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HP Smart Tank 500, 550 printers - 'E4' error (Paper Jam)

An HP Smart Tank 500, 508, 511, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 550, 551, 555, and 559 All-in-One printer stops feeding pages. An E4 error displays on the control panel and the Resume light blinks.

Note:

Paper jams can be real or false. The printer might report a paper jam even when there is no jammed paper. The following steps apply to both real and false paper jams.

How to Fix a Paper or Carriage Jam in the HP Smart Tank 500 and 600 Printer Series

Learn how to fix a paper or carriage jam in the HP Smart Tank 500 and 600 printer series.

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Clear jammed paper from the printer

Paper jams can occur in multiple areas of the printer. If you cannot find the paper jam in one area, continue to the next area until the jam is located.

Clear jammed paper from the input tray

Remove any jammed paper that is accessible from the input tray area.

Remove any loose paper from the input tray.
Press the Cancel button to try and automatically clear the jam.

If the error persists, continue with these steps to manually clear the jam.
Gently pull out any jammed paper from the input tray using both hands.
Remove any other torn pieces of paper or foreign objects from inside the input tray.
Reload a stack of paper into the input tray.
Press the Resume button on the control panel to continue the print job.

Clear jammed paper from the output tray

Remove any jammed paper that is accessible from the output tray area.

Press the Cancel button to try and automatically clear the jam.

If the error persists, continue with these steps to manually clear the jam.
Gently pull out any jammed paper from the output tray with both hands.
Remove any other torn pieces of paper or foreign objects from inside the tray area.
Press the Resume button on the control panel to continue the print job.

Clear jammed paper from the printhead access area

Remove any jammed paper from inside the printer.

Press the Cancel button to try and automatically clear the paper jam.

If the error persists, continue with these steps to manually clear the jam.
Close the output tray extender, and then push the output tray into the printer.
Open the exterior door, and then open the printhead access door.
Gently pull out any jammed paper using both hands.
Remove any other torn pieces of paper or foreign objects from inside the printer.
Close the printhead access door, and then close the exterior door.
Pull out the output tray, and then open the tray extender.
Press the Resume button on the control panel to continue the print job.

Clear jammed paper from underneath the printer

Remove jammed paper from the paper path on the bottom of the printer.

Note:

Only perform these steps if the printer continues to report a paper jam after clearing jammed paper from the input and output trays and printhead access area. These steps involve setting the printer on its back. To avoid ink leakage, do not keep the printer in this position any longer than it takes to clear the jam.

Press the Cancel button to try and automatically clear the jam.

If the error persists, continue with these steps to manually clear the jam.
Turn off the printer, and then disconnect any cables from the back of the printer.

Warning:
To avoid risk of injuries or electric shock, you must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer.
Close the output tray extender, and then push the output tray into the printer.
Remove any paper from the input tray, and then lower the input tray.
Make sure the ink tank plugs are closed and secure.
Slowly lift the printer and rest it on its back so that you can access the underside (base).
Pull the tabs on either side of the cleanout door to open it.
Remove any jammed paper found in the cleanout area.
Remove any torn pieces of paper or foreign objects from the cleanout area.
Close the cleanout door.
Return the printer to its normal position.
Reconnect the power cord and the USB cable, if necessary, and then turn on the printer.
Lift the input tray, and then load paper.
Open the output tray and tray extender.
Press the Resume button on the control panel to continue the print job.

Clean the paper feed rollers using an automated tool

Dust, paper fiber, and other debris might accumulate on the paper feed rollers and cause paper jams and paper-feed issues. Clean the rollers from the printer control panel.

Turn off the printer.
Remove the stack of paper from the input tray.
Press and hold the Power button , press the Cancel button three times, press the Color Copy button seven times, and then release the Power button.

The printer turns on and cleans the paper path rollers.
Wait until the printer is idle and silent.

Manually clean the paper rollers inside the printer

Dust, paper fiber, and other debris might accumulate on the paper feed rollers and cause paper jams and paper feed issues. Clean the rollers inside the printer, and then try to print again.

Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord.

Warning:
To avoid risk of injuries or electric shock, you must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer.
Raise the input tray, and then lift and hold the input tray shield.
Look down through the open input tray and find the gray paper pick rollers. You might need a flashlight to illuminate the area.
Lightly dampen a cotton swab with water, and then squeeze any excess liquid from the swab.
Press the swab against the rollers, and then rotate them upward with your fingers. Apply a moderate amount of pressure to remove dust or dirt buildup.
Lower the input tray shield.
Allow the rollers to dry completely (approximately 10 minutes).
Reconnect the power cord and turn on your printer.

Reset the printer

Reset the printer to recover from printer errors or failures.

Press the power button to turn off the printer. If the printer does not turn off, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
Unplug the power cord from the power source.
Wait 60 seconds.
Connect the power cord directly to a wall outlet and to the printer.
Turn on the printer to complete the reset.

Learn how to avoid paper jams and feed issues

Follow these tips to help prevent paper jams, misfeeds, and no feeds.

Make sure the paper loaded in the input tray lays flat and the edges are not bent or torn.
When adding paper to the input tray, adjust the paper guide to rest against the edge of the paper stack.
Do not overfill the input tray, but make sure you have at least 5 pages loaded for best results.
Only use paper that is compatible with your printer. Use HP paper for optimal performance.
Whenever you change the paper size or type in the tray, make sure to change the paper settings on the software application you are printing from.
Do not combine different paper types or paper sizes in the input tray. The entire stack must be the same size and type.
Avoid using the printer in dusty or dirty environments.
Wait for the printer to complete a job or to display a Load Paper in Tray message before you load more paper.

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.

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