Konica Minolta magicolor 2430DL Media Jam

edited by Earl on Jul-20-2010
originally created on Sep-02-2008

I've had this laser printer for five years, since July 2005.  



Over time, an error has become more and more common:  "Media Jam".  As of today, no matter what kind of paper I put in the tray, it always says "Media Jam".  I opened the top and there is no paper inside.  The printer would not pull the paper all the way inside the printer, so there is no way it was jammed.  Instead, the printer simply cannot pull the paper up to print to the paper.




I searched online and finally found a website with the answer.  I decided to try it and document the steps with photos to make it more clear what the fix is.  Here is how I fixed this issue... at no cost!  No purchase required!  And it takes just a couple minutes.

Step 1:  Open the top of the printer.



Step 2:  Look for a green handle and pull the printer drum up and out of the printer.  



View of printer with the drum removed:



Step 3:  Locate the paper feed (also called a feed tire) and remove it.  Read warnings below.



In the above photo, I outlined the paper feed with a blue square.  The paper feed is a dark gray piece of rubber stretched across black plastic, shaped like a half circle or a crescent.  Be careful removing it as plastic is cheap and fragile.

Warnings

"To get the wheel out you simply just slide it to the right. I though the arm was a spring latch and almost broke it by squeezing."   - John

The part can break when you put it back in, too.  "in trying to get it back in, I broke the little roller legs."  - Matt  

"Here is a picture to help clarify the removal of the pickup roller..."  Scott S


Click for larger view.



So, use care when taking the paper feed out and when putting it back in.  The part did not break when I re-installed it a few different times so I know it is possible to keep the part safe, but it is fragile plastic, so keep that in mind when handling this.  But hey, if your printer is not working anyway, what have you got to lose?  If you break this piece, a replacement might cost you around $20 or so if you include shipping.

Here are a couple views of the paper feed removed from the printer, sitting on top of my desk:





Step 4:  Clean it.  I sprayed a little "all purpose cleaner" on it to dissolve any grime... the same stuff we use to clean the kitchen.  Then I cleaned it under the faucet, letting running water wash it off and then dried it off with a towel.  Honestly, the part didn't even look dirty before I cleaned it, but I thought I would give it a shot.  

Step 5:  Pop the paper feed part, carefully, back into the metal bar inside the printer.



Put the drum back inside the printer...



...and close the lid.



Immediately, my printer began printing with no more paper jams!  

Conclusion

I have two ideas why the steps above got rid of the paper jam error.

1.  The paper feed had poor traction because of some foreign material build-up on the rubber paper feed.  Cleaning it gave the paper feed more traction to push the paper.

2.  Simply removing the part and putting it back in may have changed the height of the paper feed on the metal bar just enough to push better on the paper.  

The good news is that this was a simple and free solution and the error is gone... for now.

If the rubber piece has lost tread and needs to be replaced, I found a place that sells it online for $20:  precisionroller.com.   I would shop around before actually buying it from this store, but since my paper jam problem is gone, I'll wait before buying anything.

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Comments

I had the same problem.
What a joy it was when I found this!
Thanks!


Thanks for the feedback, Len!  I was happy to know that somebody was able to use this.  Hopefully you were able to fix your printer problem.  As of today, about a month after using the steps in this guide, my printer is still printing like a charm with no paper jams.  I was happy to fix my own printer and hope others are able to do the same.


Same here and more thanks for the post!


Thanks, KennG!  


Worked right away, so far so good.  Thanks.


Glad to see your post, Patrick.   I'll make a quick update on my printer while commenting here.  I performed the cleaning procedure documented above two months ago.  The printer lasted that long without getting the "Media Jam" error.  However, I did just get the error again a couple days ago for the first time since cleaning the paper feed.  The paper was a heavier stock (for wedding shower invitation cards), so the paper was thicker with a different texture than typical paper.  The paper feed had trouble picking up the cards.  It wasn't a "Media Jam" at all as the error stated, but rather the paper feed could not push the cards into the printer.  It was annoying to go through the steps to remove the error, by opening the printer door and pulling the drum out, then replacing the drum, and closing the door.  I feel silly going through those steps repeatedly to remove a dumb error message.  So, I followed the procedure I documented above to clean the paper feed.  I actually opened up this very web page to remind me how I did it.  I cleaned the part again, in just a few minutes, and then we were back to printing with no more "Media Jam" errors.  

So, the first time doing this gave me two months of printing without the error.  I'll try to remember to make a note here the next time I get the error message.  Hopefully the printer will last more than 2 months this time.  Eventually, I probably will have to replace the paper feed.


Many thanks, worked like a charm. All other suggestions utterly failed to have any impact on the problem.

cheers


Amazing how well this worked for me too. I pulled the wheel out and though that it felt clean as a whistle. Rubbed it down with a little dish soap and water and put it back. Grabbed the paper instantly. I would add to your "how to above" - that to get the wheel out you simply just slide it to the right. I though the arm was a spring latch and almost broke it by squeezing.

Thanks for unselfishly posting this.


Thanks, John, I edited the guide to include your observation.


WORKS GREAT. I had some issues ; in trying to get it back in, I broke the little roller legs (see notes about brittle plastic, be careful!) Superglue didnt fix it - so after some hunting I found them here...

  pick up roller, part number 8314139-3062-01   

... where they are cheaper than the precision roller link above (5$ each) but they have a 15dollar minimum order plust 10S&H. so I bought 3 - gave one to a friend with the same printer and will sell the extra on ebay. (check there too).  After installing the replacement, the printer feeds like a champ. Thanks so much for a great site!


Thanks for sharing that, Matt.  I added a portion of your observation to the guide also, to help warn others.


I have been having this problem for the past couple years now, and had I known the solution was as simple as this, I would have done it long ago.

Like you said before, the paper feed wasn't picking up the paper.  I've ignored the problem for so long because in the past, I was able to get the printer to work by simply trying a few times.  however, tonight I was trying to print out some wedding invitations (thick card stock) and no amount of retries was doing the trick.

I took some soap and water to it and washed it with my fingers.  Dried it off good, put it back in, and it grabbed the first card right away.  Thank you so much for this!

And also thanks to those above who broke their feeders and then told the story so that I would know how to get mine in and out without breaking it!


Glad it worked for you!  And I appreciate your feedback.


Worked like a charm. Thank you for your detailed description with pictures!


Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love this printer - still on the original toner after years of light use. However, the printer was going to "error" every time I tried to print - card stock or plain paper. Your solution fixed it, making my Magicolor useful once again!


Thanks so much!! I followed your wonderful illustrated instructions with great success.


Fantastic!! I was dreading having to haul the thing to a repairer and then be fleeced of a few quid. This worked a treat. Thanks!


What a relief to find this solution online. Tried it last night after spending a frustrating day with the Media Jam error message. So far so good!! Thank you so much for this advice. Hey Konica...are you listening?


Worked absolutely perfect. Used some denatured alcohol to clean and no jams. Thank you.


Just another VERY happty person.  It worked as promised.  Also thanks to those how posted the warnings on breakage.  I would have broke it for sure without the warning.


Thanks to everyone for your feedback.  :-)  I originally used this cleaning procedure over a year ago and my printer is still working fine.  Just printed some things a few days ago.  Haven't seen the Media Jam error in over 10 months.  Never did purchase any other parts to fix it, either.  Hopefully you all will have similar results.


I just tried this after I got a paper jam error and it seems to be working fine now. Thank you very much for posting this online.


I have had minolta printers for years and have had this problem in them all. Thanks for such a simple fix, I could not even get this information from Minolta.
THANKS


thanks....I can't believe this worked!  I've had this problem a couple years and just kept trying until something printed, but this was a great solution!  You have scores of good karma for posting this.


Just hope Minolta read this - got my printer up and running again in 10mins after 5 months of lying inhardware limbo...


I am soo glad that you posted this information on how to fix the media jam issue!  I have had this issue for about a year now and would clean this feed tire with an alcohol swab.  This would solve the issue for a few days, but it would recur again and again.  Cleaned the feed tire on both my Magicolor 2430DL and the Pagepro 1330W I have.  Both are working like a charm now!



I found this website after i broke my roller.  Here is a picture to help clarify the removal of the pickup roller http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/y8aMKCpKTw53P3WGqb_etA?feat=directlink , guess I'm stupid and need a better visual aid.  Also shown in pic is a temp repair I did in order to finish printing some important documents.  I rolled the rubber of the roller back and zip tied the plastic part of the roller to the metal bar.  I used a very small zip tie to do it and as you can see it makes the rubber part of the roller stick out.  Worked in pinch and actually ive printed 30+ pages and its still working.  By no means a permanent solution, but it does work.  Possible better solution to removing the roller every time might be to clean it in place with a qtip and isopropyl alcohol, but I have not attempted this yet. Shipping from national parts is $10 for 3, have extras if anyone needs, or ill end up ebaying them.
Scott
 

Thank you, Scott, for sharing what you discovered.  I added your note to the warnings section.  Sorry your part broke, but good job improvising with the zip tie and getting your printer back to work!  

I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to help others.  I was about to go Office Space on this thing.  Merry Christmas!!


Excellent information.  I really like my 2430DL printer.  Have had it for two or three years now and use it to print a four page newsletter, 20 + copies monthly and the media jam was driving me crazy.  Hopefully this will take care of that little aggravation for awhile.

Thanks for the info

Keith


It really worked like a charm for me too. This issue was driving me crazy.

Thanks a ton for posting it on web.


Thank you!!!  So much for sharing!  I just bought this used and this problem occurred!  I read so much of people liking this machine and now I really do!

Appreciate your "Go-Give" Attitude~


Fab. have had problems with media jams for years and it drives me crazy! Just given the wheel a clean and so far it's working again!
Thank you!!!


This info. is positively priceless. Thanks a bunch.


fantastic - i've been having this problem on and off for ages and in minutes its fixed.  it was so bad i even bought a spare printer off eBay (for 1p!!) now they both work!


Unbelievably helpful! I've been trying to figure out how to fix this problem on my 2400w for almost a year.  I was just about to buy a new transfer unit for $150 when I found your fix.  Took less than a minute - no more paper jams!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!


Just wanted to say that I have never had such a nice experience solving such an annoying problem. Your photos are clear, your steps explicit, and best of all - it actually works! Thanks so much!   -lk


Works! I really appreciate you took the time to make this guide. People like you make the internet a truly useful medium!


Tried this but still get the error message and no ability to print.  I did pull paper out of the top when I stopped a run midway...any other ideas?


You rock, Earl! Thank you thank you thank you!!! I have been searching forever for a fix to this and was getting mighty vexed; I was about to give up when I lucked onto your very beautifully documented steps. You are an angel for sharing this with other folks. God bless!!!! :)


Thank you!  Worked first try.  I am so glad you took the time to put this page up.


Ditto what Arie said on Monday, March 15, 2010
Great tutorial. Hope to see more like this. If I find any fix-it tricks I'll pass them on to you.


Hello all,

After cleaning the papter feed, came out easy, reassembled, and tried it, I now get a fatal erro 17H error,  I tried reinstalling all the cartridges, still getting 17H.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

John


I have two of these units which after a couple of years were developing chronic feed problems. I noticed when the printer drum was pulled, at the left rear and above the roller, there was a small rectangular hole filled with white powder. After spraying the hole, the surrounding sensors, and the back assembly with compressed air (spraycan source) both printers were fully functional again with no further jams.

Something to try first.


Have Media Jam error. Cleaned wheel. Did not work. Replaced wheel. Same error. Causes paper to jump back away from pickup. Any other suggestions?
Thank you for your assistance
 

When you say you replaced wheel, do you mean with a new one?  I have been running this printer five years and have not purchased any replacement parts, except for ink cartridges, but if I kept getting the media jam error even after cleaning, I would pursue the idea of getting a new one, which are pretty cheap.  Further up on this page we talked about where they can be bought and how much they cost.  Just before your comment,  a new idea was posted by Will - might be worth a try as well.


Yes, I bought a new one and replaced the old one. They look and feel about the same. I also tried blowing canned air in and around the area. I did not seem to have a lot of loose particles. I found on another web site that there may be a timing issue with the position of the wheel and the lifting of the bottom of the paper tray. That did not work either.
Thanks,


I have a refurbished 2430DL and it's served us well for almost three years now.  I recently began having problems with a vertical white line appearing on every colour all the way down the page(I think it was the laser lens).  I opened it up to see if I could fix it, and I must have moved/broken/unplugged something, because now it won't print anything.  Am trying to find the service manual, if anyone has a copy.

Anywho, my main reason for posting was to advise that www.tonerrefillkits.com sells toner refills for the 2430DL's, and they are cheap, good quality, and awesome service.  I have been using the same carts for all three years now, just refilling them(yes I do clean them between).  It still prints high quality prints, and I only pay about $140 Canadian for all four refills which are usually good for at least 5000 copies, usually more though.


What excellent advice! I just had this problem with my 2400W which I have had a few years and just love. I had gotten sick of inkjets clogging and failing because I hadnt used them often enough and this printer has been a godsend. The advice here was clear and expert. The images were a great help. The tip on getting the roller off was fantastic as I'm sure I would have broken it otherwise. Well done to you as I now have my working printer back in only a few minutes of effort. Thank-you.


Thanks for confirming this works on the 2400W, too.  I agree that these printers are so much more dependable than the old inkjets.  They also seem to be cheaper to run.  I rarely replace the cartridges any more... the laser cartridges last for much longer than the inkjet cartridges.



Wonderful!  My wife bought a new printer because of the paper jam, but that failed.  I reinstalled the trusty Magicolor 2400W, followed your instructions and now it works like a dream.  Many thanks from across the pond in sunny England.



A cousin also has a 2430DL which recently was developing feed problems. Compressed air didn't work so I decided to carefully remove the pickup roller and clean it. At first it's slightly unnerving to click the vertical tab and lift it then slowly displace the half-cylinder roller to the right then have the roller pop-up and rotate to the left, but that's how it works. I noticed a glaze on the rubber so isopropanol was used for cleaning and after reassembly the printer was working fine. Scott S's proposal to use large alcohol-saturated Q-tips to clean the roller in situ above and below would seem to be a serviceable solution and I'll try that later. Thanks Earl for making this forum available! BTW precisionroller.com still markets the pickup roller for a total of US$20 and I ordered one for backup.

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