Lexmark T650 Printer Reports a 'Paper Jam' Message Whenever the 'Tray 1' Paper Tray Runs Out of Paper

What you will see

You encounter one of the following issues:

• Whenever the 'tray 1' (standard) paper tray runs empty, the printer stops printing and displays a Paper Jam message. NOTE: The printer will display a 241.01 Paper Jam message in most cases.
• You have found a broken piece of black plastic similar to the one imaged below. In most cases, this broken piece of plastic will be found in or around the 'tray 1' paper tray.
  
  To view a larger image, click here.

Cause

If this flag breaks, the printer will think there is paper in the tray even when the tray is empty. The printer will continue to work as normal, until tray 1 runs out of paper. At that point, the printer will stop printing and display a 241 or a 241.01 paper jam message when it senses no paper feeding from the tray.

In addition, if you start a new print job from tray 1 while it is empty, the printer will try to feed paper instead of displaying a Tray Empty/Load Tray message. This also results in a 241 or a 241.01 paper jam message.

Recommended actions

Confirm that the 'tray empty' flag is broken.

Step	Action
1	Power off the printer.
2	If this error occurred while printing, check the entire paper path and remove any paper jammed inside the printer.
3	Remove the 'tray 1' paper tray.
4	Look into the area of the printer where the tray was installed. Locate the paper pick mechanism. It should be located above the area where the tray sits. See the rollers highlighted in the image below. CAUTION! It may be necessary to tip the front of the printer up a little to get a good look at the paper pick mechanism or to find the 'tray empty' flag. If this is necessary, remove any installed output options before moving the printer as they can fall off the top of the printer. Additionally, enlist the aid of another person to help you prevent the printer from slipping or dropping and causing damage to the printer or injury to yourself. If you feel uncomfortable about carrying out this procedure by yourself, or if you encounter any problems, please contact Lexmark Technical Support for additional assistance. See 'Contacting Lexmark Technical Support' at the end of this document for contact information. To view a larger image, click here.
5	Lower the front of the paper pick assembly by pulling down on the pick roller on the right-hand side. To view a larger image, click here.
6	Look for the 'tray empty' flag, highlighted in the image below. It should be located behind the left-hand pick roller when the paper pick assembly is down. The image shows what you should see if the 'tray empty' flag is present and not broken. For a larger front view of the flag, click here. For a side view of the flag, click here. If you confirm that the flag is present and not damaged, inspect the paper tray for any damage. In addition, make sure the paper guides in the tray are in the correct location. The guides should lightly touch the paper stack, preventing it from shifting but not so much that it might bind the paper and prevent it from feeding out of the tray. If the flag is broken, the paper pick mechanism will need to be replaced and the printer will require service to correct the issue. To set up a service action, please contact Lexmark Technical Support or a local authorized service provider. For information on contacting Lexmark Technical Support, click here. IMPORTANT! As a temporary fix, you can load paper into the tray once the 241.01 Paper Jam message appears and press to continue printing. The printer should print the job again and will continue to function as normal, so long as there is paper in the tray. If the issue continues to occur after loading paper in the tray, please contact Lexmark Technical Support for additional information. NOTE: This failure will affect tray 1 only. If any option trays (such as tray 2 and tray 3) are installed, you can continue to use the option trays as normal.