No, it isn't part two, a whole different issue. I read the other thread alo= ng with the admonishments about it not being quite as easy as it sounds. Ho= wever I have a slightly different dilemma.=20
First of all this is my unit so if I screw the cartridge up so what ? I won= 't sue me, but I am leary about even buying one. This is an HP CM1312 which= is an MFP, that is probably in the model number but I am not looking at it= now. I bought it new in 2009. It still has the original cartrdges in it an= d the black is empty.=20
I know about the little chip and I have seen them on eBay along with some i= nstructions on how to change them, that should be no sweat, however the way= I read it, when that chip says the cartridge is empty it will refuse to pr= int. Is that correct ? It shows a little sliver on the meter but I know the= black is empty because it started fading. It says order black cartridge bu= t then proceeds to roll a sheet through.=20
The chip obviously calculates the toner level somehow, or perhaps the print= er does and the chip just IDs the cartridge, at any rate it says it is ALMO= ST empty. Under these circumstances I believe it should still print somethi= ng, and I tried to print something with alot of color in it assuming that i= t would print the CYM portions but the image would be washed out.=20
Nope.=20
All I see on the page is a few small dots, aligned vertically and they are = just about microscopic. The distance between them seems to be approximately= the circumferece of the roller, just eyeballing it. One way to describe it= would be an apostophe but in like 4 point size. Quite small. I know the th= eory of operation and at this point I figure that maybe there is just one b= ad spot on the roller.=20
I am an experienced tach so I am not afraid to work on it, and if the rolle= r is actually bad then I have to buy a new one. I know there is a high volt= age applied to this thing and it was in a very unfriendly environment. Cons= tant smoking in not so big a room by multiple people practically all the ti= me. Not air conditioned either.=20
Now without doing anything else it will probably "print" a few more pages. = What are the chances that, due to the filthy environment (even the paper ma= y have been dirty LOL) that it wrecked that roller and is now shorting out = the HV ? This would explain why none of the other colors will print.=20
I see no error codes and I can't seem to find an actual service manual for = it. The question is, IF the roller is shorted out would the HV shutdown or = would it fry the HV generator and now I need one of those. You see these da= ys, if you fix things, fuses and oversurrent protection are frequently too = expensive to be in the manufacturer's budget.=20
So I am cinsidering something in the way of a test. It is obvious that the = thing is not going to run with the black cartridge out. I am thinking that = maybe I could somehow disable the HV connection to that cartridge and see i= f it will print the other colors. If so, I know I have to replace it and no= t even bother to refill it. If it doesn't print, that would be inconclusive= because the HV generator could be fried, If so I will need that PLUS a new= cartridge.=20
The other question about the cartridge, I know the ones they give you are "= promotional" which means they are not really full. When I first got it I ha= d friends who wanted to print stuff and I said "Go ahead, it's a laser prin= ter, it'll take years to run it out of.....". So I expected to eventually h= ave to refill it. However another question is whether the "promotional" car= tridge is equipped with more pitfalls when refilling it than a regular one.= =20
But knowing that I have further problems would help because then I wouldn't= waste the money. I don't like wasting money. In fact I bought a laser prin= ter to save money.=20
It may not have gone quite according to plan.=20
Any help is appreciated. Given all this I can toast this gartridge if I hav= e to, but I don't want to toast the whole printer.
J