Frequently Asked Questions

Black streaks on MF247dw pages — is the cartridge to blame?

Sometimes, but the pattern tells you more than the streak itself. Streaks that wander — different position, different width from page to page — usually trace back to loose toner or a cartridge that is nearly empty and shedding unevenly. Streaks fixed in exactly the same position on every page are more likely something in the paper path or a mark on a component. First response either way: remove the 137, rock it gently side to side, refit it, and print five or six pages. Cartridge-caused streaking often clears within those pages as fresh toner redistributes; machine-caused marks do not change at all, and that difference is your diagnosis.

What about white lines running down the page?

A white or very light band in a fixed position usually means toner is not being laid down in that strip — commonly because the toner inside the cartridge has settled unevenly, or because something is partially obstructing it. The rock-and-refit routine is the first move: out, gentle side-to-side tilt several times, back in firmly. If the band moves or disappears, it was distribution. If a fresh 137BK prints clean in the same MF247dw, the old cartridge had reached the end of its useful life — its full rating is 2,400 pages, and near-empty cartridges often announce themselves with bands before they fade outright.

The same small mark repeats down every page. What does that mean?

A repeating mark at regular intervals points to a rotating surface somewhere in the print path carrying a spot or a nick, and the cartridge is one of the candidates. The practical test requires no instruments: swap in a known-good cartridge if you have one. Marks gone — the old cartridge was the source. Marks unchanged — the cause lives in the printer, and no cartridge will fix it. This is a good reason to keep one sealed spare: at $27.70, it doubles as the cheapest diagnostic tool you can own for an MF247dw, and at roughly 1.15 cents per page it earns its shelf space quickly once fitted.

Pages come out grey and dirty-looking overall. Where do I start?

Start with settings, not hardware. A density control set too high, or a background/grey-printing option enabled, can put a film of toner across the whole page. Return density to its normal setting and print a clean test page. If the greyness persists, try the cartridge routine — remove, rock, refit — and inspect the cartridge for any obvious toner spill before it goes back in; a leaking cartridge that has been roughly handled can dirty output. If a known-good cartridge also prints grey, the machine needs attention rather than another cartridge.

When is the answer simply "replace it"?

When defects track the cartridge through every test: fading that returns within pages of a shake, bands that follow the cartridge, streaks that vanish with a swap. A cartridge near the end of 2,400 pages of work has earned its replacement. Also replace rather than persist if the cartridge shows physical damage or heavy toner leakage — continuing to run a damaged unit can soil the inside of the MF247dw and turn a small problem into a cleaning job. Replacement is a five-minute, tool-free swap.

If I fit this new cartridge and the defect is still there, what happens?

Talk to us. Every compatible 137 is covered by a one-year warranty and one-year free returns, described on our shipping and returns page, and support is available Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM Central to help work out whether the fault is the cartridge or the machine. Because we ship from warehouses in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia and California, a warranted replacement moves fast.

About This Canon 137 Black Toner Cartridge

When an imageCLASS MF247dw starts streaking, banding or fading, this compatible Canon 137 black toner cartridge (137BK) is both the likely cure and the cheapest test: a 2,400-page rated yield at $27.70, around 1.15 cents per page, fitting in minutes with no tools. If clean, dense pages return, the diagnosis is complete; if they do not, you have ruled out the cartridge with a part you needed anyway. It carries a one-year warranty and one-year free returns, and ships from our IL, PA, GA and CA warehouses. See the rest of the range in our Canon range at Clever Supplies.

It is listed for the ImageClass MF244dw, ImageClass MF247dw, ImageClass D570, ImageClass LBP151dw, ImageClass MF212w, ImageClass MF216n, ImageClass MF217w, ImageClass MF227dw, ImageClass MF229dw, ImageClass MF232w and ImageClass MF236n. Completing the set of options are the Canon 137 black cartridge, the Canon 137 black 2 pack and the Canon 137 black 3 pack.