Welcome to the "I bought the wrong printer" page.

specifically, the HP LaserJet 5L, "L" stands for lousy

It seems that HP has produced a printer, the LaserJet 5L with a design flaw. This design flaw allows several sheets of paper to occasionally get jammed tight, way down inside the printer, in such a way as to render the "tension release switch" on the left side of the printer, pathetically inadequate. Tugging hard enough on the paper will tear it off nicely, leaving the rest of the paper out of sight as well as out of reach! Your only official option is to send it to an "authorized" HP service center where you may pay a fee just to have them look at it, let alone pay for the labor of having the piece of paper actually removed! I don't know about you, but I prefer to take my car back to the dealer and pay them $60.00 an hour so they can change the air in my tires!

Disclaimer: This "do it yourself" operation will void any warranty you may have with HP. I assume no responsibility for any injury, death or damage that may result from this operation or the operation of the printer as a result of this operation. If you proceed, you do so at your own risk. This is operation is outlined only as a last resort, after all other avenues of recourse have been exhausted. By continuing, you assert that you have already gone to HP's website and checked out their trouble shooting sections.

Before you begin:

You will need a Philips head screw driver and a flat blade screw driver. 4-1/2" long drivers should be long enough to reach into the printer. Tweezers, or needle-nosed pliers may be handy too. Make a note of which screws go where as you remove them because they're not all interchangeable, and in 30 minutes, you won't remember which one's went where. Ideally, have a small container to hold the screws you will be removing.

Click on the blue underlined, boldface links to see photos of what the heck I'm talking about. Obviously, if the paper comes out before you reach the end of the listed steps, you don't need to continue, just skip to step 9).


 
 

1) Disconnect the power cable and the printer cable. IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS, YOU MAY BE ELECTROCUTED! Place the printer on a stable, level surface. ALLOW UNIT TO COOL DOWN if it hasn't already.

2) Remove the toner cartridge and protect it from light. Caution: with the toner cartridge removed, avoid touching the partially visible black roller at the bottom of the printer. Oil from your skin will permanently damage this roller.

3) Remove the front door by compressing the left hinge / tab. Remove the 3 screws from the back panel. Remove the back panel by unhooking 4 tabs: the 2 recessed tabs at the top of the back panel by pushing them towards each other with a flat blade screw driver, and the 2 "hidden" tabs on the sides, near the bottom (they are barely visible through a small opening on the underside of the printer, and harder to get to). You will also need to extend the paper feed support before you remove the back panel.

4) Remove the 2 screws from the top of the main cover. Remove the memory access panel from the lower left side of the printer. Unhook the 2 tabs under the front edge of the main cover, and remove the main cover from the printer.

5) Remove the paper exit guide roller by gently bending the nylon clips on both ends of the roller towards each other, and then rotating them up towards the front of the printer.

6) Remove the right cartridge guide by depressing the circular peg, and pulling the guide forward.

7) Remove the fuser cover by unscrewing its 2 screws from the rear corners.

8) Before removing the spring loaded, metal cover plate, make a note of how much it's screwed down (there is about a 1/32 " or 1/16" gap- I think. In anycase, make a note). Remove the spring loaded, metal cover plate by unscrewing the 2 screws at the front corners and springing the metal outwards.

9) By now, you should have been able to remove any jammed paper. Reassemble the printer by following the steps in reverse order.

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