Cleaning the encoder strip (Loud bang from printer carriage)

I did hear a loud bang at one point before the cartridges stopped moving.  I tried cleaning the clear encoder strip (it is a V305 all in one printer so the cartridges are out of view unlike your photo so it is covered and I cannot see the cartridges) and it is very difficult to get to.  I wiped it with a cloth and took out the power brick.  Restarted and still have the message. (clear carrier jam and then press the check)

There is a white tape looking thing when I lift up the door and wondered if that might be the issue.

I have had problems with the printer feeding paper in the past and not too thrilled with the quality of mechanisms.  The printing works great but, this problem seems to have been inevitable. 

thanks for any other suggestions you might have.  I wondered if I should try to take off the cover to get to the cartridges to see if they are stuck in the unlock position.

I'm having the same problem. I was cleared out a paper jam, then when fixed that the "Clear Carrier Jam" notice came up. When I lifted the top part to see the cartridges, they won't even go to the middle like they usually do. When I press the check button, the cartridges slam again the right side. I can't see anything that's in the way.

I think the encoder strip that you've been referring into is the clear plastic which I saw that was unattached to the printer and I don't know where to attached it back.

My printer's ink cartridge also stays on the right side.....even when I open the cover it does not go in the middle .

I have the same problem and I am really beginning to get frustrated! I have done all of this, but still the encoder strip keeps popping back off even after its put back into place properly. It just happens over and over again. The big "bang" and then it pops off again. The "carrier jam" error on it comes on. Also, my cartridge is not staying in center either...it bangs to the left and moves back to the right with a bang and just stays there...PLEASE HELP SOMEONE!??!?!?

 Librachica76,

Glad you got it working! :emotion-21: Thanks for posting back.

From what I hear, it can be a very tedious process.

Take care,

Rick

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! I FINALLY got it!!! :o) HAHA...LOL...soo happy now! I actually had to put a little piece of eraser to the right side where the encoder strip goes just to keep it in place because it still wanted to pop off! But I really appreciate your help LOTS! THANK YOU AGAIN! <3

good for you!!! Hope I can also get it because it's really frustrating...

After long hours of trying I finally put back the encoder strip on its proper place....thank you for the very detailed procedure that you gave. But unfortunately after doing these, the message  "clear carrier jam" was still there when I turn on my printer and also with the loud bang.  Are there still other things that I should check or do? Thank you for your time sharing ideas...I do really appreciate it.

To remove any error messages, uplug the printer from the wall. Then remove the power brick for 60 seconds. This resets any error messages the printer has.

If the error is still there and/or loud bang, then it's not on correctly.

Rick

For the last 1 month, my printer is inactive since the encoder strip came out...............I took it to several repair shops (since my warranty ended) where they told to buy a new one as it wont work............ I was about to throw it to dustbin when I saw your post.................It was so detailed and so amazing...............finally my printer is working again now.........A big big huge thanks to you for making my day...................I went thru the hassle of registering here ONLY to give you this big THANK YOUUUUU....................................Have a wonderful life good man!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 gillycricket ,

Glad you got it working! :emotion-21: Thanks for posting back. It took some research to help make this information possible, I just shared it with everyone so they can fix the problem on their own.

Take care,

Rick

LIBRANDO:

I had the same results after connecting the encoder strip.   But I solved the problem:  There are a few more things to do after connecting the strip:

1)  Most importantly:  Clean the encoder strip free of ink and oil.  I used isopropyl alcohol with ear swabs and Kleenex facial tissue.

2)  Clean the round chrom drive bar inside the printer near the bottom.

3)  Replace the toner cartridges, if their contacts are full of ink that leaked.     And finally,

4)  In the printer's MAINTENANCE menu, do the CLEAN CARTRIDGES procedure, ALIGN CARTRIDGES procedure, and CLEAN CARTRIDGES procedure one more time.

If you do all these steps, the problem should resolve itself.

Someone tried for hours to reattach my encoder strip, and finally figured out the way to do it after reading many web postings, and my own trial and error. The key is to use a "dental mirror" that you can pick up at a pharmacy or hardware store for about $5. (Perhaps a small compact mirror may also work.) And you need to focus light back there. (I used a head lamp.) The problem is you just can not see the small slot through which the encoder strip must be threaded from the front of the printer. It sits in back of the ink cartridges. This thin slot "tunnel" goes though a rectangular piece of plastic. You can feel the rectangular piece of plastic in back of the ink cartridges, and looking with the dental mirror you can see how small the slots are on the right and left side, through which the encoder strip must be threaded. After "seeing" these small slots using the dental mirror, you then can feel them with the tip of a fingernail, and know exactly what you are aiming for as you then feed the encoder strip through. (It doesn't make any difference of you feed the strip from the left or the right, but the down arrow end of the encoder stip must end up on the right when you later attach it to the wire tab.) I fed the strip "blind" after I had formed a strong mental image of exacly what I was trying to do, and now being able to feel the small slot I was aiming for with the tip of a fingernail. (It is tough working in the small space in back of the ink cartridges, and if you have really big hands and fingers it may be impossible. I did not want to use forceps or tweezers because of a fear of damaging the encoder strip.) The encoder strip then must be attached with the down arrow end on the right attaching to a flimsy looking wire on the right side of the printer. The left end of the encoder strip must be attached to a metal tab on the left side of the printer. You will need to hold tension on the encoder strip, and manually push the sliding ink cartridge back and forth out of the way as you attatch both ends. (It's probably a good idea to gently clean the encoder stip of all your fingerprints and any smudged ink with a tissue after you get it back in place. Also be sure to clean the metal bar the ink cartridges slide back and forth on, so you don't get error message 0502.) Be prepared for this to be a very frustating experience! You will be maddened by how many times it will take to thread the encoder strip though the slot, how difficult it will be to catch the end of the encoder strip on the wire and metal tabs, and how you will have to figure out how to hold tension on the encoder strip so one end won't fall off as you attach the other end. But once you use the dental mirror to see where you have to thread the encoder strip, and once you see the wire and metal tabs to which the ends of the encoder strip must be attached, then YOU CAN DO IT! It just takes persistance.