220-1101 Question 341
Select 2Ink cartridge, printhead, roller, and feederA small office uses an inkjet multifunction printer. Users report two problems: pages sometimes feed in crooked or pull in more than one sheet, and color printouts have horizontal streaks even after replacing the ink cartridge. You have already confirmed the paper is the correct type and is stored properly. Which TWO actions should the technician take next to address the most likely causes?
- A
Clean the pickup rollers or separation pad in the feeder and run the printer's printhead cleaning/alignment utility
- B
Replace the fuser assembly and recalibrate the transfer belt
- C
Increase the paper tray tension and manually bend the paper stack to improve grip
- D
Inspect the feeder path for debris and worn rollers, then reseat or replace the printhead if cleaning does not resolve the streaking
- E
Disable duplexing in the printer driver and set the print quality to draft mode
Show answer and explanation
Correct answers: A, D
Explanation
This scenario combines two common inkjet issues that should be troubleshot separately but efficiently. Feeding pages crooked or pulling multiple sheets usually points to feeder maintenance: dirty or worn pickup rollers, a worn separation pad, or debris in the paper path. Horizontal streaks that remain after replacing an ink cartridge typically indicate a printhead issue such as clogging, misalignment, or printhead failure. Best practice is to first use the printer's manufacturer-provided maintenance utilities for printhead cleaning and alignment, then inspect or replace the printhead if needed. For paper handling issues, manufacturers commonly recommend checking for proper paper condition, then cleaning or replacing rollers and inspecting the feeder path. These steps align with standard A+ Core 1 printer troubleshooting objectives covering ink cartridges, printheads, rollers, and feeders.
- A. Correct.
Correct. Crooked feeding and multi-sheet pickup on an inkjet printer commonly point to dirty or worn pickup rollers or a worn separation pad in the feeder. Horizontal streaks after replacing the ink cartridge often indicate a clogged or misaligned printhead rather than an empty cartridge. Running the built-in printhead cleaning and alignment utility is a standard first troubleshooting step.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A fuser assembly and transfer belt are laser printer components, not the normal corrective focus for an inkjet printer with cartridge/printhead and feeder issues. Choosing this option reflects confusion between laser and inkjet printer maintenance.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Manually increasing tray tension or bending the paper stack is not a recommended repair practice and can worsen feeding problems or damage paper. The proper approach is to clean or replace feeder components and verify paper loading against manufacturer guidance.
- D. Correct.
Correct. Debris in the paper path and worn rollers can cause skewing and multiple-sheet feeds. If printhead cleaning does not correct horizontal streaking, inspecting, reseating, or replacing the printhead is a logical next step on many inkjet models, especially when the cartridge has already been replaced and paper quality has been ruled out.
- E. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Disabling duplexing or lowering print quality may change output behavior, but it does not address the root causes of feeder misfeeds or printhead-related streaking. Draft mode may even make print quality appear worse, masking the real problem rather than fixing it.