Grinding can come from shipping locks, a jam fragment, misseated cartridge/drum, blocked carriage or damaged gears. Stop repeated printing until the source is isolated. With the printer off, look for orange tape, foam or a transport lock as the manual shows.
Differential
Likely causes of “Printer makes a grinding or clicking noise”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Shipping locks or packing material are still installed
What separates it A new or moved printer grinds at start-up and the carriage struggles to move, and tape or foam was left inside.
How to confirm With the printer off, look for orange tape, foam or a transport lock as the manual shows.
- 2
A torn paper fragment or a foreign object is blocking the path
What separates it The noise happens at paper pickup or as the carriage moves, and a jam happened recently.
How to confirm Turn off the printer, remove paper and check the accessible paper path for scraps.
- 3
A cartridge or drum is not seated properly
What separates it Grinding starts after replacing a cartridge or drum, and the part is not fully clicked in.
How to confirm Remove and reseat the customer-removable supplies one at a time.
- 4
A gear or carriage part is damaged
What separates it The noise persists with no paper and no object present, and it gets worse over days.
How to confirm This needs service if the noise continues with the paper path clear and supplies reseated.
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- When the noise occurs: at start-up, paper pickup, carriage movement or toner rotation.
- Whether anything changed just before, such as a jam, a move or a new supply.
- Whether the printer still prints straight and completes jobs.
Try in this order
0 of 4 completedCapture the exact symptom
ReversiblePower off and note whether the noise occurs at startup, paper pickup, carriage movement or toner rotation.
Run the smallest isolation test
ReversibleRemove paper and only customer-removable supplies, inspect for packing material and reseat each part exactly.
Correct only the proven cause
ReversibleRemove visible loose debris and test one internal page; replace the proven removable supply if its gear binds.
Verify before changing anything else
ReversibleConfirm quiet startup and five pages without noise or skew.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Stop repeated printing until the source is found, since a jammed carriage or gear can break further parts.
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Is a clicking noise from a printer serious?+
It can mean a blocked carriage or a misplaced part. Stop printing, check for packing material or a paper scrap and reseat supplies before trying again.
Why does the printer grind?+
Something is blocking the carriage or gears.
I've cleared every jam I can see, but it still grinds — what's left?+
Check the encoder strip, the clear plastic ribbon that runs behind the carriage: a smudge, fingerprint or dust on it can make the printer misread the carriage's position and grind as if something were physically blocking it, even with the path completely clear, and wiping it gently with a dry cloth resolves that specific case.