OKI MB472, MB492 and MB562: Vertical Line on Scans and Copies — Cleaning the ADF Glass

Last Updated on 16.08.2026 by DriverNew

If a straight line appears across the entire page on scans or copies from an OKI MB472, MB492 or MB562, do not start by replacing the toner, image drum, or reinstalling the driver. First determine whether the defect occurs only when the original is fed through the ADF, also appears when copying from the platen glass, or is already present on the MFP’s internal configuration page.

ADF stands for Automatic Document Feeder. A separate narrow strip of glass next to the main platen glass is used to scan documents fed through the ADF.

Models covered by this guide

This checking and cleaning procedure applies to the following monochrome MFPs:

• OKI MB472dn and MB472dnw;
• OKI MB492dn;
• OKI MB562dnw;
• OKI ES4172LP MFP and ES4192 MFP;
• OKI ES5162 MFP and ES5162LP MFP.

The glass surfaces on these models serve the same purposes, although the shape of the cover and control panel may differ. The MB472 uses a button-based control panel, while the MB492 and MB562 use a touch panel. The procedures for the different control panels are therefore listed separately in this article.

Why a tiny spot turns into a long line

When scanning from the platen glass, the original remains stationary while the scanner unit moves underneath it. A speck of dust on the platen glass usually appears as a dot, spot, or short mark.

The ADF works differently. The scanner unit remains beneath the narrow stationary glass while the document moves over it. If there is a spot of dried ink, correction fluid, adhesive, toner, or paper dust on the narrow glass, that spot is captured in every line of the image. As a result, a straight line appears across the entire finished scan or copy.

The line may be black, gray, white, or have a colored tint. For troubleshooting, its color is less important than where it appears: only with the ADF, with both scanning methods, or on every printed page.

Step 1. Print the configuration page without a computer

Where the actions are performed: on the MFP control panel. Windows, the driver, and the scanning program are not used for this check.

The internal configuration page is generated by the device itself. If the line is present on this page, it is being produced by the printing mechanism rather than the scanner glass.

OKI MB472 with a button-based control panel

1. Load several new, dry sheets of plain paper into the main tray.
2. Wait until the machine is ready.
3. Press the physical SETTING button.
4. Use the arrow buttons to select Reports and press OK.
5. Select Configuration and press OK.
6. If prompted, select Yes and confirm printing by pressing OK.

OKI MB492 and MB562 with a touch panel

1. Load plain paper and wait until the machine is ready.
2. On the touch panel, press Device Settings.
3. Press Reports.
4. Select Configuration.
5. Confirm printing when prompted on the screen.

The menu path is Device Settings → Reports → Configuration.

How to evaluate the configuration page

• The page is clean. The printing mechanism can produce an image without this line. Continue by comparing the platen glass and ADF.
• The same line appears on the configuration page. Look for the cause in the printing system: the LED head, toner, image drum, or another image-forming component. Cleaning the scanner glass will not remove this line.
• The line appears only on documents printed from the computer. Check the source file, application, and print driver. In this case, the scanner has not yet been confirmed as the cause.

Step 2. Make a copy from the platen glass

Where the actions are performed: on the platen glass and the MFP control panel.

1. Take a flat, clean sheet with clearly visible text.
2. Remove all documents from the ADF input and output trays.
3. Lift the scanner cover together with the document feeder unit.
4. Place the test sheet text-side down on the large rectangular platen glass.
5. Align the sheet with the size mark and close the cover completely.
6. On the control panel, select Copy or press the COPY button.
7. For the first test, leave simplex mode and the normal image density setting selected.
8. Press START.
9. Mark the resulting page with the word “Glass”.

If the line appears on the copy made from the platen glass, carefully inspect the platen glass and the white document holding surface. If the configuration page is clean, the defect is related to scanning rather than printing.

Step 3. Make a copy of the same document through the ADF

Where the actions are performed: at the ADF input tray and on the MFP control panel.

1. Remove the test sheet from the platen glass and close the cover.
2. Place the same sheet in the ADF with the text side facing up.
3. Move the side guides so that they fit exactly against the edges of the sheet without bending it.
4. Select Copy on the control panel.
5. Leave simplex copying selected. Do not use duplex mode for the first test so that the comparison remains simple.
6. Press START.
7. Mark the resulting page “ADF”.
8. Place the configuration page and both copies next to each other.

Identify the faulty component from the test results

Result	Likely cause	What to do
The line appears only on the copy made through the ADF	The narrow ADF scanning glass or the white surface opposite it is dirty or scratched	Clean the narrow glass and the document holding surface
The line appears on both copies, but the configuration page is clean	The platen glass is dirty or the scanner unit is faulty	Clean all accessible glass surfaces and check a saved scan file
The same line appears on the configuration page and both copies	The defect is produced by the printing mechanism	Check the LED head, toner, and image drum
The saved scan is clean, but the printed copy has a line	The scanner creates a clean file, but the line appears during printing	Diagnose the printing system
The line appears only in one program	Image-processing settings or the application’s profile	Compare scanning in another program

Step 4. Locate the narrow ADF scanning glass

Where the actions are performed: under the raised scanner cover. You do not need to open the upper cover of the printing mechanism.

Users often clean only the platen glass and overlook the separate narrow strip of glass. Three surfaces are important for this check:

• platen glass — the stationary original is placed on it face down;
• ADF scanning glass — the long, narrow strip next to the platen glass over which the document passes;
• ADF document holding pad — the white surface on the inside of the raised cover, positioned opposite the narrow glass.

1. Finish all copying and scanning jobs.
2. Remove all documents from the ADF.
3. Lift the entire ADF unit as you would the cover of a flatbed scanner.
4. Locate the large rectangular platen glass.
5. Next to it, locate the long, narrow strip of glass.
6. Identify the white surface on the cover that sits directly above this strip when the cover is closed.
7. Inspect the narrow glass along its entire length. A spot smaller than one millimeter can cause the line.

Do not confuse the ADF scanning glass with the transparent plastic guide inside the document feed path. You do not need to disassemble the scanner body or remove the glass to eliminate the line from the image.

Step 5. Safely clean the ADF glass

Where the actions are performed: on the accessible glass and white surfaces under the raised scanner cover.

What you will need

• two soft, clean, lint-free cloths;
• a small amount of clean water;
• a flashlight or another directional light source;
• a new white sheet for a test scan.

Cleaning procedure

1. Finish all jobs and turn off the MFP normally.
2. Remove all documents from the ADF input and output trays.
3. Lift the scanner cover together with the ADF unit.
4. Lightly dampen a soft, lint-free cloth with clean water and wring it out thoroughly. No liquid should drip from it.
5. Wipe the platen glass with straight strokes from one edge to the other.
6. Using a clean part of the cloth, wipe the narrow ADF scanning glass several times along its entire length.
7. Pay particular attention to the area corresponding to the position of the line in the scan.
8. Wipe the white document holding pad opposite the narrow glass.
9. Use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove moisture and streaks from all surfaces.
10. Shine a flashlight along the glass at a slight angle.
11. Make sure there are no remaining spots, traces of correction fluid, adhesive, fingerprints, cloth fibers, or dried water streaks.
12. Wait until everything is completely dry before closing the cover and turning on the MFP.

If the contamination does not come off immediately, hold a slightly damp part of the cloth against it for a few seconds and then gently wipe it again. For heavy contamination, you may use a soft cloth lightly moistened with a weak solution of neutral detergent. Afterward, wipe the surface again with a cloth slightly dampened only with water, then dry it thoroughly.

Step 6. Check the result with a clean white sheet

Where the actions are performed: in the ADF and on the MFP control panel.

1. Take a new, clean white sheet with no text, folds, or dirt.
2. Place it in the ADF.
3. Make a normal single-sided copy.
4. Inspect the page under good lighting.
5. If the line has disappeared, repeat the test with a normal document.
6. If the line has become thinner or lighter, clean the entire length of the narrow glass and the white surface again.
7. If the line remains completely unchanged, make a copy of the same white sheet from the platen glass.

Traces of correction fluid, adhesive, and transparent contamination can sometimes be almost invisible under normal lighting. Inspect the narrow glass from different angles and do not touch the cleaned surface with your fingers.

How to locate the contaminated area

Measure the distance from the line to the nearest edge of the scan or copy. Then inspect the corresponding area of the narrow glass. Because the image orientation may change, it is safer to clean the entire glass strip from one edge to the other rather than only the suspected spot.

Step 7. Check a saved scan if the result is unclear

Where the actions are performed: in an already configured scanning program on the computer or using a previously configured file-saving method.

This test is needed only when the source of the line cannot be determined confidently from the printed copies. Do not change network settings, email addresses, or shared-folder settings just for this test.

1. Use the scanning method that already works: ActKey, a TWAIN program, a network folder, email, or a USB drive.
2. First save the same test document from the platen glass, then through the ADF.
3. Open both files on the computer screen at the same zoom level.
4. If the line appears only in the file scanned through the ADF, inspect the narrow glass again.
5. If both files are clean but the line appears only on the paper copy, the cause is in the printing mechanism.

In ActKey, the document source may be called Scan Method, with Flatbed for the platen glass and ADF for the automatic document feeder.

Step 8. Clean the rollers and guides if there are smeared marks

Where the actions are performed: under the upper user-accessible ADF cover.

A perfectly straight line in the same position is more often associated with the narrow glass. Dirty rollers and guides usually cause other symptoms: smeared or repeating marks, contamination of the original itself, skewing, and feeding problems.

1. Turn off the MFP and remove all documents.
2. Open the upper ADF cover.
3. Use a slightly damp, well-wrung soft cloth to wipe the feed roller, guide surfaces, rubber pad, and rubber plate.
4. Rotate the roller by hand and clean it on all sides.
5. Do not stretch or remove the rubber parts.
6. Wait until everything is completely dry and close the cover.
7. First test one new sheet, then a small stack.

Cleaning the rollers does not replace cleaning the glass. If the line remains perfectly straight and runs across the entire page in the same position, inspect the ADF scanning glass again using light from the side.

Step 9. If the line appears only in one program

Where the actions are performed: in the scanning program settings on the computer.

Check the software only when copies made from the control panel are clean and scanning the same way in another program does not create the line.

1. Scan one document from one source in the program you normally use.
2. Repeat the scan in another available program or save the file directly from the MFP control panel.
3. For testing, temporarily disable automatic background removal, sharpening, descreening, and other filters.
4. Select a standard grayscale mode and save the file without text recognition.
5. Compare the original files at the same zoom level.
6. If the defect appears only in one program, create a new scanning profile in that program or restore its default settings.

Do not reinstall the driver because of a line that is visible on a copy made directly from the MFP control panel. Windows and the scanning program are not involved in such copying.

If the line appears when scanning from the platen glass

Where the actions are performed: on the platen glass and in the program used to view the saved file.

If the configuration page is clean but the line appears in scans both from the platen glass and through the ADF, perform an additional check:

1. Clean the entire platen glass and the white document holding surface, then wipe them dry.
2. Place a clean white sheet on the platen glass.
3. Save the scan to a file.
4. Rotate the original sheet by 180 degrees and scan it again.
5. Compare the position of the line in the two files.

• The line remains at the same image coordinate. A fault in the scanner unit, optics, or their connection is likely.
• The mark rotates together with the original. Check the sheet itself: the line may be on the document.
• Condensation is visible under the glass. Turn off the MFP and wait until the moisture has completely disappeared. Do not remove the glass to wipe it from the inside.

When scanner repair is required

Stop cleaning the device yourself and contact a service center if at least one of the following signs is present:

• a scratch, crack, or chip is visible on the narrow or platen glass at the location where the line appears;
• after several careful cleanings, the line remains completely unchanged only on scans made through the ADF;
• the line is present in saved files both through the ADF and from the platen glass;
• a wide black area appears, part of the image is missing, or the line changes width;
• the scanner unit moves in jerks, stops, or makes unusual noise;
• the MFP displays a scanner unit error;
• contamination or condensation is located on the inside of the glass;
• damage to the ribbon cable, hinges, or scanner housing is visible.

Do not remove the glass or clean the internal mirrors or scanner unit yourself. Even a small shift in the optics can affect the geometry and quality of the entire image.