OKI manufacturing problems?

Our company has been purchasing OKI 4350 printers to replace old HP 6L
printers. Most of the OKI printers have been great. However, the last
few that we purchased seem to have trouble recognizing that the image
drum is installed. The printer refuses to initialize and shows an
error that the drum is not installed, even though it is. This error
occurs even if we use the drum from a working printer. Sometimes
moving the drum around enough will work, but the printer may not see
the drum when it is removed and reinstalled later.

Has anyone else experienced these issues with OKI printers lately?

Thanks.
---Hillel

"Hillel" <> writes:
> Our company has been purchasing OKI 4350 printers to replace old HP 6L
> printers. Most of the OKI printers have been great. However, the last
> few that we purchased seem to have trouble recognizing that the image
> drum is installed. The printer refuses to initialize and shows an
> error that the drum is not installed, even though it is. This error
> occurs even if we use the drum from a working printer. Sometimes
> moving the drum around enough will work, but the printer may not see
> the drum when it is removed and reinstalled later.
>
> Has anyone else experienced these issues with OKI printers lately?

Interesting. I purchased my first a month or so ago, a C5150 and
it's worked great. It's a color LED printer.

--
Todd H.
http://www.toddh.net/

> Our company has been purchasing OKI 4350 printers to replace old HP 6L
> printers. Most of the OKI printers have been great. However, the last
> few that we purchased seem to have trouble recognizing that the image
> drum is installed. The printer refuses to initialize and shows an
> error that the drum is not installed, even though it is. This error
> occurs even if we use the drum from a working printer. Sometimes
> moving the drum around enough will work, but the printer may not see
> the drum when it is removed and reinstalled later.
>
> Has anyone else experienced these issues with OKI printers lately?

Working as an OKI tech support this is first instance I hear of this problem
for this model so this shouldn't be considered as a manufacturing problem.
The existance of the image drum, printer checks using the toner sensor. If
the toner sensor arm is jammed somehow and does not jump at every rotation
of the agitating bar inside the drum cartridge, printer "decides" the drum
is not installed. Check the sensor. It is located under the drum cartridge
on the left hand side closer to the front side of the printer. It is a small
plastic arm with the tiny magnet on it. It should:
1. have a magnet
2. move easily upward.
To check it just put a piece of metal (for instance - scissors) over that
arm and it should jump up easily. If this is not the case - try to observe
what prevents it from moving.

Best Regards,
Sergey Lebedev (AKA KudesNIK)
OKI Printing Solutions
Training & Support manager
http://www.oki.ru
Tel: (095) 564 8421
ICQ: 32244445

Thanks for the info Sergey. Good to know. OKI agreed to exchange the
printers that have the problem, and our vendor already picked them up.
We still have a couple printers out in the field that had the problem
when they were first installed but seem to be working now. They are at
a remote site, so I will check the toner sensor arms the next time I
happen to be out there.

At least we know what to look for if it happens again.

Thanks.
---Hillel