mageWriter II

The ImageWriter II is a solid workhorse of a printer. You can tell when you pick it up compared to some other printers. It is made by Toshiba for Apple Computer. Below are some symptoms and solutions to various problems encountered. I will not get into disassembly of the printer. It is an interesting process that only the strong willed and adept should attempt.

Troubleshooting
Select lamp will not light and the IW II will not print.
         Is the cover on? If it is then take it off and look at the bottom right of the cover. You will see a little tab sticking down. This tab should contain a small magnet about a centimeter square. The magnet acts as a trip for a magnetic sensor to tell if the cover is on. If the sensor does not sense the magnet the select lamp will not light and the printer will not print.  You can find a small magnet (near the size is okay) at a crafts store. Even a trimmed piece of ribbon magnet should work. also take a look on the metal chassis inside the printer. Sometimes the magnet falls off and is trapped by the metal.

On later model imagewriters the switch is interestingly placed.  You can tell a later model because the curved part of the cover directly opposite the platen knob has a groove in it following the curve. Earlier models don't. Where earlier models had a switch right under the on/off button. Later models have a steel cable attatched to the button and leading down to bottom of the printer chassis. This end of the cable is connected to a switch. The only problem with this design is that sometimes the cable stretches and when you push the button the switch at the other end of the cable does not press. One way to fix this is to put a crimp in the cable to shorten it. This is not an easy operation to do and will take some patience. It can be crimped with a pair of large needle nose pliers and can be shortened by disassembly and operating on the switch end of the cable.

Still no select lamp or printing.
     Try a self test (See, printer self test). If this doesn't work then you probably have a printer logic board problem.  You will need to get it repaired or get a new one.

Paper error light when there is paper in the printer
     The paper is not centered in the platen.

Four color ribbon, colors overlap each other at top or bottom.
     turn the adjustment ring until the problem is corrected. The adjustment ring is one the small vertical cylinder next to the ribbon.

The ribbon cartridge jams while going to the left or seems to have excessive drag.
     Clean and Lubricate the carrier shaft and guide rail (one drop of #1 machine oil and slide back and forth)

A row of missing dots on each line of the printout.
     Remove the print head and clean the contacts with a pencil eraser. (see appendix, Imagewriter).
     If that doesn't work then spray the striker wires with a drop of WD-40 and let set overnight.
     A last resort is to replace the print head with a new one.

The printout is wavy.
     Adjust the carrier belt tension lever under front cover on the right until the problem is solved.
    Striker wires are out of alignment. You my have to get a new print head.
     Or, an electronic problem in the printer.

The printout is light
     Adjust the paper thickness lever located under the front cover close to the platen. Replace the ribbon

Paper jams after a few lines or pages
     If pin feed paper, is the lever at the back of the paper advance knob set to pin feed?

Printing continues off the edge of the paper or paper rolls into platen hard.
     Probably a stuck mailing label. See below.

Sheet paper slips.
     Clean the platen roller by rubbing vigorously back and forth with alcohol on a rag while turning the platen.

Stuck Imagewriter labels: If you backed up the Imagewriter printer and now have a mailing label stuck under the platen roller where you can't get it try this.  Obtain a playing card. Role the card through the printer at the area of the label.  More often than not the card is stiff enough and just the right size to  dislodge the label.

Imagewriter II

Print Head
Removing the print head from an imagewriter II is not too difficult. First, remove the cover and ribbon. Next, pull back the white nylon retaining clip from over the print head. Simultaneously lift the print head straight up.
Replacing the print head is a reverse process. Be sure to line up the fingers on the connector first. Be careful not to bread the circuit board that attaches to the print head.
(note: on older imagewriters the female part of the connector was built with thin wire clips. If the print head was not lined up just right the clip would bend down into the socket. Be careful not to bend them. Newer Imagewriters have a wider wire clip that doesn't bend nearly as easily.)

Cleaning
Carefully remove the print head as described above. Place some alcohol on a clean cloth and dab it on the print head strike wires. Repeat the process until the cloth removes little more ink.
If the print head is really gummed up with ink let the print head strike wires soak face down in about an 1/8 inch of alcohol for awhile. Then blot the area dry.
(note: if the small plastic guide surrounding the strike wires comes loose after soaking glue it back on with some superglue.)

Lubrication
After removing the printhead spray a drop or two of WD-40 on the strike wires. Wipe off any excess and replace the print head in the printer. Then run the printer with paper loaded but no ribbon. This will work the strike wires and spit out any residual oil onto the paper.

Platen
The platen can be cleaned with alcohol and a clean cloth. Rumor has it that alcohol over time will dry out the rubber. This may be true if you need to clean it every week but a couple of times a year should not cause problems. If you want to be a purist then get some tape recorder capstan cleaner from Radio Shack.