Troubleshooting Media Jams/Printhead Crashes

If using HP Coated Media when problem occurred, please also refer to Printhead Crashes/Smears on High Density Prints.

The failure modes "media jam" and "head crash" are grouped together because in many cases a media jam causes the media to lift up into the Carriage path and cause a Printhead crash, thus causing many media jam failures to be reported as head crashes.

1. Did the media jam occur when loading media?

If the client has had media jams, it is common for pieces of media to get stuck in the media path. Clear the media path.

When clearing a media jam, sometimes media is stuck in the paper path. To clear this, you must lift the Pinchwheel Lever and insert thicker media into the paper path to push out the media that is still stuck there.

2. Is the customer using non-HP media?

The use of non-HP media can easily be the cause of media jams and head crashes (especially head crashes because HP media is specially formulated to avoid cockle, one of the primary causes of head crashes). If the media is not HP approved, advise the customer to use HP media and check to see if the problem is now solved.

3. Check that the Vacuum Fan works correctly.