Lexmark / MX431 / MS431 office laser family

Paper jam in the duplex unit - Paper is jammed in the duplex path.

Paper is jammed in the duplex path.

This guide is scoped to the MX431 / MS431 office laser family family. Exact menu wording, cartridge naming, and service behavior can still vary by model variant and firmware.

Severity

Medium

Most likely cause

Paper stalled in the duplex path during two-sided printing.

Can you keep using it?

Maybe after the first checks

Consumables involved

Paper, Duplex unit

Can you keep using it?

Can you keep using it?

Contact customer support if any of these apply

  • !The duplex jam returns on clean paper after a full path clear.
  • !The duplex latch or guide no longer seats correctly.
If the printer still starts normally: Finish the first checks once, then stop if the same message repeats or the printer still cannot return to ready.

What to check first

Step-by-step checks

  1. 1

    Consumable check

    Open the front door, remove the imaging unit if required, and clear visible paper.

    Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.

  2. 2

    Safe first step

    Open the duplex unit and remove any jammed sheets or scraps.

  3. 3

    Consumable check

    Retry with flatter paper or one-sided printing if duplex jobs keep failing.

Background

What this message usually means

Lexmark's MX431 office guide treats duplex-unit jams as a separate rear-path problem that needs the imaging unit area and duplex unit checked together. It usually means the sheet failed during two-sided handling and did not reverse cleanly through the duplex route.

Diagnosis

Likely causes

Most common

Paper stalled in the duplex path during two-sided printing.

Common

A torn scrap remains in the duplex route.

Possible

Curled or unsuitable media failed during duplex reversal.

Service

When service or replacement is more likely

  • -If only duplex jobs fail, the main print engine may still be fine and the reverse path is the likely problem.

See also

Related codes in this family

Explore more

More Lexmark printer families

Source notes

Lexmark's official duplex-unit jam guide for the MX431 family walks through opening the front door, removing the imaging unit, and clearing the duplex path.

Built around official Lexmark user-guide and service-manual material for the MX431 and closely related mono office models. Exact code behavior can vary a little by print-only versus MFP model and installed options, but the main paper-jam and supply messages stay close across the family.

Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.

Known family variants: MX431adn, MX431adw, MS431dn, MS431dw, XM1342

Last reviewed: 2026-04-12

Reference: Open reference

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