If you’re lucky enough to have a CLP-600N Samsung printer and have had it for more than a few months there is a good chance that you’ve had to try and reset the printer due to an SMPS Fan Error. Samsung support offers two solutions. 1) Shut the printer off for a while and then try printing again. 2) Update the firmware so that it will continue to print.
The error is cause by low/no fan speed on the SMPS fan located on the left-hand side of the printer. This fan spins as long as the printer is not in “Standby” or “Power Save” mode and apparently it is failing in a lot of these units. If you are frustrated with this and need help, check out the guide below as I take you step-by-step through the process of finding the troublesome fan and getting your printer back up and running again.
In some cases letting the printer cool off works, but if the fan is turning slowly or not at all, it will still give you an error. The firmware flash (to the best of my knowledge) disables the RPM monitoring of the fan and can actually cause damage to your printer as it will likely overheat if used on large print jobs.
Step 1 – Open the Back:
Before you open the printer, I must warn you that there is a chance of electric shock and that you should have the printer switched off and the cord unplugged before you continue. Also if you open the printer, you will probably void your warranty. That being said, this guide is very simple and will help you get your printer back online in less that 20 minutes.
The fan is located on the left-side of the printer, but in order to get that side cover off you need to remove the back cover first. This is held in place by four screws pictured below. Remember, “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey”!
 Rear panel screws that must be removed |
 "Lefty Loosey" |
Step 2 – Remove the Side Panel:
Once you’ve got the rear panel off, you can then set to removing the left-side panel. This panel is also held in place by four scews. Once they are removed, grip the handle and pull out and upward. It will come with a pop.
 Side screws that must be removed |
 Pull up and out to remove panel |
Step 3:
Once you’ve got this side removed you can see the SMPS Fan that is causing the trouble. Notice that it is not a standard fan and unless you can find one online, we’ll have to try and patch this fan so that we can keep printing.
This is the bad fan
The idea is to remove the fan, take it appart and apply some sort of high quality lubricant in order to get it spinning again. It is held in place by a single screw and then connected by a three-wire connector. Make sure you don’t lose the end of the wire inside the printer or you’ll have to take it all apart in order to fish this out. I recommend using a piece of tape in order to keep it in sight.
 One screw |
 Unplug wire - care not to let it fall inside |
Instead of putting this high-use fan back in this area, I recommend swapping this fan with another fan. We can find an identical fan at the top left on the back side. This fan is installed so that it blows fresh air into the unit, while the failing SMPS fan is used to exhaust hot air from the printer. Made sure you put them back the same way you got them out.
Alternate fan that you can swap if required
Step 4 – Lube Job!
Now that you’ve got the noisy, slow and failing fan(s) out of the printer, it’s time to give them a good lube job in order to keep your printer from giving you the irritating SMPS Fan Error. For this step, you’ll need a small screwdriver or other pointy object and some good 3-in-1 oil. I personally use some Fishing Reel oil with Teflon as it works very well and provides much longer life to the fans bearings.
Getting ready to lube the fan
The access point to oil the fan is underneath the sticker. Carefully peel it back partway in order to reveal the bearing cap that will have to be removed by your nice small screwdriver or other sharp tool. Take care when doing this so you don’t injure yourself or lose the bearing cap. The cap is rubber and should come out easily when you pry it lose on one side.
 Use small screwdriver or sharp object to remove dust cap |
 Dust cap off - bearing exposed |
Finally, you can carefully apply a small amount of oil to the shaft and bearing inside the hub. Don’t use too much at first and make sure to spin the fan by hand and extend the it up and down on the hub. Once this is done, oil will pentrate and then you can add a little more. Once the oil level appears to stabilize, replace the cap and sticker and put the fans back where you got them.
I put the failing SMPS Fan in place of the second fan I showed you above and swapped them around. I did lubricate both fans though so I won’t have to do this again for a while (I hope). Once the fans are back in place, attach the side panel – making sure to get the bottom of this panel in place first – then replace the rear panel. If you’ve taken your time and made sure all the wires are hooked up and screws tight, you’re ready to plug in the power and try printing again.
This has worked for me and saved me the downtime of sending this away for repairs. Please keep in mind that this will likely void your warranty though, but if you’ve got 15 minutes of free time and want to save some downtime, this guide will help you get your printer up and running in a flash.
If you have any questions or comments, please post them and I’ll try to answer as many as possible. Also if you found this article helpful and wish to dontate, please feel free to do so.