Epson ET-15000 Paper Jam and Printhead Misalignment: Troubleshooting Common Issues

Question:

My Epson ET-15000 had a paper jam, and I cleared the paper jam, but the printhead is misaligned. The printer gets jammed after one cycle before it feeds the paper, and the paper is stuck in the printhead. The second is that the printhead makes a scraping sound when it moves. Why do these issues occur & how can I resolve them?

Answer:

Based on the symptoms you indicated, your Epson ET-15000 seems to have produced a mechanical fault after the paper jam. Here are some possible reasons and solutions:

Print Path Blockage:

Even after another main paper jam is completed, small fragments or debris might still be stuck into the print area, contaminating the printhead movement. If you can determine the cause through physical inspection, we suggest using a flashlight to look under and around the printhead for any traces of paper that may be causing the obstruction.

Loose Encoder Strip or Faulty Sensor:

The encoder strip — a clear plastic strip behind the printhead — is critical to correct positioning. If it comes loose or gets dirty, the printhead may be unable to sense its correct position, resulting in misalignment and jerky movement. If possible, inspect the encoder strip closely. If it looks dirty or misaligned, clean it carefully with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened in isopropyl alcohol (90 percent or greater) and make sure it’s seated properly.

Damaged Printhead Rail or Belt

The scraping sound you hear might indicate that the printhead rail is dry, not aligned correctly, or that the belt isn't working. For this one, the rail will require a very light application of silicone-based grease to allow it to move freely again. Be careful here, and do not overlubricate; it could make the problem worse.

Not Resetting Paper Feed Rollers:

Sometimes, the paper-using rollers lead to a jam and get stuck in the jam even after fixing the initial issue. This could cause the printer to read the paper’s position incorrectly, creating even more jams. This can be prevented by performing a hard reset, turning off the printer, unplugging it for a few minutes, and restarting it. This process helps the rollers properly recalibrate.

Running Diagnostic Tests:

If your printer's display shows error codes—such as an alignment error (usually codes such as E05 or similar in some Epson printer models)—or if the problem persists, you should run a printhead alignment test via the maintenance settings. If the problem persists, try a factory reset from the printer’s menu to return to default settings.

Printer problems are tricky to solve because they are hands on. As such, remote troubleshooting and suggestions, such as for fixing your printer, are not something we can provide. For printer repair service), we have an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic center as stated on our website, as we are inundated with requests, we are operating on a first come first served basis; therefore, it may take a couple of weeks to drop your printer at our facility. Repairing your entire printer or particular portions of it, the mantra is simplistic and lucid on either side of the telephone, ensuring that one gets read or ink smeared in cow dung off the wall suffers no lasting damage and the printer can be or it can't be fixed. But we also know that our rates are not the cheapest. So, we strongly advise you turn to self-help through online research. You can begin with YouTube or go to our YouTube account). Browse for branded films using the research motif beside a statistics field in the right table of the fee bar. Each day, I get dozens of queries on what videos exist for a particular topic. After nine years of making videos, I can’t say I remember every one. The best way to solve your problem would probably involve using YouTube's own search function, and YouTube might even recommend videos elsewhere that would help you.