Dell 3130cn toner cartridge stuck in printer.

mantlearts,

If you cannot remove the catridge toner after trying the steps below. Contact Dell  Support here

Before removing any of the toner cartridges, open the front cover by depressing the round button on the top-right side of the front cover.

NOTE:
Use caution when exposing the toner cartridge units to light for more than 5 minutes. If the printer front door is going to be open for more than 5 minutes, the toner cartridge units should be removed and carefully stored in a dark area.

Grasp both the left and right handles of the cartridge, and then pull the cartridge straight out the front of the printer to remove it.

removal of any of the 4 toner cartridges

 Reverse the previous steps to replace the toner cartridge.

We already contacted Dell support but they had no suggestions. We were hoping someone on here had encountered the same problem and had something to suggest. It's an eight year old printer. Repair companies have quoted us up to £199 to repair it. This doesn't make sense when you can get a new colour laser printer for less than that. So if anyone has an idea of what's caused the problem we'd be grateful. We have the service manual and could attempt minor repairs if we knew what we were trying to remove or shift.

I have the identical problem and cannot budge the yellow tone cartridge.  Any ideas out there?

I have experienced the same issue today with two toner cartridges, and the fix is actually simple. The problem is each cartridge is held in place on each side by a metal "spring" of sorts built into the side of the printer. What is happening is the "spring" is not moving/releasing when you pull on the cartridge. Here's how to fix it.

Take a flat-head screwdriver, and push UP on the metal "spring" and slightly pull that side of the cartridge forward. Once loose, repeat the same thing on the other side. Your cartridge should come right out. 

However, once you put the cartridge back in, it will lock in place once again. But no matter, you now know how to remove it! All the best.

I have had the same issue on one of my two Dell 3130cn printers for a long time and so have just been using that printer for black only (as could not get the Magenta Cart out - totally jammed!) I thought I would revisit the issue today and discovered the springs that hold the cart in place and used a flat blade to lift the springs as you suggest.

 I had not read your posting before doing this and thought I would post the fix so other users could avoid unnecessary expense. Then I saw that you had beaten me to it! ....so thanks for posting Glad I can now use both printers for colour and get a bit more life out of these great printers.

@stringmaker @Missing Link 

Can you post a picture of the spring.  I have a stuck Cyan cartridge and can't seem to find it.

I've tried to take a picture but it isn't coming out well. Here's a walk through. I hope it helps. Let's use the black cartridge as the example.

The cartridge has two plastic colored handles: one on the left and one on the right. Referring to the left side, just underneath the handle along the inside of the printer you will see a piece of metal that slopes downward. This is the end of the spring. It needs to be lifted UP to release the cartridge. Use a screwdriver or letter opener or other item to push UP on that piece of metal, and slowly and carefully begin to pull the cartridge forward. If yours is like mine, you may also have to do the same thing on the right side (if both sides are stuck). I suggest not pulling too hard since you might break a piece of the cartridge and it could remain stuck permanently.

I hope this helps. 

@Missing Link I got it thanks

For others reading this.  Take out one of the other cartridges.  Look at the metal bar on either side of the cartridge. The spring you need to push up on the stuck cartridge is blocking the metal bar.  It is very small.

See image below (showing the inside right hand side of the printer with a toner cartridge removed) The red circle shows the spring clip in question. There are 2 of these for each cartridge and they clip over the cartridge retaining pins when the cartridges are inserted and lock them in place. You need to use a strong thin blade inserted (as shown by the blue arrow) between the top of the pin and the the spring clip to lift it (in direction of green arrow) as you gently pull the cartridge out. You may need to do this on both sides of the cartridge. Hope that's clear and good luck! :--)

Once the front is open, on the sides of the printer interior, next to where each cartridge is seated, there are grey metal pins pictured above that should give easily to release the cartridge when you pull on the handles. But our black (K) cartridge was really stuck, and I could not reach in with a screw driver, or other tool to lift the pin up.

I did notice a loop outside on the side of the printer which turns out is an the extension of the pin. I tried to lift the loop UP to no avail. But when we pressed down on the loop with the flat end of a letter opener, we heard a click. We were finally able to pull the cartridge handle out. Here's a photo of the loop.

I had a stuck cartridge in my DELL 1320C.  It was apparently caused by a interlock on the back of the cartridge that slides into a white piece of plastic towards the back of the cartridge holder.  I used some physical force to unclip the cartridge holder from the back of the holder - two shorts pins that pull down and out at the back of the cartridge holder.  Once that became detached I was able to force the cartridge back into the holder and clear the feeder nipple on the machine.  I then forceable pulled the cartridge out and noticed that the plastic interconnect on the cartridge was broken.

I then reattached the cartridge holder - fiddle until you are able to get it back in place -- pins down, then slide under the plastic and then wiggle to engage the pins.  Then I was able to insert a new cartridge after realigning the plastic interlock on the machine towards the back side.  Once properly aligned, the cartridge slid right in and the printer fired back up and worked.