Faint nozzle check Canon Pro 9500

A faded nozzle check usually is seen on this printer in half of one color.
It is caused by an electrical dysfunction and announces a printhead failure.
If you already cleaned the contacts as advised, it must be feared you have the same at a larger scale.

As consolation I can tell you that the Pro 9500 has a very high ink consumption.
It has very frequent cleaning cycles, so unless you plan(ned) to print every day it will use more ink standing still than printing (even with 3th party ink it is too expensive to run).
(probably Canon was too cautious on it's first A3+ pigment printer for the enthousiast segment)

I started like you with given 9500 and after it failed bought a second-hand 9500 II.
This is a dream of a printer.

I've now cleaned the back of the print head and there are no changes. The service test print looks the same. I guess that's it for this printer or is there anything else I can try?

Along with the printer I received some third party ink (octoinkjet) and the chip resetter. What are my options if I want to continue using them?

Thanks everyone for your help!

@Andraz, I am sorry you couldn’t get the print head back to full working order again.

But all is not lost yet, you can still continue to print if you get a new print head, expensive yes but for the quality of the prints you get from this machine I reckon it would be well worth it..

The Hat said:

@Andraz, I am sorry you couldn’t get the print head back to full working order again.

But all is not lost yet, you can still continue to print if you get a new print head, expensive yes but for the quality of the prints you get from this machine I reckon it would be well worth it..

Click to expand...

The Hat, how certain it is that only the print head needs replacing?

Looking at second-hand printers for sale where I live (slovenia), I don't have many options for the money I am prepared to spend currently (200-300 Euro). I can get an Epson 1400, Epson R2880 or a Canon Pro-100. I could get a new print head on Ebay for around 140 Euro but I wouldn't want to be left in a situation where I order a new print head and and find that the printer is still not working. Are there any other parts that could be responsible? I know it's probably difficult to say without physically inspecting the printer but nevertheless...

The pattern from the service test print is typical of a print head that has failed electronically.

When a Canon print head fails electronically there is a risk that it damages the logic board. A logic board that has been damaged in this way can damage a new print head. So replacing a print head in a Canon printer is a gamble and sadly I cannot tell the odds for success.

In service manuals for newer printers it is stated that in case of a failed print head both print head and logic board should be replaced.

PeterBJ said:

The pattern from the service test print is typical of a print head that has failed electronically.

When a Canon print head fails electronically there is a risk that it damages the logic board. A logic board that has been damaged in this way can damage a new print head. So replacing a print head in a Canon printer is a gamble and sadly I cannot tell the odds for success.

In service manuals for newer printers it is stated that in case of a failed print head both print head and logic board should be replaced.

Click to expand...

Ok, I guess that's it then for this printer. The price of both the print head the the logic board is too high and I am not even sure the logic board can still be purchased. At least I can't find it on ebay. Is there a way to test if the logic board is still ok?

Given the regularity of the missing ink in the lower blocks, it appears to be an electronic issue, perhaps a bad ribbon cable connection with a connector to the head.

turbguy said:

Given the regularity of the missing ink in the lower blocks, it appears to be an electronic issue, perhaps a bad ribbon cable connection with a connector to the head.

Click to expand...

Thanks turbhuy. I've tried pushing the cable in the print head but no luck. Is there a way to test this?

Do you think if I took the to a service center they could tell me what needs replacing?

Andraz said:

Thanks turbhuy. I've tried pushing the cable in the print head but no luck. Is there a way to test this?

Do you think if I took the to a service center they could tell me what needs replacing?

Click to expand...

You have to check the both ends of the ribbon cables.

As to a Canon service center, honestly, no....

I have never encountered any problems swapping out different or damaged print heads between any of my printers, not one logic board has failed on me in all this time, BUT that’s not to say it can’t happen.

I have offered a print head to Andraz for the purposes of test his printer so I can’t do any more that that, it just seems a terrible pity that he’s reluctant to take a chance to save a beautiful printer..