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How to Reset the Drum Light on a Brother HL-140 Printer

· 2 min read

If you are trying to print with your Brother HL-140 and the Drum light is on, it means the internal drum page counter has reached its threshold. This does not necessarily mean the drum is worn out — it is a reminder to check and potentially replace the drum unit.

After installing a new drum unit, you need to reset the counter to clear the warning light.

How to reset the drum counter​

  1. Press the cover release button and open the front cover of the printer.
  2. Press and hold the Go button until all 4 LEDs are lit. Once all 4 LEDs are on, release the Go button.
  3. Close the front cover.
  4. Verify that the Drum LED is now off.

Caution: Only reset the drum counter when you have replaced the drum unit with a new one. Resetting the counter without replacing the drum may lead to degraded print quality, as the drum surface wears over time.

When to actually replace the drum​

The Brother HL-140 drum unit is rated for approximately 12,000 pages under standard usage conditions. Signs that the drum genuinely needs replacing include:

  • Faded or light prints even with a new toner cartridge installed.
  • Black spots, lines, or streaks appearing on printed pages.
  • Ghosting where faint copies of previous prints appear on the page.

If you experience any of these issues after resetting the counter, replacing the drum unit is the recommended next step.