Xerox 5090: Generic or Brand Name Photoreceptor Belts
By Raymond Cote

     I was pleasantly surprised when several technicians responded to one of my articles concerning the generic brown photoreceptor belts (1R88) for the Xerox 5090 copier.  To the best of my knowledge there are several vendors offering these generic belts for sale and each has their own label on the box.  It’s unclear who actually manufactures these belts and the vendors that sell them guard that information real closely.

One of the major concerns I hear from the field is that the generic photoreceptor belts seem to de-laminate at the seam when they fail and some have complained about premature fault codes like 09-203 and 09-204 system faults. . However the reaction from the field was mixed and it ran from Luke warm to a positive reaction to the belts. It seems that the most positive reaction was from the techs that used them exclusively in their laser printers and only after the printers were adjusted to factory specifications. 

What surprised me was many techs reported, in some cases, less than 300,000 impressions from the 5090 family of copiers that used the generic belts.  My target is high and I would like to see 650,000 or more impressions from a Xerox (brand) 1R88 photoreceptor belt 0n a 5090 family copier. Eventually when the belt fails with a 09-203 or 09-204 system fault and there are no copy quality issues with the belt I save it for one of my Docutech printers. After successfully running dc-951 on a system printer I try to get another 400,000 to 600,000 impressions from the belt.  It’s at that point I am convinced it has reached the end of its service life.

I would like to know what the major concerns are regarding the generic photoreceptor belts in use. What the weak points are and if there are any strong points I would like to know what they are as well. After all, someone thinks these generic (no name) photoreceptors are a fine substitute for the real thing.   It seems to me that if we can share information about the quality of these generic belts we will be better informed and we will also be in a better position to select superior quality products for our customers. 

Please contact me with the following information when commenting on generic photoreceptor belts:

Number of impressions reported in Dc-107 Xerographic counter.

Why this generic photoreceptor belt failed. (Fault code)

Was there a brand name on the packaging?  (If not)

What vendor supplied the photoreceptor belt and did they offer any type of warranty? 

I can be reached at the following address: VillageCopierNY@AOL.COM. All information will be kept confidential and when there is a sufficient database I will include it in a future article.  This seems to be a hot issue when a Xerox brand (1R88) photoreceptor belt sells for about $ 275.00 and the generic belt is about $ 50.00 cheaper, is the savings really worth it?  You tell me.

Now is a good time to vent frustrations and concerns about heat rollers, pressure rollers, donor rollers and metering rollers for any Xerox copier or printer. There are a number of small manufacturing concerns in the business of refurbishing heat rollers and some are quite good at it. They have been consistently delivering quality products to the field for quite some time now.  Xerox was, and still is, the king of the pack when it comes to replacement parts and supplies. In the past 5 years or so, I have witnessed a few manufacturing companies that are starting to show some serious competition to Xerox and prices are dropping while the quality remains consistently high. In the September issue of ENX Magazine we will look at the refurbishing centers that provide rebuilt fuser rollers and other rollers to the field. If you would like to provide any information or concerns regarding any type of roller please feel free to e-mail us with your input.

In the October issue of ENX we will look at several small manufacturing concerns that rebuild various components such as developer housings, cleaner assemblies and what have you. Information or concerns about vendors you have used will be greatly appreciated and the information will help other independent techs choose the right refurbishers.

Danny (Midwest) writes to tell the field about a communication fault, 03-232 that was somewhat elusive to troubleshoot. After going through the appropriate rap he came to a dead end. If you see this problem in the field check the following components: The toner thumper solenoid assembly, toner circuit and don’t forget the toner connector in the back of the machine to make sure it is properly aligned and making good contact. In this situation it turned out to be a bad thumper solenoid.  The fault code tells us that the MIN Core PWB can’t communicate with the MIN ADA PWB #1. These two PWB’s have to be in constant communication at all times. When there is an interruption the duplicator will shut down and declare a 03-232 fault. This communication fault will cause the LVPS to loose the +24 VDC section.  Read the Initial actions very carefully and perform whatever actions are required. Sometimes this will fix your 03-232 fault. The second item on the Initial actions list sends you to the intermittent communications fault RAP 03-731.

Ron (New England) writes to thank us for the tip on repairing a registration sensor. In one of my previous articles a technician wrote to tell us how he opened a registration sensor and cleaned the paper lint to repair the device. It worked so well that he passed the information along to ENX and Ron cleaned his sensor assembly saving himself a few dollars and lots of down time.

When the sensor assembly is removed from the machine, inspect it and you will discover that by gently opening the rear cover and blowing out the dust and lint you can reclaim the sensor assembly. You can use a small (jewelers) screwdriver to pry open the housing and once it’s open the internal components are all exposed. Closing it should be a snap and then it can be returned to the machine for continued service.  If you would like to order another sensor assembly now would be the time to do so.