HP LasetJet P2015 Board bad BGA Solder? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / repair

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 11:59:34 am
content: Hello mates,I have a P2015 printer, which was left unused for 5+ years, toke it back to use and it won't connect through USB or even print a test page, the LED pattern on is not described in manual.After some googling, seems this series of printer suffers from bad BGA soldering. There are some replacement boards in ebay/aliexpress, but in not sure if the same will happen soon, since is the same age.Some videos on youtube suggesting to bake it in your ovenWhat would you suggest?

author: shakalnokturn
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 01:26:31 pm
content: I have a colour Laserjet with a defective formatter PCB, for now it is working with a wedge behind the BGA.If I do get round to seeing to it I'll opt for a reball rather than reflow, even if it takes me four times longer.Lead free BGA reflowing just isn't reliable in my experience.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 01:41:32 pm
content: It's a bad chip, no issues with soldering. Reflowing it will help temporarily but printer will die again within a few months maximum. So the best you can do is to simply get rid of it.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 01:47:04 pm
content: Quote from: blueskull on March 22, 2020, 01:43:42 pmThis particular printer model has BGA chip dying (well known problem) and I had a chance to see it / temporarily revive them myself.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 08:24:14 pm
content: Well, I tough was a solder problem but, since its a BGA problem itself, there is no reason to get another formater board.Anyway, I'll throw the board in the over for 8 minutes at 180°C, it is lost anyway

author: aqibi2000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 08:38:10 pm
content: Please do not bake it.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 09:03:40 pm
content: Quote from: aqibi2000 on March 22, 2020, 08:38:10 pmWhy not? how to repair it? I have a hakko 937 iron and a small hot air station, them I cant reball an fpga, nor will pay for someone do it or buy a used formater board (since it will break in the near future, right)?So, any fix for this printer? If I bake and gives 6 months more of use, its a win

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 09:53:06 pm
content: It's not possible to repair. You won't be able to buy good replacement chip and not recycled faulty garbage. But reflowing/baking is just crappy temporary fix (waste of time for little return). Not to say that if you just bake it in oven, plastic parts most likely will be damaged.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 10:14:29 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on March 22, 2020, 09:53:06 pmI agree with you, but since I am stubborn I threw it the oven at 180°C for 8 minutes, in a cooking tray over some spacers, believe or not, printer is working now.Anyway, I think it will not last more them a couple of months...

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 22, 2020, 10:20:31 pm
content: Quote from: rvalente on March 22, 2020, 10:14:29 pmIt's a temperature at which solder won't even melt. There is nothing surprising it started working. The issue is it will fail again soon.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2020, 02:20:42 pm
content: Quote from: wraper on March 22, 2020, 10:20:31 pmTotally agreed with you, probably i've caused some thermal stress which connected the solder joint again but, this will warp back and loosing it.I just do not get one point: is this failure between the bga and the board, where the reball would work or is an internal, die to package failure, where only a replacing with a good chip would work?Is there a know lot or generation of these formater boards that is not cursed?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 23, 2020, 03:39:35 pm
content: Quote from: rvalente on March 23, 2020, 02:20:42 pmDie to package failure.

author: rvalente
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 23, 2020, 07:14:09 pm
content: well, them there is nothing to be done, If it fails soom I will rebake it! ehhehehe