How to access PIXMA TS9020 timing/encoder strip for cleaning?

[hbenthow]

My Canon TS9020 has a banding problem, which may be caused by a dirty encoder strip. There are encoder strip cleaning tutorials on this website, but they are all useless for me.

You see, whoever designed the TS9020 decided it would be a good idea to cover the encoding strip with some sort of plastic guard. This makes it impossible for me to access the strip to clean it.

I've included two photos to show this plastic guard. I circled it in red so you can see it easily, and I circled the one tiny bit of the encoder strip that is visible and accessible in yellow.

Is there any way to temporarily remove the plastic guard or otherwise access and clean the encoder strip?

[flj0303]

This is EXACTLY my question on another model TS8220. Did you ever figure out how to get that plastic cover off to clean or replace.??

[stoating]

I am also looking for an answer to this exact question. how do we remove this plastic cover to see the encoder strip?