solution Contentsolution Content

HP ENVY, OfficeJet Printers - 'Carriage Jam' Error

This document is for HP ENVY 7640, 7643, 7644, 7645, Officejet 5740, 5741, 5742, 5743, 5744, 5745, 5746, and Officejet 8040 with Neat e-All-in-One printers.
During a print job, the carriage stalls, the printer stops, and the following error message displays on the printer control panel:
The print carriage cannot move. Open the ink cartridge access door, clear any paper jam or obstruction, and select OK.
Try the following solutions to resolve the carriage jam issue. When you can successfully print a Printer Status Report, you can stop troubleshooting.

This video shows how to fix a carriage jam in your ENVY 7640, Officejet 5740, and Officejet 8040 printer

Clearing a Carriage Jam Error on HP ENVY 7640, Officejet 5740, and Officejet 8040 e-All-in-One Printer Series
Clearing a Carriage Jam Error on HP ENVY 7640, Officejet 5740, and Officejet 8040 e-All-in-One Printer Series
Learn how to clear a carriage jam error on HP ENVY 7640, Officejet 5740, and Officejet 8040 e-All-in-One printer series.
Click here to see this video in full screen on YouTube

Solution one: Restart the printer

Follow these steps to restart the printer, and then try to print a Printer Status Report.

Step 1: Turn the printer off and then on again

Turning the printer off and then on can reset the carriage. Follow these steps to turn off the printer, and then turn it on again.
  1. Press the power button to turn off the printer. If the printer does not turn off, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
  2. Unplug the power cord from the power source.
  3. Wait 60 seconds.
  4. Connect the power cord directly to a wall outlet and to the printer.
  5. Turn on the printer to complete the reset.

Step 2: Print a Printer Status Report

Try to print a Printer Status Report to make sure that the hardware functions correctly.
  1. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
  2. On the printer control panel, swipe the display, and then touch the Setup icon ().
  3. Swipe the display, and then touch Reports.
  4. Touch Printer Status Report. The printer prints the report.
    Figure : Example of a Printer Status Report
    Image: Example of a Printer Status Report

Solution two: Clear any jammed paper from the printer

Jammed paper might be blocking the carriage. Follow these steps in the order presented to clear any jammed paper from the printer, and then try to print a Printer Status Report.

Step 1: Clear any loose paper from the output tray

If any jammed paper is accessible from the output tray, follow these steps to remove the paper.
  1. Remove any loose paper from the output tray.
  2. Push in the output tray extender.
  3. Grasp the output tray, and then pull the output tray towards you to remove it.
  4. Pull out the input tray to its outermost position.
    Image: Pulling out the input tray.
  5. Remove all paper from the input tray.
  6. Gently remove any jammed paper or bits of torn paper from the output rollers. To avoid tearing whole sheets of paper, pull the paper with both hands.
  7. Use a flashlight to thoroughly check the rollers for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the output tray. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.
  8. To replace the output tray, slide the output tray back onto the input tray.

Step 2: Clear any jammed paper from the input tray

If any jammed paper is accessible from the input tray, follow these steps to remove the paper.
  1. Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
  2. Grasp the output tray by the sides, and then pull the output tray toward you to remove it.
  3. Grasp the handle on the input tray, and then pull the input tray toward you to open it.
    Figure : Pull to open the input tray
    Image: Pull to open the input tray
  4. Remove any loose sheets of paper from the input tray or any paper that blocks the photo tray.
  5. Turn the printer onto its right side so that you can access its underside.
  6. Check the gap where the input tray was. Grasp any jammed paper in the gap with both hands, and then pull the paper slowly but firmly toward you to remove it. Gently remove any jammed paper and bits of torn paper.
    Figure : Turn the printer onto its right side, and then remove any jammed paper
    Image: Turn the printer onto its right side, and then remove any jammed paper
      caution:
    Remove paper from the gap as carefully as possible. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more paper jams are likely to occur, which could damage the print mechanism.
  7. Turn the printer over to its normal position.
  8. With both hands, remove the stack of paper from the input tray, and then tap the bottom edge of the stack on a flat surface so that the stack is even on all sides.
  9. Load the paper, slide in the paper width guides to touch the paper, and then push in the input tray.
    Figure : Push in the input tray
    Image: Push in the input tray
  10. To replace the output tray, slide the output tray back onto the input tray.
    • If you did find and clear a paper jam, press the Power button to turn on the printer, and then skip to the step to print a Printer Status Report.
    • If you did not find a paper jam, continue to the next step.

Step 3: Clear any jammed paper from the paper path and cartridge access area

Follow these steps to remove any jammed paper from the paper path and cartridge access area inside the printer.
  1. Turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
  2. Open the ink cartridge access door.
      caution:
    Do not touch the cable attached to the print carriage.
    The carriage moves to the center of the printer.
    Image: Opening the ink cartridge access door.
  3. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.
  4. While the printer is still on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer, and then unplug the power cord from the power source or electrical outlet.
      warning:
    You must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer to avoid the risk of injuries or electric shock.
  5. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer, if you have a cable connection to the printer.
  6. Gently remove any jammed paper from inside the printer. To avoid tearing any whole sheets of paper, pull the paper firmly with both hands.
    Image: Remove jammed paper restricting the carriage.
  7. Use a flashlight to inspect the carriage area, located toward the front of the printer, and then check for and remove any jammed paper or objects that might restrict the carriage.
  8. Locate the paper path cover, grasp the handle, and then lift up to remove it.
    Image: Removing the paper path cover.
  9. Use a flashlight to thoroughly check the paper path for any torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer, and then remove any jammed paper that might remain inside the cleanout area.
    Image: Removing jammed paper from the paper path.
  10. Replace the paper path cover until it clicks into place.
  11. Close the ink cartridge access door.
    To make sure the ink cartridge access door is securely closed, check that the 'Door Open' message clears and that the Home screen displays on the printer control panel.
    Image: Closing the ink cartridge access door.
  12. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.
  13. Reconnect the USB or Ethernet cable, unless your printer is connected to a wireless network.

Step 4: Make sure that the printer is placed on a flat surface

  1. Turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
  2. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.
  3. While the printer is still on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer, and then unplug the power cord from the power source or electrical outlet.
      warning:
    You must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer to avoid the risk of injuries or electric shock.
  4. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer, if you have a cable connection to the printer.
  5. Turn the printer onto its right side so you can access its underside. Make sure to hold the printer firmly with one hand to avoid tipping.
    Image: Turn the printer onto its right side
  6. Use a flashlight to check the surface directly under and around where the printer sits for the following:
    • Pieces of paper trapped in the input tray
    • Small, hard objects, such as cables, pens, pencils, and books
    • Soft or uneven surfaces, such as placemats or carpet-like material
  7. Remove any obstructions that might remain.
  8. Push in the input tray, and then turn the printer over to the upright position.
  9. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer, and then plug in the power cord to an electrical outlet.
  10. Reconnect the USB or Ethernet cable, unless your printer is connected to a wireless network.
  11. Turn on the printer.
    The printer might go through a warm-up period and the carriage might move. Wait until the warm-up period finishes before you proceed.

Solution three: Remove and reinstall the cartridges

Improper placement or installation of the cartridges might cause the printer to indicate a carriage jam error. To make sure that the cartridges are installed correctly, follow these steps to remove and reinstall the cartridges, and then try to print a Printer Status Report.

Step 1: Remove and reinstall the cartridges

Follow these steps to remove and reinstall the cartridges.
  1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
  2. Open the ink cartridge access door.
    Figure : Opening the ink cartridge access door
    Image: Opening the ink cartridge access door.
      caution:
    Do not touch the cable attached to the print carriage.
  3. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it.
    Figure : Example of releasing the ink cartridge
    Image: Example of releasing the ink cartridge.
  4. To remove, pull the ink cartridge toward you.
      caution:
    Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles.Handling these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electricalconnections.
  5. Reinsert the ink cartridge, then gently push up on the ink cartridge until it snaps into place.
    • Reinsert the tri-color cartridge into the right slot.
    • Reinsert the black cartridge into the left slot.
    Figure : Example of inserting an ink cartridge
    Image: Example of inserting an ink cartridge.
  6. Close the ink cartridge access door.
    Figure : Closing the ink cartridge access door
    Image: Closing the the cartridge access door
    The printer might go through a warm-up period and the carriage might move. Wait until the warm-up period finishes before you proceed.

Step 2: Print a Printer Status Report

Try to print a Printer Status Report to make sure that the hardware functions correctly.
  1. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
  2. On the printer control panel, swipe the display to the left, and then touch Setup ().
  3. Swipe up on the display, and then touch Reports.
  4. Touch Printer Status Report. The printer prints the report.

Solution four: Plug the printer directly into a wall outlet

Follow these steps to plug the printer directly into a wall outlet to make sure that the power source is functioning correctly, and then try to print a Printer Status Report.

Step 1: Plug the printer directly into a wall outlet

The printer might not be getting enough power for the carriage to function properly.
  1. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
  2. Unplug the power cord from any power strips or surge suppressors.
  3. Plug the power cord directly into an electrical outlet.
  4. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
  5. Turn on the printer.

Step 2: Print a Printer Status Report

Try to print a Printer Status Report to make sure that the hardware functions correctly.
  1. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
  2. On the printer control panel, swipe the display to the left, and then touch Setup ().
  3. Swipe up on the display, and then touch Reports.
  4. Touch Printer Status Report. The printer prints the report.

Solution five: Reset the printer

Sometimes a paper jam error persists even though there is no jammed paper (false paper jam). Follow these steps to reset the printer, which might clear a false paper jam error, and then try to print a Printer Status Report.

Step 1: Reset the printer

Follow these steps in the order presented to reset the printer.
  1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
  2. Unplug the power cord from the power source.
  3. Wait 60 seconds.
  4. Reconnect the power cord to a wall outlet and to the printer.
    note:
    HP recommends plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet.

Step 2: Print a Printer Status Report

Print a Printer Status Report to make sure that the hardware functions correctly.
  1. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
  2. On the printer control panel, swipe the display to the left, and then touch Setup ().
  3. Swipe up on the display, and then touch Reports.
  4. Touch Printer Status Report. The printer prints the report.

Solution six: Service the printer

Service or replace your HP product if the issue persists after completing all the preceding steps.
Go to Contact HP Customer Support to schedule a product repair or replacement. If you are in Asia Pacific, you will be directed to a local service center in your area.
To confirm your warranty status, go to HP Product Warranty Check. Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty products.

Additional support options

Try one of our automated tools or diagnostics
Ask a question on our HP Support Community page
Get in touch with one of our support agents

Enter a topic to search our knowledge library

What can we help you with?