ENUS6966What you will see
One or more of the paper trays is not correctly registering the paper size. For example, the printer reads Universal size paper as being loaded in a tray when actually it is loaded with Letter size paper.
In most cases, you discover the issue because the printer begins to display repeated Change Tray messages.
Check the current tray settings
The first step should be to check all of the paper size settings by printing a Menus or Menu Settings page. See the table below for directions.
NOTE: The directions are different for T64x series printers. Please refer to the printer's Users Manual for directions.
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Press the left (<) or right (>) Menu button on the operator panel. |
| 2 | Cycle through the menu choices until you find Utilities Menu.
NOTE: On Optra S series printers, look for Tests Menu. |
| 3 | Press the Select button once to enter this menu. |
| 4 | Cycle through the second level of choices until you find Print Menus. |
| 5 | Press the Select button again. The printer should print the menus page(s). NOTE: If the display tells you to change the paper, press the Select or the Go button to continue printing the menus page. |
| 6 | Look under the first column for PAPER MENU and examine the settings for the each of the paper trays. If the printer is reading the wrong paper size in any of the paper trays, the rear paper guide may not be set correctly. See the next section below. |
Check the rear paper guide on any affected tray
If the printer is reading the incorrect paper size for a tray, remove that paper tray and check the rear paper guide. The rear paper guide is highlighted in green in the image below.
This paper guide rides along a track with small grooves on the bottom of the tray. If you look closely, you will notice that some of these grooves are larger than others. The larger grooves correspond to the standard paper sizes like Legal, Letter, Executive, etc. If the guide is in one of the smaller notches/grooves, the paper size will register as the Universal paper size.
Confirm that the guide is in the large groove corresponding to the paper size you are using. Once you have confirmed that the guide is in the correct position, reinstall the tray. Print the menus page again and see if the printer now reads the correct paper size. If the paper tray continues to display an incorrect paper size, there may be a problem with the paper stop slider on the tray. Continue with the steps in the table below.
Check the paper tray tabs and the sensor
The printer uses a sensor to read the paper size through the position of three pegs on the left-hand side of the tray. Check the condition of the sensor and the pegs to see if either are broken.
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Remove the paper tray and look along the left wall of the tray. You should see three small pegs. (They are highlighted by the red circle in the image below.) Click here to view a larger image.IMPORTANT! If the paper tray does not have three individual pegs, but instead has one solid plastic bar/tab instead, it is a "Universally Adjustable" paper tray. This type of tray will be read ONLY as Universal paper size. |
| 2 | Make sure that none of the pegs on the tray are broken or missing. If any pegs are broken or missing, the printer will be unable to register the correct paper size in the tray. If this has occurred, the paper tray will need to be replaced.
NOTE: The automatic paper size sensing feature can be disabled on some printer models. To get details on whether or not your printer can disable this feature and how to do so, please contact Lexmark Technical Support.
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| 3 | If the pegs on the tray are fine, look into the printer at the area where the tray goes in. |
| 4 | Along the left wall you will see three or four little metal fingers/tabs. (The tabs are highlighted in the picture below.) Make sure that none of these metal tabs look damaged or bent. IMPORTANT! If you must lift or tip up the front of the printer to see the tabs clearly, please use caution in order to not to tip the printer over. If possible, enlist the help of another person for this inspection. Click here to view a larger image.If any of these tabs are bent or damaged, the sensor unit will need to be replaced. This will require a service action.
NOTE: While arranging service, you can disable the automatic paper size sensing feature on some printer models as a temporary fix. To get details on whether or not your printer can disable this feature and how it is done, please contact Lexmark Technical Support.
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| 5 | If the pegs on the tray and the metal tabs on the printer all appear fine, the rear paper guide on the tray may be loose.  Remove the paper from the paper tray. Hold the tray sideways so that the three pegs on the left side are pointing upward. Note the current position of the pegs (which ones are in and which ones are out). Move the rear paper size guide. As you move the guide, note the position of the pegs. If the pegs do not change position at all, the guide parts may be separated. Follow the steps in the table below to check the rear paper guide and fix it.
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Check and reconnect the rear paper guides
The rear paper guide is made up of two parts. If these two parts separate, the tray will become stuck in a particular paper size, usually Universal. Reconnecting the two guide pieces will correct the issue.
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Turn the paper tray over. On the underside of the tray, you should see a green T-shaped piece. This is the bottom of the rear paper size guide. |
| 2 | You should also notice a second guide here that is tan colored (or the same color as the paper tray). This second guide controls the position of the pegs. |
| 3 | The tan colored guide has a notch into which the arm of the green guide should fit. The picture below shows how the green T-shaped guide and the tan-colored guide should fit together. The green guide can pop out of the tan-colored guide. If this occurs, the tray will become stuck in a particular paper size, which is usually Universal. |
| 4 | If the two guides are not properly connected, insert the T-shaped part of the green guide back into the slot on the tan guide as shown in the image above in Step 3. To do this, carefully lift up on the green T-shaped arm with one hand. Using your other hand, slide the tan guide underneath the T-shaped arm until it lines up with the slot. Release the T-shaped arm. |
| 5 | Once you have the two guide pieces reconnected, confirm it by moving the rear paper guide. See if the pegs on the tray now change position. If they do, set the rear paper guide to the correct paper size. Reload the paper into the tray. Load the tray back into the printer. Try printing again, and see if this clears the Change Tray messages. |
If the Change Tray messages continue
If the Change Tray messages continue after trying all of the suggestions above, there may be a problem with the sensor that reads the pegs. It is also possible that the paper size sensing feature on the printer may be disabled. Please contact Lexmark Technical Support for further assistance.
Contacting Lexmark Technical Support
When contacting Lexmark for assistance with your printer, please be prepared to describe the problem you are experiencing and any troubleshooting steps already taken. You will also need the printer's model/machine type and serial number (SN). This information can be found on a sticker located under the front cover of the printer for further details.
NOTE: When calling Lexmark Technical Support, please call from near the printer in case the technician on the phone asks you to perform a troubleshooting task on the printer.
LEGACY ID: SO5032