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Printers are very reliable machines for printing, scanning and copying information we need to have physically, but even the best-designed ones will need repairs after a few years of use. Given the number of moving parts it takes to put ink to paper and the fact that most of these printer parts are made of plastic, it makes sense they would malfunction at some point.

Five signs of a printer malfunction

  1. If your printer constantly needs to be reset because it will not begin new print jobs, it's definitely a sign that something is wrong. There could be a software issue such as an out-of-date driver or an OS incompatibility. Conversely, it could be hardware issues like a faulty USB cord/port causing an unstable connection.
  2. Paper jams can be a real annoyance depending on where they occur and how much access you have to the interior of the printer. This problem is mechanical in nature. Causes could include an offset roller, worn-out roller gears or a misaligned paper tray.
  3. Odd sounds coming from your printer can indicate a number of issues, including worn-out rollers, a broken feed mechanism, the base plate being misaligned or a host of other potential problems. Some of these odd sounds being made by your printer can include whirling, screeching, grinding and thumping.
  4. If the printed paper is coming out of the machine with marks running down the page, there could be an issue with a faulty ink nozzle. However, it could simply be a case of needing to clean excess ink from printer components so they operate properly.
  5. Toner and bits of print paper can sometimes become lodged inside the printer assembly, causing marked-up prints as well as paper jams. This issue can also be caused by unaligned rollers that squeeze and tear the paper as it's pushed through the printer.

Common printer repair parts

  • Roller—Rollers are tube-shaped parts that are responsible for sliding paper through the printer.
  • Ink cartridge—The ink cartridge is used to store the ink necessary for the printing process.
  • Paper tray—The paper tray is where you load the paper.
  • Ink belt—The ink belt is what drives the ink cartridges across the paper during printing.
  • USB cable—The USB cable is just one method of connecting your printer to a computer or other device.

Get the printer parts you need

Finding the exact parts for your printer is as easy as searching for the model number on Sears PartsDirect.

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