I have the same issue. I think in some other thread they mentioned about replacing drum, but I only used mine once in a while. But I have a major project that I need a good print this time.

For the smudge and spots, I always have these at the bottom after a color print.

http://home.comcast.net/~caprisushi/printer01.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~caprisushi/printer02.jpg

Does anyone share similar issue? Is there a way to clean this up manually?

I've actually cleaned everything that could possibly be cleaned and still have the issue.

I'm going to head over to a client's tonight who has the same printer and grab their drum to test and let you know what happens.

The marks you show in the first jpg - i.e. little bits missing, I always get with large colour blocks. The other thing I get are similar sized streaks of whichever colour I used in the block. They are always further down the sheet.

I think it is to do with the drum but don't know how to clean it up. The printers done under 1000 sheets!!

Thanks for this. I've read those threads and this is definitely my issue. Rubber belt obviously must be damaged. I did a contamination print and the three colour sheets all have the same pattern of missing ink. The black is OK. Tried 20 sweeps of the cleaning rod and nothing improved. Essentially this has reduced the printer to the world's largest B&W one or OK if colour only on the top half of the page :(

I have a new drum in the loft as they let me keep it when replacing printers. I reckon if I open it, it will either be faulty or it will last a few months and then die.

I am a light user (under 1000 pages in over a year). I wanted this thing for convenience & low running costs versus inkjet (it was on offer at the time). It's now out of warranty and I expect I will get little help from Dell although I will try.

I'm bitter and disappointed. I wonder whether to sell it all off (I also have 4 spare toners I got free) and use the money to buy somebody elses (smaller?) printer .....

Well, they rang me and said my printer is no longer made and nor are the drums!!!!

They will sell me a 3110cn for £195 (saves around £130) or a 3115cn for £381 (saves around £250). Nice savings but the 3115cn is far too big and I'd be worried about the printer dying and me being left with the world's largest scanner! The 3110cn is deeper than my 3100cn which means it won't quite fit either plus my faith has been knocked.

Think I'll crack open the new drum and when it dies I'll get a different brand of printer!

Raky - it is exactly as you say on the 20% prints and so deffo the drum!

Romulus - I thought it was probably horse manure - thanks for confirming :)

Well in the end I have decided to do the following:

1) NOT take up Dell on their kind offer ;)

2) Put in the spare drum from the loft which they let me keep after cocking up another warranty issue :)

3) Run printer till that drum dies (somewhere between 1 and 50,000 pages I guess ;))

4) When the drum goes I'll junk the Dell and get one of those Canon ones where the paper simply passes over the 4 cartridges - less time/noise on a colour print and no transfer belt/drum to foul up.

Thanks for the help - if you have any sort of Dell stuff with a fault then this forum is the place to come :)