy the warranty.  I bought the 5 year warranty from HP within the 30 day period of my original purchase on my last one. The other 3 I have don't have warranties of any kind.
They're pretty easy to work on if you have knowledge and experience, but can be a pain, regardless.  I think their warranties are worth it. You could check around and see if any other resellers have a better deal.

Mark

[Peter McLennan]

Where do you live?

SE British Columbia. Nearest Canadian city is Calgary.

I’m retired. This is just a hobby and I don’t sell prints. I’m a light volume user. Since the cost of the extended warranty approaches the cost of a new printer, the worst case scenario is to load the printer into my van and drive it there.

[EricWHiss]

There is no uncertainty on my end, as I said much earlier in my first response to your post.  Formatter and hard drive must be paired.  That is it.  Simple.
The hard drive looks for the serial and model number of the printer when it first boots. These things must jive or no go.

The print mech card (IC board) is independent of all other boards - there is no cross checking happening there.  If HP tech told you otherwise, they are wrong.

HP tech support didn't steer me wrong - they were the ones that put me straight actually.   Without them I wouldn't have gotten my printer working.   But the parts suppliers (my parts as I wrote were shipped from HP direct but not bought directly through HP) were incorrect about the print mech board needing to be paired. Buying parts directly from HP is really expensive! 

But through it all I did learn a trick - if you tell HP support that you bought parts from them they will pass you onto a technician even if your printer is out of warranty. :-)