Brother HL 2140 Tray Sensor Fix
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- Опубліковано 10 жов 2024
- Easy fix for the Brother HL-2140 black and white printer if it starts jamming even when printing a single page. The spring on the sensor for the paper tray gets stretched out over time and won't pull back hard enough to tell the printer to stop trying to take more paper.
No special tools or parts necessary. A screwdriver is all you need.
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Just stretched and anchored the spring as video shows and printer's working. GREAT suggestion in a video clear and easy to follow. Note: I did what a few readers advised, removing grey corner piece alone, and this saved some time even including the extra effort of snapping it back into place afterward.
Big thanks to Todd Karwoski.
do you know if these springs can be purchased? Wont this wear out too after stretching it halfway
@@madcatter1 You'd have to find something similar if you want to replace it. I don't think Brother sells them. A couple years ago someone lost their spring and I added a photo of mine with dimensions and a couple options. Here's what I told them:
It looks like mine is 10mm in total length with the spring part only about 3mm. It's also about 3.5mm in diameter. If it matters, it's coiled 19 times. Here's a photo of my spring: imgur.com/a/HbVcaxE
Something like this might work, though the wire is about 3x the thickness of the actual spring:
www.mcmaster.com/springs/extension-springs-with-loop-ends-7/length~9-9mm/
Or maybe this:
www.mcmaster.com/springs/extension-springs-with-loop-ends-7/length~3-8-2/od~0-12/
@@capspb12 thanks
Worked like a charm! I was ready to buy a new printer. Thank you! Another printer saved from the landfill.
Thank you so much ! I fixed my printer following your advices ! Everybody in France told me that one specific piece was needed and this was unfoundable because of the printer age. Bunch of liars ! 😅
At the beginning watching this I was skeptical. But... YOU ARE GENIUS!!! 2140 WORKS LIKE NEW!!! THAAANK YOU!!!
Your video helped me identify the problem, except the spring wasn't stretched-out, it was missing. I ended-up using a spring from a retractable pen. it worked perfectly. Thanks for pointing the way.
Thank you for the fantastic and comprehensive video. This fix worked perfectly and my printer no longer picks up 2 sheets and jams!
I thought to clean rollers BUT your video is the real solution to paper jams! I got mines working through you! thank you
OMFG... have been fighting with this 15 yr old 2170W for this exact problem. Literally just ordered its replacement 2 days ago and it shipped out about 10 min before I saw this video. Now it is fixed working like a charm again!
This is a great video on how to fix our aged HL-2170W, a similar model to the HL-2140.
The only thing I'd change is to say that the spring losing tension IS NOT What's happening. Several other youtube videos have pointed out that the rocker arm in question is pushed into a rubber bumper that Brother added to help quiet this servo. Like LOTS of ten year old rubber, the rubber they added has begun to break down and is VERY sticky. So when the solenoid activates the rocker arm it's getting stuck to it, like fly paper. The solution is NOT to bend the spring to get more tension but to get down to the rollers and scrape off that tiny piece of sticky rubber. When you do that the original spring works fine. All you have to do in addition to what OP described is to remove the screws holding down the two circuit boards and remove the metal plate that's holding all the rollers in place. If you're careful, you can remove the plate without disturbing the rollers, remove the sticky rubber piece and replace the metal plate. You do have to remove the one large gear that is just over the rocker arm/spring assembly. I just did all this and it totally saved me from having to buy a new printer! Thanks OP!
any video for that?
@@madcatter1 sounds like the a more thorough fix, but tensioning the arm is faster and a good work around for people looking to get less complex. Many printers saved. Thanks again.
@@GoodYearForLiving i dont know how to adjust the arm on it. I did the spring fix but now if i adjust the arm tension how can i put the spring back it will be too stretched probably
Thanks for the video, just fixed my paper jamming HL-2140, amazing how stretching a spring out was all it took, I was about to start looking for a new printer.
This fixed the most annoying problem with this second hand printer I got! And yes as someone mentioned, I was able to take that front corner piece off without taking off any other piece. Just popped out the paper drawer, unscrewed one screw, removed that plastic corner and tightened that spring as you did but with narrow tweezers! Thank you so much!
Fantastic video - worked a treat. First I bought a new toner cartridge which didn't solve anything then I found this video. It was spot on. Don't know how long the spring fix will last but for now it's working. Removing the arm at 0:47 was the trickiest for me - I used a screwdriver to depress the complex screw head holding the arm in place. I didn't need to remove the side panel at 3:50 because I could get access to the spring from underneath.
I have over 14,000 pages printed and it just started feeding a second piece of paper and jam. Drove me nuts. Was about to recycle the printer but lo and behold in watched this video and it fixed my problem. Absolutely amazing! It fixed my issue thank you so much! Saved me money from buying another printer.
FYI: I did what another commented did and I did not remove the side panel. Just the little gray cover on the left hand side and then located the spring. You have to have surgeon hands though LOL.
Thank you so much! I was going crazy with cleaning the machine and still nothing. Checked your vid, did the exact same and bingo! Works perfect now! I have no idea how you knew it was that spring tension but thank you again!!!!
Todd, what an amazing fix for simply a weak spring! Brother should hire you for Big Bucks on their design team! YouDaMan!
Came across this while trying to troubleshoot my Brother. This worked perfectly. Thank you!
This is brilliant !! Haven't been able to use this printer for ages and now she purrs along with no jams !! Thank you, thank you, thank you !!! I did what TFGPKW suggested and just took off the left grey panel and it was easy ! FYI I'm a 71 yr old female !
Thanks for this helpful video. Just to clarify when printing a single page, a second piece of paper would get stuck in the toner cartridge. Like a couple of others, I was able to take off the last grey piece in the disassembly process and stretch out the spring, and voila, the printer worked again.
I followed your steps and it worked! Thanks, you saved me a lot of inconvenience and expense.
Fixed and prints after fallowing your instructions. Awesome video. Thank you.
THIS VIDEO WAS A LIFE SAVER! I did this myself and am patting myself on the back. But really, thank YOU for making this video. So many printers have been saved. I hope it lasts! This printer feels like it's on it's last legs, but I'm going to milk it for all it's got! I don't have the moolah to just go out and buy a new one! Thank you, Todd!
Mán! Thank you soo much for this hack! It really works! I only kept the spring intact and in place and instead I just used a little rubber band to help the spring a bit. You are a lifesaver! I was struggeling for months with this issue.
Worked like a charm. Thank you so much. My printer is a model HL-2170W and actually the sensor was in the back on the same side as your sensor. I figured I was going to donate it, so if I broke it no big loss. I'm so glad you posted this and I was able to fix my printer. Now I can use it for another 10 years.
Hi Todd. This is brilliant...it fixed my problem One tip, you actually don't need to remove the side panel...you can get at it from underneath after you have the front-piece removed. This worked on my brother HL-2170W printer.
This solved my problem. Thank you!!! Not sure why you had to remove all you had to do. All I did was remove the front bottom left corner piece to access the spring.
Thank you so much! You saved what something someone else was trying to throw away from being e-waste. It worked so well.
This worked! I've had this printer since 2009 and I was dreading buying a new printer. Now I don't have to! Thank you!
Thankyou, thankyou thankyou, - What a relief, hard to believe what I found to be such a baffling problem could have such a simple fix. Thankyou Mr Karwoski
I confirm that the procedure shown here by Todd is a true solution to the described double-feed problem. Except for this video, there would be no way to diagnose the issue. I skimmed the entire 2140/2170 repair guide; it shows a complete disassembly including the little solenoid (called "sensor" in the video), but no clue about wearing-out the tiny spring. I performed the procedure on an otherwise perfect 2170. I also confirm that it is only necessary to remove the paper tray and drum/toner cartridge. The corner cover has one large screw, an index post, and two clips. After the screw is removed, squeeze the top hard and pull away to release the top clip. The lower clip is harder to release, so use a flat blade to pop the bottom toward you. The spring, if removed from the two hooks, is incredibly tiny -- use a *hooked* paper clip (not just a 90 degree turn) to capture one of the spring's loops always. If the spring drops into the works or the floor, you will be sad. I put a tiny drop of Gorilla glue on the loop at the white lever arm, overnight, to prevent sadness. The black post on the other end of the spring has an even tinier hook to capture the spring. Place the stretched spring over the post and pull lightly to your left to engage the hook. Kudos to Mr Karwoski, an Internet hero.
Thank you. You give me my Printer back. Very good explanation.
Another printer saved from the landfill. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you! I would NEVER have known what to do.
Fantastic video, this fixed the issues I have been having with my printer and the guided explanation is so clear!
Thank you for taking the time to save us the time and cost of repair. If you decide to redo this vid, better lighting would help.
Worked for me! Thanks! Before this I tried cleaning the gray roller pads with alcohol and cotton swabs but that wasn't the problem. This was.
Thank you for your video, I was able to fix my printer yesterday.
Just repaired my dads printer with this, totally worked! Thanks so much for posting this!
Amazing! Thank you! It fixed my old printer!
Thank you so much! I love this printer and thought I'd lose it.
Thank you for sharing this! my Brother HL-2170W is back. What a simple fix and thank you for explaining it so clearly.
Would be more helpful if you started video that shows/demonstrates the problem happening so others could see if it was the same issue they were having. Otherwise you are taking apart your whole printer for an issue that may not be the same issue based on the verbal description.
Todd. You should do more instructional videos. You are great at explaining. I'm an English/Writing teacher :) I know. Thank you for helping us out.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. My spring was more like a slinky than anything. Ended up adding a 2nd spring. This fixed my problems.
Thanks for the info, the fix worked great! saved me from getting a new printer...
I had my doubts... mine is a HL2170W but build is similar to the 2140. The little plastic nib that holds the spring was broken off. Put a small screw in place to hold one end of the spring down and added it about 3mm further away from the gear that the spring is attached to so more tension is applied. Put the printer back together and it's back working like a charm. This printer has to be more than 15 years old and still going 'strong'.
Perfect tutorial and fixed the issue! Thanks!
Hello Todd. Thanks for your helping video. I fixed my printer thanks to you!
Fantastic! Worked out also on my 2170w exactly the same! Thank you!
Worked perctly, thank you very much sir.
Hi Todd. That's not a sensor, it's a solenoid that, via a lever and some gears, engages the paper feed mechanism. It is energised briefly at the beginning of each print cycle to pick one sheet from the top of the stack. When operated, the lever presses against a sound-deadening pad which can become sticky after a few years. Eventually this stickiness overcomes the strength of the return spring and the lever hangs in the 'energised' position, picking up a second sheet and causing a jam.
Tensioning the spring as you have done might be a short-term solution but the pad will continue to deteriorate until the sticking starts again. You also risk making the spring stronger than the solenoid, which would give intermittent paper pickup.
The real solution is to get rid of the sticky pad, either by covering it with a piece of paper, removing it altogether or replacing it with a piece of felt. A bit more dismantling is needed but this should give a more reliable, permanent repair as opposed to a work-round.
You should make a tutorial video of these instructions.
true but what if my printer has a clutch and no solenoid at all? HL-2250DL
Todd you are freaking amazing. Thank you so much! You are the best!
not sure if this is the same issue i have. i get accordion paper output in the rear and can see the edge and pull it out. too bad you didn't show the before, the paper jam, and then do the repair. thank you.
I didn't have the paper do that. The problem was that it never knew when the paper had left the tray, so it kept trying to pull paper. I'd have one sheet halfway out of the printer another one trying to come through, even if it was only printing a single page.
If the paper is getting folded up like an accordion, something is physically preventing the paper from moving through. Either the rollers are worn or there is something in the paper path, like torn paper from a previous jam.
@@capspb12 do you know if these springs can be purchased? Wont this wear out too after stretching it halfway
Great video, very informative. I was able to to everything until the end. Having trouble reinstalling the front panel. A suggestion would be spend a minute demostrate putting in back together, or at least slower film speed at the end. Thanks!
UA-cam settings allow us to change speeds
Really good video. I've been fighting the same issue and Brother tech support blows. I notice that the sensor is just behind the light gray corner. Just curious why you disassembled so much? I took off the screw holding the light gray piece (and removed the drum/toner + paper feed tray), but nothing else and was able to get to it. If you have modeler's tools, it makes it a lot easier, though my spring was really easy to over-stretch (or it's just shot). I wound up having to reverse anchor it to use the frame the way you showed, but either way, it's back in action...until that spring breaks lol
Anyway, thanks for doing this!
Thank you from thailand
Just wanted to let you know this also saved my bacon - I've only printed 3k pages and I really wanted to keep using it - they wouldn't do it at the pc place but I used to do my own pc builds so I wasn't too intimidated -
This was freaking awesome - except for the part where I dropped the spring and bitched too much again about how my eyes are getting old and it was hard to really see what I was doing - LOL
awesome, awesome, awesome - jammin no more
Works like a charm! Thank you for sharing
Need to redo the same thing after 2 years 😂 Can reach the spring without taking off the the back panel and the side panel.
Brilliant! Thanks,, mate! (Is it just me, though, or does one not actually have to remove the side panel to get to the spring?) You saved me from getting a new printer!
Thank your very, I have tried it and it worked. Good luck
Thank you. This was a big help!
It worked for me, thank you so much.
Worked for me too. Great video - thanks!
Did this fix and it remedied the problem temporarily, now the spring is too loose and there is no way to stretch it more. Does anyone know where to find a replacement spring?
FYI I used the spring from a retractable pen for a quickie fix
Todd, what's the spec on the sensor tray spring? I took it out to stretch it, like you said, and managed to lose it. I spent over an hour between Brother's chat and phone service, and got nowhere!
So I need to know the spec on the spring, so I can find a third-party replacement. I'd imagine it's a fairly common size, but I need to know WHAT size it is!
Thanks!
It looks like mine is 10mm in total length with the spring part only about 3mm. It's also about 3.5mm in diameter. If it matters, it's coiled 19 times. Here's a photo of my spring: imgur.com/a/HbVcaxE
Something like this might work, though the wire is about 3x the thickness of the actual spring:
www.mcmaster.com/springs/extension-springs-with-loop-ends-7/length~9-9mm/
Or maybe this:
www.mcmaster.com/springs/extension-springs-with-loop-ends-7/length~3-8-2/od~0-12/
@@capspb12 Thanks!!! That gives me a LOT to go on!!!
One commenter said his spring was missing but he fashioned one from a clicking-pen. Great idea.
Thank you!!! It worked!
Thank you! That is exactly what was wrong with mine!
One problem I ran into was while I was stretching the spring, it popped of the other end and disappeared, so be careful!
I simply replaced it with a small rubber band and the fix still worked perfectly :-)
Oh, one other tip I have is the little arm for the front cover that you remove right at the beginning is a little difficult to reattach. There are two little locking tabs that spread out when trying to insert it into the hole. I needed to round the tabs over with a flat blade screwdriver to get them fit back in the hole and then I just spread them apart again to secure it.
What if I have HL-2250dl which doesn't have this electromagnetic part? It has some clutch instead.
The spring is accessible without removing the side panel
thk very much
Thanks, Todd. That is not my mom, Todd.
Well when I put everything back together the red error light occurs rrrrrr :|
Did you clear any jams and reseat the transfer belt/toner assembly? I think it remembers errors between power cycles and would still give the error.
Awww I ordered a toner and the unit thinking that was the problem...
I did the same thing before I found out what the real problem was. Even bought a replacement separation pad from eBay for the paper tray.
Luckily these things aren’t that expensive for such an old printer.
@@capspb12 so..... I did the spring fix. Still the same by be the drum that's bad, it gets here Monday if that doesn't work I'm gonna have to try getting a new spring and replace it, and just hope it works I guess...
Unfortunately this did not work for me. Disappointed.