Updated: May 24, 2019
How to remove and replace HP printer covers, panels and doors. General theory of printer cover disassembly. Learn how to take apart hp printer covers.
HP printer covers are a hot seller for parts suppliers like Metrofuser. Why? many covers are damaged during the printer repair process. HP printer covers are interconnected meaning they need to come up apart in order and reassemble in order. Much of this damage is avoidable with simple precautions.
Our engineers remove and reinstall over ten thousand HP laser printer covers every year. We have learned printer cover replacement is part art and part science and we will cover both in this article.
While Metrofuser has many how to videos on specific repair and printer parts replacement we wanted to develop a video to cover general printer cover removal and replacement. This video and article are designed to help HP printer technicians remove today's laser printer covers.
Two biggest problems when removing HP printer covers
Damaging the printer cover.
Removing to many covers takes more time unnecessarily and increases the chances of breaking a cover.
In general HP laser printer covers are interconnected by a tab lock system, flat head or phillips head screws or some combination. Typically the smaller desktop printers utilize a tab lock system while larger work group laser printers utilize screws.
HP printer service manuals as wells as Metrofuser's blog have exploding diagrams of hp printer covers. Take a look at one here Part Diagrams-M607 M608 M609 HP Laser Printers.
Steps for HP printer cover removal
Observations
Ask questions - How are the covers interconnected?
Locate the connections
What types of connections? Tab Locks or Screws?
Begin removal process
Where to begin
Open the printer toner access door. This point on the printer will give you allot of information and clues on how the printer covers are interconnected. Removing the top cover reveals the screws and more information on how to remove the side covers.
Before removing the top cover locate the door hinge and disconnect it. Next locate screws that going thru the cover. The screws are usually in the top or bottom of the panel.
Printer Technician ProTip
Prior to disassembly take some photos with your smart phone to help during reassembly process.
Top HP printer cover type names
HP describes covers in the location they are positioned when facing the front of the printer.
Toner Access door
Left Side Cover
Right Side Cover
Front Cover
Paper tray cover
Rear cover
Formatter Cover
Top Cover Assembly
Face Up Tray
Left Upper Cover
Right Upper Cover
MP Multi Purpose Tray Cover
Locating the printer cover tab locks.
Look for triangles on cover (fig 1). The triangles are symbols that tell the printer technician where the tab lock are located. Gently use a flat head screw driver to pry the tab lock.
Working with the printer cover tab locks
When working with HP printers with tab locks check the service manual to see what direction to direct the pressure with the flathead screw driver. Every printer utilizes the locking tabs differently.
You can utilize a technique of holding the cover with one hand while directing the pressure of the flat head screw driver with the other hand. Push directly in first while feeling if cover is becoming loose. If not direct the pressure down and in, while feeling the cover. Then up and in and so on.
Our demo printers are the M605 and M401. These two HP models have similar printer cover removal properties found on most HP laser devices.