ip4500 printhead questions

[greenberger]

Hi folks, I'm new here and have searched previous posts but haven't quite found the answer to this seemingly common issue:

my ip4500 is not used that often. last time i used it, it was fine. a few months later, i'm getting the 5 blinking yellow lights issue, telling me my printhead is messed up. scanning the web for advice, i have run my printhead through water and let it dry overnight. i've also cleaned the rubber "docking" pieces where the printhead rests. Basically, if I fiddle with this thing for an hour so, eventually, all of a sudden, the printer recognizes the printhead and I can print... for a short while. the minute i stop, if i come back a few hours later, same deal. things i've noticed in my troubleshooting:

-once the problem returns, the rubber docking bits (for lack of a better term) are always really full of black ink, or seemingly black ink, what seems like a lot for not having had much time pass between cleanings. but my black ink cartridges are not low. on the other hand, my magenta cartridge is definitely leaking, i think, because the ink level has decreased very quickly. i don't know if this is a separate issue from my printhead issues, or if the seemingly leaking magenta cartridge is actually the cause. but i'm not seeing drops or puddles of magenta all over the printer.

i guess i'm wondering if i should give up and get a new printhead, which kills me since it's almost as much as the printer itself! and clearly the thing works if i fiddle with it long enough. AND, if the problem is the cartridges, then a new printhead won't solve the issue. Or could it be the contacts on the printhead?

I am not using canon inks, by the way, but these inks have not given me a problem after years of use. Is there a recommended third-party ink manufacturer?

thanks!

 

[nanosec]

IMHO, unless you can get the printhead ultra cheap it's a gamble that the fault is printhead and not something electrical with the printer itself.
From my own experience and other's experiences, I am loathe to play printhead mix and match. Especially with issues like you are having.
Somebody once mentioned to never put a suspect faulty printhead into another printer, as the problem can jump from printer to printer. I have had this happen to me. (faulty printhead kills other printer)

Myself I wouldn't pay more than $30 on a printhead in the off chance it doesn't solve your problem. If you drop a new printhead in and the problem goes away. If your printer works for a short while or starts doing the 5 blinks, you may just kill the expensive new printhead. In this case I would just try to find a used ip4500/ip4300 to replace it. (I find a fully working canon every few months at the thrift stores and 99% of the time it's just needing ink.)

My 2 cents. Looking at ebay a printhead is $70ish. No damn way would I gamble that it fixes the problem. You can buy a new printer for that much. (albeit it won't be a gem like the 4500 in terms of ink refilling and resetting,capacity etc.)