Z3200 Q6718A does not start - status update

[Pouln]

Hi all,

I hope to find an answer in the collected wisdom of the forum members.
After moving house the printer has been switched off for some months (I know, should not have happened, but it did).
This weekend I wanted to fire it up again, however although the fans come on and screen is lighted nothing further happens.
The power-on button blinks and that's it.
I read through the different posts on the forum concerning this issue and tried the complete power-off, rest for half an hour, remove the formatter board, replace the battery procedures, but it all didn't help.

Now, as the fan is quite noise I decided to get the tools out and open this old lady (she's a Q6718A from 2008).
So I dismantled the left side to get the psu out. This thing is built like a tank. The amount of screws used is quite sufficient, so to say.

I found some dust on the outside grills but not much inside.
I did see though some blackening on the PSU board that worries me.
At the bottom of one of the three capacitors right next to where the fan sits to the frame, there's black "dust" on the PCB (both sides). I don't know if it is dust from the printer or soot. I fear it is the last because at the bottom there are two resistors of which the soldering at one side does not look right (as if it is melted away, see picture).

So what next?
I imagine I need to check the PSU for correct voltages but how to go about that. where should I measure what voltages?
I hope someone can point me in the right direction.

I was actually planning to get a new formatter board as first measure to get the old girl going again, but know I want to know for sure whether the psu board is supplying the right voltages.

BTW talking about the formatter board, I see the part number on the board itself is: Q5670-60021 Rev. A, while Partshere mentions other numbers. Any insights here?

Thanks in advance,



 

[Pouln]

Btw, did I say that getting the power supply out was an easy job, thanks to the instructions Mark provided on z3200.com? The little movie from Les, linked from that page helped a lot too.

Great to have some very knowledgeable people (Mark, Ernst and a number of others that frequently visit this forum) on this forum that help us all along in keeping these printers going.

I have one additional question. I read about making sure that the guide rail is oiled. What kind of oil do we need to use for that and where to get that in the Euro area?

[robertDthomas]

Yes, Mark provided much needed help to me a couple years ago with info and videos to rebuild my Z3200.  I bought the HP oil here in the US and just found this link to an earlier post (which Mark also helps on) requesting the same info you are.  This provides a source in the UK - Hope this helps: https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=116212.0

Bob

[Pouln]

Thanks, Bob. I found the oil on the newgatesimms site.
Will order there.

[Pouln]

I found a power supply board on line and am awaiting delivery.
Just to be sure, I also ordered a new formatter board.
I will replace the fan at the same time.

I would still much appreciate advice on where to measure if the power supply is providing the correct voltages. I assume the connector from power supply to main board is the best location, but what voltages should I see on which pins?

I have another question regarding the paper cutter.
As I opened the left side, I see that there is nothing attached to the cutter assembly that would move it.
Am I correct in assuming that the assembly is picked up by the carriage which then drags it across the paper width?
If so what could cause it to malfunction?
I have seen it operate once or twice but no more. Not the most important component, but if I could get it working again, would be nice.

[Pouln]

Been a long time but I wanted to give an update on the status of my Z3200.
I actually was on the verge of dismanteling the machine, but contacted Mark L before I did.
He convinced me to continue so I did the following.
I contacted Tim Wert at LPS. He is wonderfully helpful and knowledgable and came up with some explanations of things and a suggested to exchange the formatter board and disk.

Here is what I did so far:
1.   Took off left and right covers
2.   Cleaned the left spittoon
3.   Removed and totally cleaned the service station and right spittoon below it. Used grease to lubricate the plastic sliding components and gears
4.   Cleaned the aerosol fan, which sits against the service station
5.   Cleaned and oiled the guide rail for the carriage and added some oil to the oiler pad which sits at the right end of the rail
6.   Cleaned the lower rail from dust and debris (the rail that guides the cutter)
7.   Cleaned the contacts within the cartridge holders
8.   Cleaned the contacts for the printheads in the carriage
9.   Cleaned the printheads (outside clean of contacts and made sure through stamping that there is an even ink supply)
Tested, but still no go
10.   Replaced the formatter and disk as supplied by LPS

Restarted the machine without cartridges and printheads and ….. lo and behold … it booted, display worked.
All positive signs.
It went as far as step 4 in the Preparing print system phase.

In that step it said that LC needed to be reseated and after doing so it said that the cartridge was faulty.
I contacted Tim again and he said that once a cartridge is indicate faulty, that status is registered in the chip on the cartridge and you cannot reset that in any way.
He said that this situation was probably caused by air in the cart or the line so he proposed to purge the line and then execute an EEROM reset
I have sucked out quite a lot of LC ink to ensure that all air is out.
Reading about the EEROM reset it is stated that the (all) lines will be purged and I am unsure whether this calls for the priming caps instead of the print heads.
Q1: Does any of you know whether the caps are needed in this process?

I did one other thing.
I entered the diagnostic mode and performed the IDS - Ink Supplies test.
There the cartridge status is shown in 3 lines:
a. PURGE OK:
b. INK (%):
c. INK (CC):

PURGE OK is YES for all cartridges except, yes... LC.

Now I'm hesitant to put in another new LC cartridge (which I have in the house) only to find out that the printer will again flag the cartridge as faulty, rendering it unusable.
Q2: should I just go ahead with the replacement or execute the EEROM reset procedure first?

I think I'm almost there but this last issue (hopefully) needs to get out of the way.

I hope some of you can shed some light here.

[kers]

Wow - you completely renovated the machine....!

If i were you i would take a day off, and then concentrate on the LC.
new cartridge/ new head?

Also i have had that restarting and rechecking might solve a problem like with an old log ago used car.
good luck!  PK

[Pouln]

Thanks, Pieter.

Well, I did not take the day off. Continued with the new cartridge and ….. YES, success!
My Z went through the whole Prepare Print System routine and asked to load paper for the head alignment.
So that's what I did with the results as pictured in the first attachment.
Not really ok, but hey, what can you expect after so many months of non-functioning.

The 2nd picture shows the image quality diagnostic. No matte black and quite some interruptions on the nozzle checks in blue (why do they call it blue?), green, some in magenta, lots in yellow, some in light cyan, some in light grey and some black smearing in red.

So I decided to exchange the heads (I had a set that came with the printer when I bought it).
Looking at the mk/red printhead, there was a pool of black ink at the underside, so I guess black came out but not in the fine droplets that were expected.

Results were much, much better except still some issues in matte black.
That head is new but actually expired (something like 10 years), so I will buy a new HP 73 head. The other heads are also expired, but only just.

Final diagnostic print looks like the last picture.

As I am not planning to print on matte papers right away, I think I am ready to go or should I say: roll

Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier that I replaced the PSU fan a while ago for a very silent one.

 

[Pouln]

And this is the first print: "In the wrong crowd".

Paper was not profiled yet, but does not look bad at all, compared to my calibrated monitor.

[kers]

congratulations!  You deserved it after all that work.

[Pouln]

Thanks, Pieter