VJ1604 E071 error code

[heyskull]

Switched machine on this morning and printed some images.
The were printed Bi-Directional as the quality didn't need to be that good.
On looking at the prints later there is a part were the PF adjustment runs out and gets better again!!! This is on every rotation or about 85mm.
Later whilst setting a print of it came up with the error meassage E071 Err PF Current and needed switch off and back on.
Now I have the looked in the repair manual and it says "ensure that the PF speed reduction belt is evenly guided along the center part of the PF motor assembly pulley by moving the speed reduction pulley by hand."
On ours it is off to one side and touching the encoder disk!!!
Is this the problem and should I move it over?
When turnning the shaft by hand you can here some squeaking around the PF assembly which I think is the belt touching the disk.

Help I don't want stranded without a printer before the christmas rush>>>>>

Thanks

SC

 

[randya]

Check the disc for damage.
Clean it with alcohol.

And yes, you should center the belt.

 

[heyskull]

No damage to the clear disc.
The belt is central on the small pulley on the motor but not on the large plastic disc pulley and the large pulley isn't adjustable neither is the motor!
On moving the belt across it eventually goes back to touch the side on the plastic disc.
If you put a slight bit of pressure to the motor area the belt pulls away from the plastic disc!!!

 

[heyskull]

When the machine is on when moving the media there is a light thud and slight movement.
But you cannot recreat this thud when the machine is turned off either by rotating the x x axis or by pulling the media through.
I have looked at the stepper motor and listened for tight bits whilst it's moving but it seems to point more and more to the stepper motor!!!

 

[randya]

I suspect you are probably right.

but, check the condition of the belt.

The thump you are hearing may be the belt trying to jump a cog, I have seen this only occur during higher speeds and with the carriage motor.

If it is the stepper, I would expect to see some 'dusting' or disintegration of the bearing.

You can check this by removing the belt and examining the stepper.
While the belt is off check the gritted roller for binding as well.

 

[heyskull]

Randya thank you for your input.
I have checked the belt and it is not jumping.
All I can think is something has gone ammiss in the motor and it gets to a certain point and it is jumping a click!
The motor turns freely when it is not powered up.
I've ordered a new motor and that should be here tomorrow.
I have had a look and cleaned the encoder disc and removed the encoder and cleaned that.
The belt is like new.
If it isn't the motor there is something on the encoder disc that I can't see.

Cheers
SC

 

[henryp]

It is most likely that the short shaft driven by the motor is not perfectly aligned with the main media feed roller so that there is a tight spot on each revolution of that roller. On the old Mutoh Rockhoppers, the coupling between these 2 parts was flexible so alignment was not very critical but with the new rigid coupling on the ValueJets, these 2 shafts must be perfectly aligned. You may need to adjust the short shaft. Lightly loosen the fixing screws on the left bracket which holds the paper feed unit (motor and all). You may also need to very lightly loosen the 2 left grub screws holding the short shaft to the coupling itself. With the printer on, feed the media backwards and forwards using the feed button on the control panel, this will hopefully let the mechanism align itself, when the thumping noise is gone, carefully tighten the screws one by one, making sure the 2 shafts remains aligned while you do this.

 

[heyskull]

It's not the motor!!!!!!!!
henryp The fixing screws that you are talking about, are they the allen headed screws either side of the long shaft?

Is their anyway of adjusting the encoder when looking at it as it is moving the disc waggles ever so slightly!
I have had a look in the manual about adjust the Encoder Assembly Position but it doesn't make it clear enough how to do this.
When it thuds it is at its closest to the outer part of the sensor.
It maybe is even touching the outer part of the sensor!

 

[heyskull]

I think I have repaired it!!!!
I have had it to bits and there is no adjustment anywhere!!!!
It is all to do with the motor position.
The belt was not in the centre of the large plastic pulley and it was touching the side.
This was causing excess stress on the motor.
What I have done is shimmed the left hand side of the motor with a razor blade (thinnest shim I could find) and this has moved the belt over into the centre of the plastic pulley.
The belt is now almost touching the metal on the motor pulley now!
Now the machine moves back and forward without thudding and has stopped it bringing the E071 error code up.
What i think has happened over time is the tension of the belt has distorted the backing plate between the motor and the main spindle.
Really this should be strengthened so that it can't do this. Obvious this is a design fault!!!!!

 

[heyskull]

!!!!!!:Oops:

On closer inspection it is still making a slight noise.
But not enough to incurr the error to come up!!!!!

Do I need to adjust the pf adjustment after resetting the tension on the motor.
I'm only asking as I now have a slight wave across the whole print rather than every 85mm!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SC

 

[randya]

Yours is the first report of this bracket bending, except for the guys who dropped their printer down a flight of stairs.

Yes, you should redo pf adjusts.

Congrats on the fix.

 

[heyskull]

Randya

Is it right that the belt should sit in the middle of both pulleys?

SC

 

[Compilla]

The belt is now almost touching the metal on the motor pulley now!

Never seen that yet, can you post pictures?

 

[heyskull]

Compilla

I'm not at work at the moment so no pictures!

But if you set it back to the way it was as I opened the cover of it.
When looking at it, the belt is in the middle of the motor pulley but touching the plastic nearest the encoder disc and to one side on the large plastic pulley.
If I put a razor blade shim under the left hand side of the motor. The belt touches the metal edge of the motor pulley but sits in the middle of the large pulley.

Putting a straight edge between the 2 pulleys they must be out by nearly 3-4mm on my machine and I don't think this is right.

Has anyone any pictures of what and where the belt should be aligned like?

Tonight looking back on it all is there anyway the main X shaft could have moved?
Because I can't see anything else that can make this much difference between the 2 pulleys.

I know when putting a cambelt on my car all the belt pulleys are in line and the belt sits in the middle of them all surely this must be the same?!!

Help as although it is better with the shim I don't think this is the fault.

SC

 

[randya]

Compilla

I'm not at work at the moment so no pictures!

But if you set it back to the way it was as I opened the cover of it.
When looking at it, the belt is in the middle of the motor pulley but touching the plastic nearest the encoder disc and to one side on the large plastic pulley.
If I put a razor blade shim under the left hand side of the motor. The belt touches the metal edge of the motor pulley but sits in the middle of the large pulley.

Putting a straight edge between the 2 pulleys they must be out by nearly 3-4mm on my machine and I don't think this is right.

Has anyone any pictures of what and where the belt should be aligned like?

Tonight looking back on it all is there anyway the main X shaft could have moved?
Because I can't see anything else that can make this much difference between the 2 pulleys.

I know when putting a cambelt on my car all the belt pulleys are in line and the belt sits in the middle of them all surely this must be the same?!!

Help as although it is better with the shim I don't think this is the fault.

SC

Mine here is centered on the small pulley, but is offset on the large one by 2 or 3 mm and almost touches the backing plate for the encoder.

 

[heyskull]

Is there anyway of the large x-axis to move?
As the belt pulls in the same way no matter what way round it's fitted. So the belt is not at fault.
If left unshimmed the belt rubs on the encoder pulley side and causes the E071 error code and shuts down. This must be causing extra strain on the motor and it is overloading it.

SC

 

[randya]

I took a look at mine here, it would seem unlikely that the gritted roller has moved.
HOWEVER, there looks to be a flex connector that connects the stub (encoder) to the grit roll. If the bracket for the stub is bent or out of align, I would expect to be able to see it in the flex connector.

Have you put a straight edge on the pf motor bracket?

 

[heyskull]

Pf motor bracket is straight.
Where is this flex connector? As it looks like the encoder wheel and pulley is bolted directly to the end of the x-axis.
Do you have any pictures of how this should look and where the flex connector is?

Thanks
Sean

 

[heyskull]

I have attached some pictures now!!
Picture 1 is the banding issue!!!
Picture 2 is looking down with no shims in the motor and the belt touching the encoder side
Picture 3 is with a shim in the left hand side of the motor The belt touches the inner part on the motor and sits almost in the middle of the big wheel.

Another thing to take into consideration over the last 2 weeks we have had the heating on in the print room.
We moved into these premises in the summer but our other premises had very very minimal heating. To say it is warm in there is an understatement.
Could the heat be causing a problem?

Sean

 

[leerees]

Guys,

Do you think I have the same problem, when i do a page feed instead of moving the media smoothly it now spins really fast causing the error to come up.

im getting banding every 10 inches aswell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLspnbbiHwg

does anybody have a link to the manual or maybe you could tell me what panels to remove to get to the belt?

im on a 1604