The TN350 toner cartridge and DR350 drum unit are two separate units that are sold individually.  The drum unit generally needs replacing after 4-6 toner cartridge changes.  When replacing the toner cartridge the old drum unit MUST be separated from the old toner cartridge and re-used with the new toner cartridge unless a new drum is being installed as well.

 

Not Recognizing

 

Verify you have the correct toner cartridge or drum unit for your specific printer model.

 

The toner cartridge uses a flag gear to hit an actuator inside the printer and reset the page count for the toner.  Be sure that the cartridge is fully inserted into the printer.  Try removing and reinstalling the toner cartridge.  Check the side of the cartridge and make sure the flag gear is in the correct position.  The flag gear can’t be reset without disassembling the cartridge so if it’s in the wrong position on a never used cartridge you will need to reship.

 

For toner life end errors on the Brother HL series printers you can try to reset the toner life by doing the following;

1. Open the Front cover
2. Press and hold the GO button
3. Power ON the printer while continuing to hold the GO button
4. Once the 3 LED’s are lit, release the GO button
5. Press the GO button 2 times. This will cause the LED’s to light solid
6. With the LED’s lit solid, press the GO button 5 times
7. Toner Life End will then reset
8. Close the front cover.

For MFC series printers do the following;

1. Open door
2. Press Clear/Back key
3. Press *00
4. Press OK

Do not choose anything for drum replacement. when drum replacement menu comes up, just press the * and then 00, then just press OK.

 

For the MFC-7820N and MFC-7420 do the following;

STEP 1 – Open the front cover of your Brother MFC-7820N or Brother MFC-7420 so you can access the toner cartridge.

STEP 2 – While the front cover is open and the machine is on, push the button “Options”.

STEP 3 – Push “Start”

STEP 4 – Then Quickly type “1″ and “0″ (like your typing the number 10). If you don’t perform this step quick enough you will have to start from the beginning. Don’t ask why, we don’t know and could not find an answer to that question even from Brother. We think they just like aggravating people.

STEP 5 – Wait until the machine show’s the term “Accepted” in the window.

STEP 6 – There is no step 6, your TN-350 toner cartridge is now reset and you can now print to your heart’s content

 

The drum unit uses a page counter on the printer that MUST be MANUALLY reset each time a new drum unit is installed.  If the drum light is still on after replacing the drum unit this means that the drum life has not be reset on the printer.  The procedure for resetting the drum life varies depending on the Brother printer so refer to the User’s Guide on the specific printer.  These can be accessed on Brother’s website.  On the HL-2040 printer, you will want to press and hold the GO button for about 4 seconds until all the LEDs on the printer light up.  Once all 4 LEDs are lit, release the GO button.

 

Not Fitting

 

The toner cartridge and drum unit are two separate pieces that install into each other.  When replacing the toner cartridge you MUST remove the old drum unit from the old toner cartridge and re-use it with the new toner cartridge.  Install the new toner cartridge into the old drum unit before installing them into the printer.  If the toner cartridge appears to be too small then you may be attempting to install the toner cartridge on its own without the drum unit.  Make sure you install the toner cartridge into the drum first then install into the printer.

 

To remove and install the TN350 toner cartridge and DR350 drum unit in a Brother HL-2040 printer do the following;

Note:  Other Brother printers that use this toner and drum unit will be a similar procedure.  If you want specific instructions for a particular Brother printer model please review the User’s Guide for that particular printer.  The User’s Guides are available for free on Brother’s website.

 

–          Open the front cover

 

–          Take out the drum unit and toner cartridge assembly

 

–          Separate the toner cartridge from the drum unit.  The toner cartridge should just pop out of the drum unit by gently lifting up on it.

 

Click on the YouTube video below to watch a video on separating the TN350 from the DR350

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrXBUfPueUQ[/youtube]

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–          If you are just installing a new toner cartridge then make sure to insert the new toner into the old drum unit.  If you are just installing a new drum then make sure to install the old toner cartridge into the new drum.

–          Insert the drum unit and toner cartridge assembly back into the printer.  Make it is fully seated.

 

–          If just a new toner was installed no further steps are required.  If a new drum was installed then the drum life MUST be reset.  On the HL-2040 printer, you will want to press and hold the GO button for about 4 seconds until all the LEDs on the printer light up.  Once all 4 LEDs are lit, release the GO button.

 

Print Quality Issues

 

On the TN350 toner cartridge there is a plastic protective cover on the front of the cartridge which must be removed prior to installation.  On the DR350 drum unit there is a plastic protective cover that contains foam which must be removed.

 

On the TN350 toner cartridge, check the rubber roller for damage or debris.  Do NOT touch the rubber roller or use moisture of any kind around the toner cartridge.

 

On the DR350 drum unit with the toner cartridge removed, check the OPC drum for damage or debris.  Do NOT touch the OPC drum and do not use moisture of any kind.

 

On the DR350 drum unit try cleaning the primary corona wire.  On the front of the drum unit there is a tab which is blue in color on the LD drum and green in color on the OEM.  Gently slide this tab left to right a few times to clean the primary corona wire.  Make sure to return the tab back to its home position.  If it is not returned to the home position then a verticle stripe will appear on printed pages.

 

Click on the YouTube video below to watch a video on cleaning the primary corona wire on a DR350

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skGkesVUdvM[/youtube]

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Try gently rocking the toner cartridge from side to side a few times to evenly distribute the toner powder inside the cartridge.

 

If the toner is smearing off the paper or isn’t adhering properly, make sure the paper settings on the printer match the paper type being used.  Thicker paper, such as labels or bonded paper, require a different paper setting to allow more heating while printing to ensure the toner melts properly to the paper.  Trying to print on thicker paper while under that standard paper setting will cause the toner not to get enough heat to melt properly.

 

The drum unit is a maintenance item and will need to be replaced after a period of usage.  Ghosting, streaking, and lines are generally a drum related issue.

 

Grinding

 

Remove and re-install the toner cartridge.  Make sure the toner cartridge is fully seated inside the drum unit.  Be sure that the toner and drum assembly are fully inserted into the printer.  Excess toner or debris on the gears of the drum unit may also cause grinding, a can of compressed air can be used to clean the gears.