BR voltage shows 164 VDC. Line voltage is 121.8 VAC and power is routed through a torrid transformer. Doesn't look like it changes the voltage very much at all - I still don't understand those things.

That voltage is about right (maybe 5V low but not bad).

Is the cap warm after the printer us on for a few minutes and then printing a few pages.

 

Aside from size - which doesn't look like it would be an issue, what do you think about replacing a 1500 µF 10 V with a 1500 µF 16 V (or a 35 V) cap? In either case the voltage capacity is greater than the original. Would that have an effect on how the circuit operates?

[edit] Gopher: the printer won't do anything at all. Nothing lights up. Just the speaker on the side buzzes (as in the video post #9)

 

Since you've gone this far, I'd replace the suspect caps (higher voltage rating will be OK) and see. I wouldn't be surprised if it fixed the issue..................but then I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't either. Still it's worth a shot.

 

yes that capacitor looks highly suspect. You will probably find the ESR of the capacitor has risen and the capacity has lowered, typical of what happens when you see any signs or bulging on an aluminium electrolytic capacitor. The golden rule applies, "If in doubt, chuck it out"
I notice that there is what my be a fuse close to the capacitor, it's the small round black thing, worth checking that it's intact too.

 

The dome of C105 looks like it's blown upwards, just not completely blown out. What's your opinion? Can this be the cause of my woe's?

These are highly suspicious, but unfortunately not as definitive as a burst seam.

When you look at replacements, don't forget lead diameter and spacing. It can be a bit of a pain to jam a square peg into the round hole. It's not impossible to drill a hole a little wider, but it's easier to avoid it in the first place. I'd also pay attention to temperature rating (more is better) and the ESR. If the old cap had low ESR specs, you want to get a new one with similar or better specs. It can be hard to tell. If you stick to caps that advertise themselves as meant for switch-mode power supplies, they're likely low ESR.

 

If the old cap had low ESR specs, you want to get a new one with similar or better specs.

Here's the entire nomenclature:

SAMXON
1500µF 10V
GFM
X7A
105˚ C6

I notice that there is what my be a fuse close to the capacitor, it's the small round black thing, worth checking that it's intact too.

Nope. Zener diodes, three of them. Looks like they say Z10-200B (or Z10-2008 but I think it's a "B"). Read 0.560 to 0.568 on the meter set to check diodes. Shows open line when I reverse the leads.

Ordered 6pcs Sanyo GX 1500uF 10v 105c Radial Electrolytic Capacitor Low ESR. Hoping that's going to fix the problem. If not - I'll either fix it when I come home OR buy a new one IF I win in Vegas. Yeah - if! Y'know, you make about 6¢ on every dollar you spend on the lottery?

 

Here's the entire nomenclature:

SAMXON
1500µF 10V
GFM
X7A
105˚ C6



Nope. Zener diodes, three of them. Looks like they say Z10-200B (or Z10-2008 but I think it's a "B"). Read 0.560 to 0.568 on the meter set to check diodes. Shows open line when I reverse the leads.

Ordered 6pcs Sanyo GX 1500uF 10v 105c Radial Electrolytic Capacitor Low ESR. Hoping that's going to fix the problem. If not - I'll either fix it when I come home OR buy a new one IF I win in Vegas. Yeah - if! Y'know, you make about 6¢ on every dollar you spend on the lottery?

In the picture looking straight down on the capacitor top, R104 is horizontal in the pic. just above that I can see part of what looks like it could be fuse it is round and black with white writing on it. I dont mean the diode to the left of the capacitor.

 

In the picture looking straight down on the capacitor top, R104 is horizontal in the pic. just above that I can see part of what looks like it could be fuse it is round and black with white writing on it. I dont mean the diode to the left of the capacitor.

It might, alternatively, be a bridge rectifier.

 

It might, alternatively, be a bridge rectifier.

Yes, but it's not clear in the piccy, so worth checking

 

It's silk screen designation is F102. So it's a fighter jet. No, wait, it's a fuse. And it's good. T4A 250 V.

As always, thanks for pointing out other possiblities. I never would have guessed that was a fuse. Never seen anything like that before. I assumed it was possibly some kind of coil. Not looking for faulty coils, I didn't give it a second glance. Actually, didn't even give it a first glance till you said something. Thanks.

 

For those who may be interested, the printer is fixed. That's all it was, that one budged capacitor. Replaced it this evening and powered right up. Complained that I forgot to put paper in the tray, but that was easily enough rectified. My printer is back and functional. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the computers to recognize the printer on the LAN.

 

Glad it is fixed. FWIW:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague
Yours may not have been due to that but lots of failures have, including some of my stuff..
Well done!

 

Thanks Texas Johnny, that's quite the article on capacitors. Interestingly, my printer was manufactured in 2008, so probably not one of these affected systems. However, buying parts from Amazon, I'm wondering if there's a way to tell what year these caps were manufactured. Well, I guess I'll find out in a year and a half to three years if this cap fails again. But it was a cheap fix nonetheless.