OKI Image Drum Errors: What They Mean and How to Fix Them

The image drum is the part of your OKI printer that picks up toner and transfers the image onto the paper. Colour printers have four drums, one each for cyan, magenta, yellow and black, and mono printers have one. When your printer displays an image drum error, the code tells you which drum has the problem. Most drum errors clear when you take the drum out and refit it. Codes 350 to 353 mean a drum has reached the end of its life and needs replacing.

This page covers the OKI image drum error codes specifically. For every other OKI code, see our complete guide to OKI error codes.

Which drum does the code refer to?

OKI uses a fixed order for the four drums, so the last digit of the code tells you the colour.

On a mono printer you will only ever see the black drum codes, 343 and 353.

Do I refit the drum or replace it?

Work through these three steps in order. Between them, they resolve the majority of drum errors.

If a code keeps coming back after these steps, call us on 033 0303 0123 and one of our OKI trained technicians will talk it through with you.

What do error codes 340, 341, 342 and 343 mean?

The image drum shown in the table above isn’t seated correctly. Switch the printer off, open the top cover, lift that drum out and lower it back into place, checking it sits level and fully down. Close the cover and turn the printer on. If the code returns, give us a call. See codes 340 to 343 on the error-code page.

What do error codes 350, 351, 352 and 353 mean?

The image drum shown in the table above has reached the end of its rated life. Opening and closing the output tray will let you keep printing for a short while, but print quality will deteriorate, so fit a new drum as soon as you can. On a colour printer you only need to replace the drum the code names, not all four. See codes 350 to 353 on the error-code page.

What does error code 143 mean?

The printer can’t confirm that a drum has moved into position. The second part of the code tells you which one: 01 is black, 02 cyan, 03 magenta and 04 yellow. Take out that drum and the transfer belt, refit both, then turn the printer off and on. If the code returns, the drum needs replacing. If a new drum doesn’t clear it, call us, as the fault may be in the lift mechanism rather than the drum. See code 143 on the error-code page.

What do error codes 135-11 to 135-15 mean?

These are drum motor faults, one code per drum position. Take out the drum in that position and refit it. If the code returns, replace the drum. If a new drum doesn’t clear it, the fault is in the motor or its drive, so call us before ordering anything else. See code 135 on the error-code page.

What does error code 142 mean?

The printer has detected a fault in the mechanism that raises and lowers the drums. This isn’t something a new drum will fix. Restart the printer, and if the code comes back, call us on 033 0303 0123. We’ll confirm the cause before you spend anything.

How do I replace an OKI image drum?

Take care with the new drum: don’t touch the green surface, and keep it out of direct light. Five minutes in daylight can mark the drum permanently.

1. Switch the printer off and open the top cover.
2. Lift the old drum out by its handle. Note which colour position it came from.
3. On most OKI models the toner cartridge sits in the drum. Unless you are replacing both, lift the toner cartridge off the old drum and keep it.
4. Unpack the new drum and remove the protective sheet and packing, following the instructions in the box.
5. Fit the toner cartridge to the new drum and lock it in place.
6. Lower the new drum into the same colour position until it sits fully down.
7. Close the top cover and switch the printer on. The printer detects the new drum automatically.
8. Print a test page to confirm everything is working.

The exact steps vary between models, so check your printer manual if anything looks different. If you’d like a hand, call us and we’ll talk you through it.

Which image drum do I need?

Image drums are specific to both the printer series and the colour, so you need the right drum for your model and the right colour for the code you’re seeing. The quickest way to find yours is to enter your printer model into the search box on our OKI printer accessories page, for example C824 or ES8453, then choose the colour.

Not sure which one you need? Call us on 033 0303 0123 with your printer model and we’ll confirm the right drum before you order. All our drums are genuine OKI parts, come with our technical support included, and orders over £125 qualify for free UK mainland delivery.

More help with OKI error codes

If your code isn’t listed on this page, see our complete guide to OKI error codes. For fuser, transfer belt and toner codes, see our other part pages.

You can also speak to an OKI trained technical support specialist on 033 0303 0123, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (UK and Ireland business customers only).