The printed papers made by my 6-year-old brother printer DCP-1610W has a lot of scattered black irregular dots. Should I change the Drum DR-1000 ?

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The printed papers made by my 6-year-old  brother printer DCP-1610W has a lot of scattered black irregular dots.

Should I change the Drum DR-1000 ?

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Do not buy a new DR-1000 drum just yet. Scattered black irregular dots are usually caused by foreign debris, a dirty corona wire, or a leaking toner cartridge, rather than a permanently dead drum unit. Because the drum is separated from the toner in your Brother DCP-1610W, you can often fix this issue for free by cleaning it. [1, 2, 3]

Follow this troubleshooting checklist to diagnose and fix the problem before spending money on a replacement.

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Step 1: Clean the Corona Wire

The most common cause of irregular black marks or dots is a dusty corona wire inside the drum unit. [1]

Open the printer’s front cover and pull out the drum and toner assembly. [1]
Locate the small green tab on the drum unit. [1]
Gently slide the tab back and forth from left to right 10 to 15 times. [1]
Important: Return the green tab back to its starting position (ensure the two small arrow/triangle symbols align). [1]
Reinsert the unit and test print. [1]

Step 2: Check for Toner Leaks

If the dots are truly scattered and irregular (rather than repeating in a neat, straight vertical line), your toner cartridge might be leaking powder inside the machine. [1]

Take the toner cartridge out of the drum unit. [1]
Inspect the inside of the printer and the plastic frame of the drum for loose black powder. [1]
If you see loose powder, gently wipe it away using a dry, lint-free cloth (do not use water or alcohol inside the printer chassis). [1]
If the toner cartridge itself is cracked or leaking heavily from its rollers, replace the toner cartridge, not the drum. [1]

Step 3: Physically Clean the Drum Roller

If the first two steps fail, toner or glue might be physically baked onto the drum cylinder. [1]

Remove the toner cartridge from the drum unit.
Turn the drum unit over and look at the shiny OPC cylinder inside.
Rotate the cylinder manually by turning the white plastic gear on the side of the unit.
Look for small, hardened black spots or sticky residue on the shiny surface.
If you find a spot, take a cotton swab or microfiber cloth lightly dipped in isopropyl alcohol and gently wipe the spot away. Never touch the shiny roller directly with your bare fingers.
Let it dry completely, put the toner back in, and print a few blank test pages. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

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When Should You Actually Replace the Drum?

You should only buy a new DR-1000 Drum Unit if:

The dot test fails: Take a ruler and measure the vertical distance from the top of one dot to the top of the next identical dot. If the exact same dot repeats every 3.7 inches (94mm) down the page in a straight line, it means the drum cylinder is permanently scratched or pitted.
The cleaning failed: You have thoroughly cleaned the roller with alcohol twice, but the dots remain in the exact same spots. [1, 2, 3]

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