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 in one of two places: Either on the top bin, or out the back. Virtually everyone has the scanner scan to the top bin, but there is still a complete compliment of sensors to handle scanning out the back. The rear ending sensor is in this seldom-used paper path.

Now that we have found this sonofagun, we have to clean it. The easiest way is to open the scanner as usual. On the left side, towards the rear of the scanner, operate the switch to switch from “scan to top” to “scan straight out the back” mode. Observe the chute inside the scanner as it moves. When it moves up, use compressed air in the gap to blow out the gunk. Close the scanner back up and away you go!

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