The “U18-18040000” error and how to solve it

The Panasonic KV-S3065C scanner is a great workhorse of a scanner. It just keeps going, and going, and going... ... until an error occurs. The scanner then stops scanning and announces it has a paper jam. Most of the time, it actually is a paper jam. Jam is cleared and scanning continues merrily along. Sometimes it is not so easy. The scanner is convinced there is a jam, but there is no paper in the scanner. Experienced users know that there is some dust on one of the several paper sensors in the scanner; strategic blasts of compressed air is often enough to get the scanner cooperating again. Sometimes, the Panasonic KV-S3065C scanner still thinks there is paper in it. The user utility says the error code is U18 18040000, and the scanner just doesn't want to work. The U18 class of error codes basically mean "there is probably a paper jam, or probably not, but in any case one of the sensors thinks there is paper where there shouldn't be." The 04 part means the sensor in question is the rear ending sensor. Great! There is just one rub: Where the heck is this rear ending sensor. Recall that this scanner can drop scanned pages ...