1- Make sure the printer is turned OFF.
2- Open the front cover of the printer.
3- Move the carriage (ink cartridges) to the right.
4- Look inside the printer, on the left side of the carriage shaft. You should see a large white gear. Directly above the gear is a black plastic piece called the clutch actuator.
5- Place your finger on the clutch actuator and see if you can moves (has some free play). If it does not move freely, that is the problem: the clutch actuator is probably caught on the white plastic wheel to the right of the gear.
To free the clutch actuator, perform the following steps:
1- Reach into the printer and put your finger on the left side of the black plastic clutch actuator.
2- Push the clutch actuator gently to the right until it moves freely.
If there is no visible damage to the clutch actuator or gears, and if no problems occur for the next ten pages you print, then the printer is OK and you have fixed the problem.
If there is visible damage to the clutch actuator or gears, or if the problem continues to occur, contact your local Apple Authorized Service Provider for assistance.
This article was published in the 24 June 1997 "Information Alley".