Detailed Fix: Why my Epson says "Paper Jam" but there is not paper in the printer?

What do you do when your printer tells you there’s a paper jam, but there isn’t any paper inserted in the printer at all? We will explore that question in this blog, plus how to identify and fix the underlying issue.

Step 1

First, check to make sure that your printer really is out of paper. Sometimes, it can be easy to forget your paper levels, and there could be a piece of paper that got stuck in the printer, so it never hurts to double-check.

If you’ve recently printed label sheets, there’s an additional troubleshooting option. Small fragments of sticky label material commonly get torn off and stuck within your printer, collecting dust and causing a jam. Shut the printer off, get a flashlight, and try to see inside. Make sure no label fragments have jammed up your printer before proceeding. You might need to check underneath the printer and shake it out to dislodge any loose paper or other debris that may have gotten stuck inside.

Step 2

Once you’ve eliminated the possibility that a foreign object is causing the jam, you should turn your attention to the printer’s sensors. Printer sensors can trigger error messages if they are malfunctioning. Luckily, HP printers do not contain very many sensors, so you should be able to determine the root of the problem fairly easily. There are two sensors in the back that sense the paper feeding. In the front, you’ll have a door sensor, plus one that measures the position of the printhead.

A piece of clear tape measures the position of the printhead. There are little marks on the tape the printhead reads to determine its position. For example, if the printhead tape is dirty and the printhead thinks it cannot move to the left, it will assume there is a paper jam preventing it from doing so.

The first sensor in the back is a tray sensor. The paper tray will push the lever on this sensor, mechanically forcing a transfer to the left. Check to make sure that the lever goes forward if you move the tray inward. Notice how the paper jam error message mentions the paper tray—this is why you should make sure that the sensor and lever are working in that area.

Step 3

In the case of a lever assembly that’s over-engineered, if even one piece is just slightly out of place, it can block the lever from going all the way forward. The lever is mounted on a piece of electronic board with two slots. One of these slots is for the tray, and the other is for paper ejection. If the tray lever moves forward, it will move out of its slot, unblocking the sensor. However, if it does not go forward at a 90-degree angle, it will still block the sensor, resulting in a printer error. Of course, if everything else is physically fine, the board itself may be malfunctioning.

The second sensor is the paper ejection sensor, controlled by a lever in the middle. Paper will raise this lever, but once it’s removed, the lever will snap back into place. If it doesn’t come down after being lifted, you know there’s a problem there.

Step 4

At this point, you will need to grab T10 and T6 screwdriver bits. These can be purchased at your local hardware store, or here through BCH Technologies. Using your T10 bit, remove the eight screws on the front of your printer. Just push the scanner hinge forward, and it should pop off, granting you easy access to the four additional screws along the back.

Step 5

Now you can loosen the cover and lift the left panel straight up. Disconnect the big cable along the side—remember to pull from the front, which should be marked with a blue tab. Removing the duplex cover will reveal a black lever. Press this lever to the left, and now you can remove the roller.

What we’re ultimately trying to do in this step is gain access to the paper ejection lever, and the only thing stopping us at this point is the piece of metal on the top. Still using your T10, remove the four screws, and pull the cover right off. To reinstall this piece, just press it straight down until you hear a clicking sound.

If you need replacements for any of the printer parts mentioned above, you can purchase them here.

Step 6

With the cover out of the way, you can now pull the lever out. A properly-functioning lever will contain a spring that loads and unloads for each page. On a bad lever, you’ll notice that this spring’s hook broke off, likely due to overuse. That’s why sometimes it can catch the lever. For this reason, you sometimes get a paper jam error. If you don’t want to go out and buy a replacement part, you can glue or rewire the spring.

Step 7

But what if the problem is not with the paper lever sensor? In that case, we will need to access the electronic board and possibly the tray sensor. Disconnect the big and small cables on the scanner and lift the scanner straight up. It should come right off.

Flip the printer over, and you will see two tiny springs on each side. They are holding a wider piece of plastic. Remove them and set them aside. Now you should be able to snap the plastic cover off. Simply snap this cover back on to reinstall.

Flip your printer upside down again, and you’re going to see a black part sticking out in the middle. Bend this piece and break it off. The whole unit can be removed and put back in, allowing you to print happily ever after. However, if you do not snap this part off correctly, you will break it.

The axle that this piece turns on is stabilized on the whole black plate. There is a little black box that it needs to grab onto with a hook in the back. To see this, pull up your axle and hold the black box. It will not break when we shove this forward with an even force. The only way you can risk breaking it is by applying uneven pressure. Because the whole black board is loose, your angle may not be straight, so keep an eye out for that.

Step 8

You can now take the whole board out by disconnecting the cable. This process will reveal the tray sensor. Swap the electronic board out with a new one if it needs to be replaced. The installation is essentially a reversal of the process we just carried out.

Visit us atbchtechnologies.com or locally at our Greensboro, North Carolina location to learn more about our services and view our printing solution products. We hope you found this blog helpful!