My HP Laserjet 6L (1999?) grabs about 10 sheets of paper instead of one sheet when printing. The help menus are no help. It didn’t used to do this, but just started doing it one day.
This is really common with the 5L and 6L. It’s the seperation pads, and they can be replaced.
You have to totally disassemble the printer, but it’s pretty easy (I’ve done it 2x). You can get the pads and a video that shows how to do it from Fix Your Own Printer for around $30.
Just in case it isn’t the pad, two quick questions: are you fanning the paper before you put it in? And have you changed your brand of paper? If so, try putting it in the other way around.
What Violet said. Get it sent free from HP, easy to install, no disassembly required, takes about 2 minutes including reading the directions. I had to do this about a year ago on my LaserJet 6L, purchased in 1998, and it’s motoring along fine.
Just curious, what is the process for replacing the separation pad, if not by removing the covers and disassembling the paper pickup unit?
I ask simply because I’m an HP and Canon-trained printer repair person (the 5/6L and Canon LBP-600 series lasers use the same engine) and have never heard of a method by which the pad is replaced without disassembly.
Mind you, here in Australia there is (to my knowledge) no free replacement for the separation pad either.
“Just curious, what is the process for replacing the separation pad, if not by removing the covers and disassembling the paper pickup unit?”
Oh, not like that at all. Its a cardboard gizmo. Just push it down in the paper feed slot, bring the paper size things together so it rests on those & take some plastic thing off, press for 10 seonds, pull out the cardboard thing & that’s it…you don’t take the printer apart. Then you look at the bottom of the cardboard thingy & if its white, you did it right.
HP Is also giving rebates (one is $60, I think) on future HP printers if you do their claim form class action suit cause of this.
All claims for the following models:
5L, 6L, 1100 series, 3100, 3150
compensation under this settlement must be received by April 8, 2003. If you have any problems
opening the attched documents, please contact the Claims Administrator at (866) 852-8620 or visit the web site http://laserjet.classaction.hp.young-america.com or you may contact Class Counsel at (866) 613-9345 or by electronic mail at hpmultifeed@wilenz.com…