Quick fix Brother

Brother Error Drum Error

What the code means · Diagnosis at a glance

A Brother "Drum Error" is the [Drum !] status on the control panel, and Brother's instruction for it is to clean the corona wire inside the drum unit. Open the front cover, remove the toner cartridge and drum unit assembly, slide the green tab left and right several times, park it at Home, then reinstall. Brother documents this in the Online User's Guide for the HL-L2350DW family and in FAQs for the MFC-L2710DW/L2750DW family, where the same cleaning is also the answer to print quality problems. The one detail that matters after cleaning: the arrow on the green tab must line up with the arrow on the drum unit. If the tab is left out of its Home position, Brother warns that printed pages may show a vertical stripe. This page covers [Drum !]. "Drum End Soon" and "Replace Drum" are different messages with their own page.

Jump to the fix ↓ Brother: Clean the Corona Wire (HL-L2350DW Online User's Guide) ↗
Safe to trySliding the green tab is a user maintenance step from Brother's own user guide and FAQs, and the procedure uses only the green tab.
Disconnect power firstBrother's HL-2240 family FAQ says to open the front cover and leave the machine at least 10 minutes to cool down before taking out the drum and toner assembly.
Do not open internal partsDo not touch the electrodes on the drum unit: static electricity can damage the machine. Avoid inhaling toner and never use sprays, alcohol, ammonia or flammable cleaners.
Model-specificThe procedure here is documented for the HL-L2300 series listed above, the HL-L2395DW and MFC-L2700 series listed above, and the HL-2220/2230/2240/2270DW family. On other Brother models, check your own model's guide.

Affected brands & models

Brother HL-L2325DW, HL-L2350DW, HL-L2370DW, HL-L2370DWXL, HL-L2379DW (Online User's Guide)Brother HL-L2395DW, MFC-L2710DW, MFC-L2713DW, MFC-L2730DW, MFC-L2750DW (Brother FAQ)Brother HL-2220, HL-2230, HL-2240, HL-2240D, HL-2270DW, HL-2275DW (corona wire cleaning FAQ)

Diagnosis at a glance

Likely causes ranked, with severity and the recommended action.

Corona wire inside the drum unit needs cleaning Quick fix Likelihood: Brother's documented action for [Drum !]Action: Slide the green tab left and right several times, then return it to Home
Green tab not returned to its Home position after cleaning Quick fix Likelihood: Shows up as a vertical stripe on printsAction: Line up the arrow on the tab with the arrow on the drum unit
Print quality problems from the same dirty corona wire Quick fix Likelihood: Same fix in Brother's guideAction: Clean the corona wire with the green tab

What the code means

On the Brother mono lasers covered here, the toner cartridge sits in a separate drum unit, and the two come out of the machine together as one assembly. Inside the drum unit is the corona wire, and a green tab runs along it to clean it. Brother's Online User's Guide for the HL-L2325DW, HL-L2350DW, HL-L2370DW, HL-L2370DWXL and HL-L2379DW, and its FAQ for the HL-L2395DW and MFC-L2710DW/L2713DW/L2730DW/L2750DW, give one instruction: if you have print quality problems or the control panel displays [Drum !] status, clean the corona wire.

This message is also searched for as "Drum Error" or "drum error slide green tab". It is a different message from "Drum End Soon" or "Replace Drum". Brother's corona wire pages do not ask you to replace the drum or reset any counter for [Drum !]: the documented step is the cleaning, followed by putting the green tab back where it belongs. Older models such as the HL-2240 have their own Brother FAQ for cleaning the corona wire of the drum unit, with the same green tab and some extra precautions about heat, toner and static.

Most frequent causes

  • The corona wire inside the drum unit needs cleaning; Brother prescribes this whenever the panel shows [Drum !] status.
  • The same dirty corona wire can also show up as print quality problems, which Brother fixes with the same cleaning.
  • After a cleaning, a green tab left away from its Home position can cause a vertical stripe on printed pages.

Quick fix: try this first

  1. Open the front cover.
  2. Remove the toner cartridge and drum unit assembly from the machine.
  3. Gently slide the green tab from left to right and right to left several times.
  4. Return the tab to its Home position, with the arrow on the tab aligned with the arrow on the drum unit.
  5. Put the assembly back and close the front cover.

Step-by-step solution

0 / 5 done

Tick each step as you go. Your progress is kept while you work.

Before you start

  • Have somewhere clean and flat to rest the drum and toner assembly, with a sheet of disposable paper underneath.
  • If the printer has just been printing, leave the front cover open for at least 10 minutes so it can cool, as Brother's HL-2240 family FAQ advises.
  • Find your exact model number: Brother publishes the procedure per model, and the pages above list which models each one covers.

What not to do

  • ×Do not clean the inside or outside of the machine with anything containing ammonia or alcohol, any type of spray, or any flammable substance.
  • ×Do not touch the electrodes on the drum unit; static electricity can damage the machine.
  • ×Do not breathe in toner if any escapes while the assembly is out.
  • ×Do not leave the green tab partway along the drum unit; it must go back to Home or prints may get a vertical stripe.

When to stop & call support

If [Drum !] is still on the panel after you have cleaned the corona wire and checked that the green tab is back at Home, stop there. Brother's FAQ pages point to your model's manuals and to Brother's Contact Us section for further assistance. In the HL-L2350DW family's Online User's Guide, the Routine Maintenance chapter also lists "Clean the Drum Unit Using Drum Dot Print" and "Check the Remaining Part Life", so check those sections in your own model's guide before contacting Brother.

If the error comes back

If [Drum !] comes back later, Brother's instruction is the same: clean the corona wire again with the green tab. If the message clears but your pages now have a vertical stripe, the green tab is not at its Home position; take the assembly out and line up the arrow on the tab with the arrow on the drum unit.

Related parts & consumables

Drum unitHolds the corona wire and the green cleaning tab; comes out together with the toner cartridge
Toner cartridgeRemoved with the drum unit as one assembly for this cleaning

Questions about Brother Drum Error

What does "slide green tab" mean on a Brother drum error?

The green tab sits on the drum unit and runs along the corona wire. With the toner and drum assembly out of the printer, slide the tab gently from left to right and right to left several times to clean the wire, then return it to its Home position.

How do I reset a Brother drum error?

For [Drum !], Brother's corona wire pages do not mention a reset. The documented fix is to clean the corona wire with the green tab and put the assembly back. A drum counter reset belongs to the "Replace Drum" message, which has its own page.

Why does my Brother printer show a vertical stripe after cleaning the corona wire?

The green tab is probably not back at Home. Brother says the arrow on the tab must line up with the arrow on the drum unit; if it does not, printed pages may have a vertical stripe.

Is the Brother drum error the same as "Drum End Soon" or "Replace Drum"?

No. This page covers the [Drum !] status, which Brother answers with a corona wire cleaning. "Drum End Soon" and "Replace Drum" are separate messages and are covered on their own page.

Can I clean the Brother drum unit corona wire with alcohol?

No. Brother's FAQ says not to use cleaning materials that contain ammonia or alcohol, any type of spray, or any flammable substance on the outside or inside of the machine. Brother's procedure uses only the green tab.

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Related error codes

Drum End Soon Drum End Soon / Replace Drum (a separate drum message)

Related problems

Printer not printing
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