C73x&X73x ? Late-Life Backgrounding: Haze, Dirty Page, Splotches Over Entire Page

Defect Symptom

All your printed pages exhibit a late-life backgrounding effect completely over the entire printout. This effect is also known as dirty pages, haze page, splotches that cover the entire page, or toner background. See sample image below.

Click Image to Enlarge

NOTE:
For more information, please see KB Solutions ID: late-life-backgrounding-print-quality-issue-on-the.html#late-life-backgrounding-print-quality-issue-on-the-lexmark-c73x_SO5338.

Explanation

A nearly empty toner cartridge or an end-of-life photoconductor is the most likely cause of this issue, hence the term "late-life".

Troubleshooting

Perform the
Color Adjust
procedure in the "Quality" menu
.

Print the
Print Defects Guide
in the "Help" menu
and review the print samples.

If the defect repeats down the page, use the defect ruler to determine which component is defective.
NOTE:
Toner cartridges or the photoconductor units cause most print quality defects.

Review KB article late-life-backgrounding-print-quality-issue-on-the.html#late-life-backgrounding-print-quality-issue-on-the-lexmark-c73x_SO5338 and determine whether the defect is the one pictured above.

This defect is more pronounced when printing at half speed, 1200 DPI
, or printing on heavy media, labels, cardstock, or printing in humid environments. Therefore, determine whether the defect continues to occur on plain paper at full speed. If so, a late-life cartridge or photoconductor is the cause and the printer itself is not defective.

If a new toner cartridge does not
resolve this issue, replace all four photoconductor units. (Be sure to reset the photoconductor life counter for each photoconductor replaced.)

Contacting Lexmark

Please contact Lexmark Technical Support
if you need additional assistance.
NOTE:
When calling for support, you will be asked for your machine/model type
and serial number
(SN
). If you need help locating your printer's model type
and serial number
(SN
), how-to-locate-the-serial-number-tli-config-id-and-.html#how-to-locate-the-serial-number-tli-config-id-and-machine-type-on_SO4862. Please call from near the printer in case the technician on the phone asks you to perform a troubleshooting task on the printer.

LEGACY ID: SO6612