Squeaking or chirping noise is heard when printing

Issue description

The printer is making a squeaking or 'chirping' type noise. The noise can occur every time you use the printer or the noise can occur intermittently.

Possible causes

The noise can be caused by any one of the following:

• A piece of paper is stuck on one of the rollers inside the printer.
• A roller in the toner cartridge is squeaking.
• A roller on a paper feed option is squeaking.
• A roller inside the base printer is squeaking.

Solution

Index of recommended solutions:

• Look for a small piece of paper stuck inside the printer
• Try a different toner cartridge
• Remove any installed paper feed options
• Narrowing the source of the noise to a specific feed option

Look for a small piece of paper stuck inside the printer

1. Power off the printer.



2. Open the front and rear doors/covers.



3. Remove the toner cartridge.



4. Look for any jammed paper or other obstructions caught inside the printer. Remove any items you find.



5. If the paper path inside the printer is clear, closely examine the inside area for any small pieces of paper still stuck somewhere.

   Note:  Pay close attention to the rollers inside the printer. If a small piece of paper or other item wraps around a roller, it can cause a squeaking noise to occur.



6. Check the condition of the toner cartridge.

   • If the cartridge appears fine, reinsert it into the printer.
   • If the cartridge appears damaged in any way, try installing a different toner cartridge.

   Note:  If you do not have another cartridge available, you can try a working toner cartridge from another Lexmark printer of the same model as a test.



7. Remove all the installed paper trays. Make sure the stack of paper in each tray is loaded correctly and is not above the 'full' line.



8. Reinstall all trays and close all doors/ covers. Power on the printer and try printing again.

Try a different toner cartridge

1. If the noise continues, try installing a different toner cartridge.

   Note:  If you do not have another new cartridge available, you can try a working toner cartridge from another Lexmark printer of the same model as a test.



2. Print 10 to 20 pages to see if the squeaking noise continues.

   • If the squeaking noises continue, skip ahead to 'Remove any installed paper feed options' below.
   • If a different toner cartridge corrects the issue, continue using the printer with this toner cartridge for another couple of days. If the noise does not return after that, the printer is fine and the problem is with the first cartridge. Please carry out the following checks on that cartridge:
   • Confirm that you are using an original Lexmark brand toner cartridge. If a third-party cartridge is causing this issue, please contact the point of purchase to have the cartridge replaced.
   • Confirm that the toner cartridge has not been refilled or reworked in any way. Refilling the toner cartridge can damage it, leading to issues of this kind. If the cartridge has been refilled or reworked, contact the place where it was refilled to have it replaced.
   • If this is an original Lexmark toner cartridge, inspect it for any damage or defects. If you notice any damage to the cartridge or loose parts on it, please contact Lexmark Technical Support. The cartridge may be eligible for replacement, depending on how old or used it is.

   Note:  If the toner cartridge does not appear to be damaged, but is relatively new or unused, it may still be eligible for replacement. Please contact the point of purchase first as they may have a replacement policy. If the cartridge was purchased directly from Lexmark, contact Lexmark using the phone number or address you used to order the cartridge.

Remove any installed paper feed options

1. If the noise continues, remove any installed paper feed options. This would include any optional paper trays (A), a duplex option (B), and any exit feed options (C).

   
   CAUTION—POTENTIAL INJURY:  You will need to lift the printer in order to remove the duplex option or any of the paper trays, so seek additional help when performing this step. This is considered an "advanced" procedure, but it can be performed by a customer. However, if you feel uncomfortable about carrying out this procedure yourself, please contact Lexmark Technical Support for additional assistance.'



2. After you have removed all paper feed options, power on the printer and try printing again.

   • If the noise continues on more than one toner cartridge and with no paper feed options installed, the cause of the noise is likely a roller within the base printer. This requires service to correct the issue.
   • If the noise stops after all feed options are removed, the source of the noise is likely a roller within one of the feed options. That particular feed option must be repaired or replaced.

   Note:  You can run the base printer without any paper feed options installed as a temporary fix. You can also try to narrow the source of the problem to a specific feed option. For directions on that, see 'Narrowing the source of the noise to a specific feed option' section.

Narrowing the source of the noise to a specific feed option

Note:  Performing the steps below involves lifting the printer to install and swap out paper feed options. If you feel uncomfortable about carrying out this procedure by yourself, or if you have questions about any of the steps involved, please contact Lexmark Technical Support for additional assistance.

1. Power off the printer.



2. Add each paper feed option, one at a time, back onto the printer.



3. Each time you add an option, power on the printer and try printing again.



4. Continue this pattern of powering off the printer, adding an option, and then powering on the printer and printing, until the noise returns.

   Note:  If you can reinstall all options and the noise does not return, one of the options may simply have been loose. Continue using the printer, but observe it closely for the next week or two to see if the noise returns.



5. If the noise returns when you install a particular option, the source of the noise is likely a roller within that option or a part on the printer where the printer connects to the option.

   Note:  To further diagnose if the base printer or the option is the source of the noise, try swapping out the paper feed option that directly connects to the printer. If the noise occurs with two different options, the source of the noise is likely a part on the base printer.