Canon PIXMA MX870 printer producing slanted/wavy text

[joseph1949]

I have a problem with my Canon PIXMA MX870. I am now on my second MX870. The first one produced slanted/wavy text. Called Canon and they told me to run some tests (print head alignment, nozzle check, print head cleaning, print head deep cleaning). All the tests came out O.K. The text still was slanted/wavy. Canon told me they would send me another MX870. They sent me another MX870 and I sent the bad one back to Canon.

Well, the second one is now producing slanted/wavy text. I sent an email to Canon asking for help. They sent me an email telling me to perform the same tests as I performed on the first printer. All tests came out O.K. The text still came out slanted/wavy.

Here are some facts:

1. Using third party ink carts Caboodle Cartridge.

2. Using a 10 foot USB cable.

3. High print quality does not produce the slanted/wavy text. Fast and Standard print quality produced the slanted/wavy text, but not the same lines and words.

4. I have just bought InkTec refill kits for the MX870. I have not used them as yet. I would like to fix the slanted/wavy text first before using the InkTec refill kits.

5. If I cannot fix the problem, I will return the printer to COSTCO.

6. My HP DeskJet 882C and Canon iP620D did not produce the slanted/wavy text.

7. Have sent Canon an email reply stating that the tests were O.K. and text is still slanted/wavy. I await their reply.

8. The first printer started producing slanted/wavy text after 2.5 months. The second printer also printed out slanted/wavy text after 2.5 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. Using Windows 7 for operating system.

Can someone help me with this problem?

Thank you.

 

[Grandad35]

Can you post a scan of the problem? Use the "Upload" feature at the top to save your scan.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Usually this problem is caused by a dirty timing strip. This is a delicate, thin, plastic, almost transparent strip that goes across the inside of the printer and passes through the print head carriage. It controls when the ink is deposited so if any kind of debris gets deposited on it, it can cause timing problems which can result in your problem. You need to open the print head cover and when the print head stops in the middle of the printer, pull the plug. This will allow you to freely move the print head back and forth. Then take a soft cloth with some Windex or other window cleaner or just plain water on it and clean both sides of the timing strip. Be very careful.

If this solves the problem, you might want to try to figure out why your timing strip is getting dirty so fast.

 

[joseph1949]

To: Grandad35

Thank you for your reply.

Please see my reply to ghwellsjr for my complete reply.

I will be sending you a scan if cleaning the timing strip does not work.

Again, thank you.


To: ghwellsjr

Thank you for your reply.

I have not sent a reply until now because I wanted to contact Canon phone support and get their recommendation and I wanted to wait for the re-reply from Canon email support. I have contacted Canon phone support and they said for me to clean the timing strip. I will do this tomorrow. I need to purchase q-tips to clean the timing strip. I already have some 99% Isopropyl alcohol. Question--are q-tips and Isopropyl alcohol O.K. for cleaning the timing strip? If not, what should I use? I was told to turn off the printer and move the print head with carts. to the right and then clean the strip. After cleaning the timing strip move the print head to the left and clean the remaining timing strip. Is this acceptable practice? Do I need to clean the back side of the timing strip? The front is not hard to get to, but the back side could be a problem.

Here is the re-reply from Canon email support:

For testing purposes, please try performing a copy on standard quality directly from the unit itself. If the printouts still continue to come out wavy, please scan a copy of the nozzle check and one of your documents. Then email the images to the following email address: techsupport@cits.canon.com Place 'Attn: Mike' in the subject line. Then reply to this email and let us know that the images have been sent. Once we have these images we will be able to assist you further. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your PIXMA MX870. Thank you for choosing Canon. Sincerely, Michael Technical Support Representative Special Note: Certain issues are very difficult to resolve via email. If you would prefer to speak to a technician for additional assistance*,you may call our special toll-free number for email customers with unresolved issues by dialing 1-866-261-9362, Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. ET (excluding holidays). If you prefer to continue to communicate via email, reply to this message and we will respond as quickly as possible.
END OF REPLY

As you can see nothing was said about cleaning the timing strip. After cleaning the strip I will do what Canon email support wants me to do.

Your thoughts, please.

Thank you.

 

[ghwellsjr]

The advice you got from Canon is essentially the same as what I gave you. You do need to clean both sides so whether you use a small piece of lint-free soft cloth or a Q-tip is up to you. If Canon told you to use alcohol, then it must be safe. Usually what is deposited on the timing strip is ink spray which should come off with any liquid. I just like to use Windex because it is a very weak but effective cleaner.

 

[joseph1949]

To: Grandad35 and ghwellsjr

I cleaned the timing strip with the Q-tips and alcohol. I still have the slanted/wavy text.

What now? Do I clean the timing strip again with the Q-tips and alcohol? Do you have any suggestions?

Question: Could the carts. from Carboodle Cartridge be causing the problem?

The carts. came from Canon and the carts. are filled with ink from Carboodle. I am thinking that Canon may have an internal sensor that reads that I am using third party ink. When the Canon sensor reads that I am using third party ink it decides to spit out the slanted/wavy text. Now, understand, when I started to use the second printer with the Carboodle carts. the text looked fine, but after 2.5 months I started seeing the slanted/wavy text. With the first printer I used the included Canon ink and switched to the Carboodle carts. After 2.5 months I started seeing the slanted/wavy text.

Question: What are the odds that two printers would experience the same problem in the same time period?

I am thinking that either the printer has a third party ink sensor or there is a chronic problem with the MX870 that has nothing to do with third party ink.

Back story:

I used Windows XP for my operating system and Outlook Express for my emails in my old PC. I now have a new PC that uses Windows 7 and Hotmail. I have very little experience using Hotmail. I also have Outlook on my new PC. You cannot get Outlook Express on a Windows 7 PC.

End of backstory.

Yesterday I called Canon phone support to see if they could help me with the slanted/wavy lines (s/w lines). I told Canon phone support about the email message from Canon email support. The phone support person worked with me to create some PDF files to send the email people. We scanned the documents requested by the email people and made PDF files out of them so we could send the scanned documents back to the email people via email. Got all that? Anyway, I decided to send the PDF files using Hotmail. Everything was going O.K. until I wanted to open the files to see how they looked before hitting the send button. We were unable to open the files. I could not understand this. In the past using Outlook Express I could open a file (attachment)--no sweat. The Canon phone support help person was no help so I called my ISP and they were no help!!! My ISP sent me to Microsoft. The Microsoft person was no help!!!! The Microsoft person sent me to a person that was an expert in Outlook and Hotmail. The expert said that in Hotmail you cannot open an attachment (file) until you send it (cc to yourself). I have not tried this. The expert said that in Outlook (remember Outlook Express) you can open an attachment before you hit the send button. I have tried this and you can open an attachment before you send it!!!

All of the above took over six hours. It is hard to get good help nowadays.

By the way, the phone help person decided that it would be better for me to send the printer to a repair center (25 miles away) or Canon could send me a refurbished unit (like the second printer). I told the phone help person that I would get back to her. In the mean time I will send the attachments to the Canon email people and see what they say. I am thinking that the Canon email people will tell me to send the unit to a repair center or get a refurbished printer. Yahoo!!!!

Canon will not refund my money. I will be going to Costco where I bought the printer to see if I can get a refund. If I cannot get a refund I will request a refurbished unit. If the third unit goes bad I will go with Plan B. I cannot tell you what Plan B is except for the fact that I am retired and my United States Postal Service office will see a lot of me.

Grandad35, I will send you the scans as soon as I can. I would like to send the scans to Canon first. You should be getting the scans sometime today or tomorrow.

Thank you.

 

[joseph1949]

To: Grandad35

I have placed two images in My Uploads.

Can you see them there or do I need to post them in a reply? If so, how do I do this?

Thank you

 

[Grandad35]

I have placed two images in My Uploads.

Can you see them there or do I need to post them in a reply? If so, how do I do this?

When you uploaded the images, the code to display the images was given on the upload page. For example, entering the code:
[#img]http://www.****/****.jpg[/#img]
(without the "#" characters preceding the "img") will display your image at the specified url.

 

[joseph1949]

To: Grandad35

I hope this works.

If so, will be sending another image.

Thank you.

 

[joseph1949]

To: Grandad35

Well, that worked, I guess!!

Another image.

Is the image viewable?

Thank you.