Epson Perfection Scanner Problem

[JD]

Hi Experts

I have an Epson 1640SU that worked very well until
today. Now, when I press the start button, it
click-clicks and the carriage does not move.

I removed the screws and tried to take the top
off. The front of the top has catches that project
into the base so it does not allow me to lift up
the front. I removed the screws from the back and
it will lift slightly but seems to be caught in
something. I don't want to force it, so if someone
has experience of this model I would appreciate
advice on how to take it apart without wrecking it.

TIA

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Hi Experts

I have an Epson 1640SU that worked very well until
today. Now, when I press the start button, it
click-clicks and the carriage does not move.

is that model old enough to have a lock/transport mechanism that may have
been bumped and engaged?

 

[Meat Plow]

is that model old enough to have a lock/transport mechanism that may
have been bumped and engaged?

I haven't seen one that didn't lock. Not saying there may be some that
don't. All 4 of my Canon LiDE scanners lock. Don't ask why I have 4
And all the others back to the first SCSI scanner I owned back in the
90's locked.

 

[JD]

I haven't seen one that didn't lock. Not saying there may be some that
don't. All 4 of my Canon LiDE scanners lock. Don't ask why I have 4
And all the others back to the first SCSI scanner I owned back in the
90's locked.

Thank you CL and MP.

The scanner is indeed old. I can't remember when I
bought it but the manual
that came with it has: Copyright 2000.

I knew about the lock. The carriage needs to be
locked while moving the scanner around and then
unlocked when the scanner needs to be used.

I decided to replace the screws and then to go
carefully through the known steps - connecting and
turning on in the right sequence. It worked fine
then, except from one messy situation that really
irked me with the Copy facility. It had collected
all my 3 fax progs and a PDF prog for the
destination of the scan - no such place as a
folder to place the copy. The normal setting for
the group (faxes and PDF prog) was alphabetical,
so when I made my copies it flashed open the fax
prog and I had to stop and take another route to
get the job done. Anyone experience this
limitation? Or is there a setting that I have missed?

It's quite a complicated piece of work.

Have a great weekend guys

 

[JD]

Thank you Whit3rd.

After the screwed-down end is loose, lift it slightly
and the top can be pushed off the catches.

Somehow or other something inside prevented me
from moving
that cover. The front was easy but it has two
catches and I could
not move the cover forward enough to get out of
the slots. I could raise
the rear end slighly on the side where the lock is
but the other one would
not budge.

Fortunately, as you will note from my reply above,
I managed to get
the scanner working again.

As others have noted, clicking sounds sometimes
come from the lock being engaged, sometimes it's
just a sticky rail or the motor isn't getting full
power (check the power supply voltage).

I wasn't sure what was doing the clicking when I
first started the task
but, when I had all the screws back in place, and
the electric and USB
plugs inserted, it started very quickly and there
were no clicks.

Be sure to clean the glass inner surface before you
reassemble.

I didn't get that far but fortunately the inner
glass is extremely clean.
I guess it's a good air-tight case.

Thanks again and have a great weekend W3

 

[Jeff Layman]

Hi Experts

I have an Epson 1640SU that worked very well until today. Now, when I
press the start button, it click-clicks and the carriage does not move.

I removed the screws and tried to take the top off. The front of the top
has catches that project into the base so it does not allow me to lift up
the front. I removed the screws from the back and it will lift slightly
but seems to be caught in something. I don't want to force it, so if
someone has experience of this model I would appreciate advice on how to
take it apart without wrecking it.

For future ref you might find the newsgroup comp.periphs.scanners to also be
of help. Some of the posts there refer to changing the lamp and cleaning
under the glass, so some successful dismantling must have taken place.

 

[Michael Karas]

Hi Experts

I have an Epson 1640SU that worked very well until
today. Now, when I press the start button, it
click-clicks and the carriage does not move.

I removed the screws and tried to take the top
off. The front of the top has catches that project
into the base so it does not allow me to lift up
the front. I removed the screws from the back and
it will lift slightly but seems to be caught in
something. I don't want to force it, so if someone
has experience of this model I would appreciate
advice on how to take it apart without wrecking it.

TIA

Be aware that once you open the scanner, presuming you can get past the
mechanical issues you are having, the pristine clean interior will never
be that way again. These things are assembled in a clean room so that
there is no dust inside the unit. (Dust = spots and defects in every
scan that you make). Working in a home or ordinary repair shop is no
substitute for the clean room and you will find it impossible to keep
the internal parts of the unit dust and lint free. Remember that the air
all around us is full of dust particles and it will get all over the
internal scanner parts despite all best efforts to "keep it clean".

 

[William Sommerwerck]

Be aware that once you open the scanner, presuming you can get past the

mechanical issues you are having, the pristine clean interior will never
be that way again. These things are assembled in a clean room so that
there is no dust inside the unit. (Dust = spots and defects in every
scan that you make). Working in a home or ordinary repair shop is no
substitute for the clean room and you will find it impossible to keep
the internal parts of the unit dust and lint free. Remember that the air
all around us is full of dust particles and it will get all over the
internal scanner parts despite all best efforts to "keep it clean".

You are perhaps overlooking the fact that the "internal" dust will be at
some distance from the focal plane.

 

[Cydrome Leader]

You are perhaps overlooking the fact that the "internal" dust will be at
some distance from the focal plane.

not dust on the ccd

 

[William Sommerwerck]

You are perhaps overlooking the fact that the "internal"

Not dust on the CCD.

You should be able to clean that off. I have two DSLRs, and have never had
dust on the sensors. (My Visible Dust cleaning equipment is sitting there,
just gathering dust.)

 

[Cydrome Leader]

You should be able to clean that off. I have two DSLRs, and have never had
dust on the sensors. (My Visible Dust cleaning equipment is sitting there,
just gathering dust.)

the ccd in most scanners is obscured by a lens assembly of some sort. It's
harder to reach that than the imager in a slr type camera. You can't just
pop off the lense and rub it with a swab and be done.