Rejuvenating antique printer - Toner dump?

[bucolic_frolic]

No matter what I have done to my Panasonic, 1994 vintage, spots/spider bites remain. I get a faint dark area that divides the page into thirds too - horizontally. The spots are always the same. No change with cleaning. I've tried 70% rubbing alcohol, soft cloths, cotton, vacuum.

The Drum and Toner/developer units were replaced at one point, years ago but they've not had that much use. And that replacement didn't help much.

I'm thinking now there must be dust in the small transistor boards inside the printer, or the contact for the power cord jack/assembly. Or the toner. The cartridges are not new, they're old stock because not manucfactured anymore.

So I'm considering radical innovative exploratory cleaning. Turning the developer upside down to force the toner into the reservoir, then cleaning out the gearing, roller, magnetic rod. I'm fairly sure the toner has some lumps in it. But they just can't be that consistent in making the same spots all the time.

Anyone with experience in these areas? Thanks in advance if you can weigh in.

[bitterross]

2. I'm impressed with your determination.

I'm also not really surprised that printer is still working. They made them solid back then.

However, my advice, as a person who does IT support for a living, is get a new printer. Never forget that your time is actually worth something. Don't spend more of that than dollars to fix a lost cause. Also, Microsoft makes it more and more difficult every day to support old printers. I'm surprised you have a driver to print to it.

[packman]

3. I know that obsession trying to make something workable again

I've done it with cars, computers, and a list of things better left dead. My struggles with a lawn mower were legendary in our neighborhood . There comes a point when its best to let it go.
I tried to revive a sublimation printer and went thru what you are experiencing. Spent quite a bit of money on inks before giving up. Luckily the inks could be used in a new printer.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Update: Cleaned rollers, fuser surface

and added automotive dielectric grease to drum contacts. Rollers at the fuser were caked with micro-sticky black toner. Not that they created lines in that area.

Results are fair, with some reduction in the number of spider bites especially the 2 large ones, and general reduction in what looks like dust on the print. Also the printing is much darker. And it is telling me to change drum but it still prints. I'm guessing the electrical contacts were so weak as to print lightly with static and not enough current to activate the "change drum" circuit. Doubt I'll throw $30 at a new drum when a whole new monochrome laser printer for home use is about $75 to $100. But that decision is down the road as this one can still be used for my main function, eBay shipping labels.

Thanks to all who weighed in!

[bucolic_frolic]

5. It's toast

Last edited Sun Jun 3, 2018, 07:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Can't throw more time and resources at it. Fortunately the last thing I put in a year ago, a $5 toner cartridge. It just oozes toner no matter what I do. Got the drum working pretty good - the vinyl blade is what usually fails so I reshaped it ... but it's not much help at all. It's been going downhill for months. Found a charity to donate it for parts. Thanks to all who commented!