Fixing Paper Jams on a Minolta MagiColor 2200 or 2300 Desklaser

This tip is for anyone with a Minolta MagiColor 2200 Desklaser that has started creating one or two folds in the paper.  While the cause for this problem is not easy to identify and rather a chore to get to, it is super easy to fix.  So if you are reading this, half of the problem is already solved. 

To fix the problem, locate part SL4, locate the black cushioning pad on the part, and glue it back into position. 

Right now you are thinking, "That’s it?!"  Yes, that’s it.  Now, onto the instructions. 

Instructions

1. Remove the back panel from the printer (a lot of screws).
2. Locate the lower-left circuit board and remove it.
   This is the most difficult step.  But, part SL4 will be behind the top of this board.  So while completely removing this board may not be necessery, at least find a way to move it out of the way. 
3. Locate part SL4 and remove it.
   Part SL4 is the bronze colored part with black fabric and two wires, one black and one red, coming out of it. 
4. Detach the spring and remove the lever from part SL4.
5. Glue and reposition the black cushioning pad.
   The proper position for this pad will be flush with the top of the similar sized tab on the bracket. 
6. After the glue dries put it all back together.

Details

First, I am a computer technician, not a printer technician.  So take some of these observations with a grain of salt. 

From what I can tell, when the paper is fed from the bottom tray, it passes thru two motorized roller sections, in particular.  Between these two roller sections, the moment the paper is in grasp of the second roller section, a device (part SL4) temporarily stops the first roller section.  This happens for probably only a fraction of a second.  But, I don’t really know.  Anyway, this action appears to be crucial in ensuring the paper is tight while transitioning the paper between to two sections.  I believe that either this action is not starting soon enough or is failing altogether, resulting in the paper being forced into the second roller section too fast or too soon, and ultimately causing the paper to be folded.

Figure 1

The device I referred to is part SL4 in the service manual (see Figure 1).  And this is how this part works.  It has a lever on it that works like a sea-saw.  A solenoid (an electromagnet) on one end of the lever (or sea-saw) is activated, pulling down that end.  When this happens the other end of the lever extends out and jams a gear, effectively stopping it.  It sounds crude, I know.  But, unlike our political process, at least it makes sense.  Anyway, while part SL4 is at rest, a spring keeps the jamming end of the lever out of the way, allowing the first roller section to move freely. 

Attached to the bracket (or frame) of part SL4 is a tiny, little, square, black pad.  This pad appears to be some sort of cushion or spacer between the bracket and the lever in it’s resting position.  I’m not really sure what the pad is actually for.  But, when it’s in proper position, it seems to have the affect of positioning the lever slightly closer to the solenoid. 

What I understand to be a cause for the paper folding problem on this printer is that this pad eventually slips out of position.  This pad is held into position by some kind of cheap glue.  The glue has either gotten too old and is beginning to liquefy or has never solidified properly.  Perhaps this causes the timing to be off just enough to fold the paper.  Or it could be causing the solenoid to fail altogether.  I could speculate all day.  But securing the pad back into position fixes the problem.  I used superglue. 

I was only getting one fold in my paper.  But others have reported getting two folds.  For those with two folds, perhaps the pad has come completely off.  Or perhaps the first roller section is slightly faster.  But, since there is at least one other similar part, part SL5, that seems to be serving the same purpose, check the pad on that part as well while you’re in there.  It is located just above part SL4. 

By the way, does everyone know that for this printer you can simply replace a fuse in the oil roller to extend it’s life at least 2 or 3 times?  I’m sure you do. Just checking. 

Update

The following quotation is from a forum entry dated 2006 from someone identifying himself as "Caveman".  He is obviously more of an electronics technician and seems to know what he’s talking about.  It explains what the black pad is for and a way to identify and fix a separate problem with the same type of remedy: 

"The following solenoids SL4 (Transport roller solenoid) and SL5 (Timing roller solenoid) have a small square pad which insulates one part of the solenoid from [the other].  Over time these small pads move and electrical insulation is lost. This causes specific problems depending on which solenoid is involved. 

"A faulty pad on the timing roller solenoid causes printing to start half way down the page.  If the faulty pad problem happens on the transport roller solenoid this results in the paper being folded [and/or] concertina’d." 

If your printer starts printing halfway down the page, do the same repair for part SL5.  While the symptom is very different, part SL5 is identical to and has the same remedy as part SL4.  Part SL5 is located behind the upper circuit board on the back of the printer and is much easier to get to.

E-mail Etiquette: Chain E-mail = Permission to Spam

Once you receive a chain e-mail, you are likely to be receiving a lot of extra junk mail soon thereafter. Although people sending these e-mails have good intentions, they are unwittingly subjecting your e-mail address to being sold over and over again to the spamming industry.

A chain e-mail can be any e-mail that is likely to be forwarded, such as the typical "pass this along" type or the rather insulting "pass this along or else…" type. The e-mail addresses on virtually all of these e-mails eventually get "harvested" by automated programs looking for active e-mail addresses. The harvested addresses are then sold to any and every spammer looking to make a few bucks and all you get out of it is at least two years additional of junk mail.

Even though by the time you get one of these your address is already doomed, you had better nip it in the bud and tell whomever sent it to stop doing it. The most polite way to ask them to stop would probably be to reply with an article, such as this one (hint! hint!).

If there indeed is information you would like to pass along to friends and family, you can usually protect the recipients by using the "blind carbon copy" technique. First, delete any e-mail addresses from the body of the e-mail. Or, if you are feeling especially thoughtful, you could take the time to copy only the information you want to share and paste it into a new e-mail. Then, for the primary recipient (the person in the "To…" field), put your own e-mail address or a completely bogus one; for example, Nobody@nowhere.com or MyFriends@TheirEmail.com. Lastly, put the actual recipients into a field called the "blind carbon copy" (or BCC) field.

Much of the e-mail software commonly used, including web-based e-mail software, hide the BCC field by default. But this field can usually be easily shown. For example, while composing an outgoing e-mail message using Microsoft Outlook, click "View" on the menu bar and then click "Bcc Field". Instructions for a majority of the others are at http://rrudder.com/safe/bcc.html.

Note: Ironically, some e-mail service providers flag as spam and remove messages for recipients that appear only in the BCC field.