Dell 924 AIO paper feed repair

I recently had occasion to resurrect a Dell 924 AIO photo printer/scanner whic has been unused for some time.

Initially it refused to feed plain paper properly.

Cleaning the feed rollers with a mild abrasive had no effect.

Since I had nothing to lose, I dismantled the unit. This is not a difficult task.

- Remove the five Philips screws attaching the back panel (3) and the scanner module (two at front, forward of access to the print cartridges). Detach and remove the "prop" that supports the upper assembly for cartridge access.

- Remove the four cables that attach the upper assembly to the base; two flat flexible ribbons,and two molex-type connectors.

The upper assembly can then be lifted clear. Two screws left and right rear secure the lower side panels; this gives full access to the mechanism when these are removed.

I found that the two springs that press the feed rollers against the paper feed tray were very weak. To preserve my options, I detached the original springs and retained them.

I then took a scrap ballpoint pen and extracted the refill spring. I cut this in the middle and using pliers created two "hooks". I then installed the new springs in the holes on the fixed and moving portions.

After reassembly, the printer functions perfectly with both standard plain paper, light card stock, and photo paper.

Unusually, after reassembly I only had the two springs left over, which I consider odd. When I fix things I normally find I have several "spare" bits.