220-1101 Question 337
Single answer3.8 Given a scenario, perform appropriate printer maintenance.A small office uses a color laser printer for monthly billing statements. Users report that every page has a light coating of loose toner that smears when touched, even after the printer has warmed up. You print a configuration page and see the same issue. The toner cartridges were recently replaced with supported cartridges, and the paper type in the tray matches the printer settings. Which maintenance action should the technician perform FIRST?
- A
Replace the fuser assembly
- B
Run the printer's printhead cleaning utility
- C
Clean the pickup rollers with isopropyl alcohol
- D
Replace the transfer roller
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This scenario tests practical printer maintenance by asking the technician to identify the component most directly responsible for bonding toner to paper in a laser printer. According to standard laser printer operation, toner is first placed on the imaging drum, transferred to paper, and then permanently bonded by the fuser assembly using heat and pressure. When toner wipes off the page easily, especially on internal test or configuration pages, the technician should suspect the fuser before investigating drivers or application settings. This aligns with common manufacturer troubleshooting guidance from vendors such as HP, Brother, Canon, and Lexmark, which associate smearing or unfused toner with fuser-related issues, incorrect media settings, or incompatible paper. Because the scenario already rules out cartridge support and tray/media mismatch, replacing the fuser is the best first maintenance action.
- A. Correct.
Correct. In a laser printer, the fuser uses heat and pressure to bond toner to the paper. If toner remains loose and smears after printing, the most likely cause is that the toner is not being fused properly. A failing fuser or one not reaching proper operating temperature is a common cause. Since the issue appears on internal pages as well, the problem is with the printer's imaging process rather than software or application settings.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Printhead cleaning utilities are associated with inkjet printers, where clogged nozzles can cause missing colors, streaks, or faded output. A laser printer does not use an inkjet printhead, and this maintenance step would not address toner that is not bonding to the page.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Pickup rollers are responsible for feeding paper from the tray. Dirty or worn pickup rollers typically cause misfeeds, paper jams, or multiple sheets feeding at once. They do not cause loose toner smearing across otherwise successfully printed pages.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. The transfer roller helps move toner from the drum to the paper. If it fails, symptoms more often include weak print, uneven image transfer, or missing sections. While it is part of the laser printing process, loose toner smearing across the full page after transfer more strongly points to a fusing problem rather than a transfer problem.