9000 II maintenance

[Emulator]

I decided to do some necessary maintenance to the 9000 II after the blocked needle issue, which implied a potential problem might occur in the print head.

After cleaning the input filters and passages to the head itself, by means of six inch lengths of plastic tube fitted over the input filters and filled with W5 window cleaner, allowing a gentle flow through the head, there was quite a bit of W5 window cleaner about. I wiped most away with paper towel, but then I noticed more dripping from the small slots at the back of the cartridge carriage.


Does that matter? Yes it does, immediately the other side of the holes is the driver chip, easily forgotten about.

I cleaned the head parking pads, now much cleaner.


I decided to replace the doubtful magenta cartridges with two new OEM carts. It was interesting to see that the OEM cart sponges were almost completely filled to the top. So much for the discussions about the top sponge not supposed to be filled with ink!


Now to put it back together and find it doesn't work

 

[The Hat]

I got a question: was it really that necessary to give the head such an extensive clean, when all that was wrong was the cartridge, leave well enough alone I say.

Just make sure that there’s no moisture lingering behind the electrical contacts before installing the head..

 

[Smile]

I can sugest to coat the chip with clear epoxy to make sure that in the future no harm by moisture can be done

 

[Emulator]

I got a question: was it really that necessary to give the head such an extensive clean, when all that was wrong was the cartridge, leave well enough alone I say.

Just make sure that there’s no moisture lingering behind the electrical contacts before installing the head..

The Magenta ink from the replacement bottle had already been in the cartridge and the print head for some weeks, I was about to refill for the second time, when I found the blocked needle.

You cannot see if there is cleaning liquid on the chip (which is behind the electrical contacts on the other side of the board) without taking the head apart, not a good thing to do unnecessarily. That image came from the previous print head which had a magenta and red failure. Perhaps a bit of maintenance would have helped that head.

It carries risk and everyone has to make up their own mind whether it is necessary.

One other hazard which I have not seen mentioned on this site, is static electricity. You will have noted how Canon tells you to fit the head in a certain way and leave it alone. Any chip is potentially at risk from static. Shuffling around on carpet etc. can build up thousands of volts on your body and this will easily destroy a chip if you don't discharge the static before handling. In fact, it is safer to wear a proper discharge wrist strap. How many print heads or logic boards have been destroyed that way?

 

[Emulator]

A technique for gently flushing a print head was suggested by someone else in the past (afraid I can't remember who), using 8 pieces of about 150mm (6 inches) of 4.5mm bore plastic tube. If you remove the rubber sealing washers around the input filters, you can push the tube onto each stub. Depending upon the actual tube diameter you may have to wrap PVC electricians tape around the base of the tube to tighten the grip of the seal and ensure it is leak free.

Fill each tube with window cleaner liquid and you can soon see which channels are flowing freely and which are not. Some of the dyes seem to have components which rise to the top.

The pressure is not more than 1/4 psi. If you use significantly higher pressures from a syringe for example, you may displace the (silicone? rubber) seals, between the base of the tube labyrinth and the top of the ceramic? print head plate, leading to cross colour contamination between channels. If this happens the only solution is to take the head apart and reposition the gasket.

As can be seen the PM channel, 3rd from left, is now flowing freely as it had three column flushes before the others.

 

[The Hat]

@Emulator that sure is a very nice way to gently unblock each individual nozzle channel and hopefully it should ensure that you can get it back working perfectly again, nice clear Pic too.

Did you ever thing of moving up to one of the Canon Pro pigment printers, because there are far less troublesome then their dye ink cousins are, no clogs..

 

[Emulator]

The printer is now working normally after the clean up, with the OEM magentas. For some reason the PM in the cart, had also changed, prior to the second top up (when I found the blocked needle), to a darker magenta and affected many of the patches on a profiling chart adding a greyish tone to many of the patches, very strange. When I get round to it I'll scan copies of the charts and display them here.

Your second question - no, that costs money and space!

 

[The Hat]

For some reason the PM in the cart, had also changed, prior to the second top up to a darker magenta and affected many of the patches

You wouldn’t have filled the PM cart with the normal magenta would you, that’s an easy mistake.

Your second question - no, that costs money and space!

I taught that one time too but with two extensions to my print den and not going for nights out for months, I soon had enough saved to jump into the pigment world, the inks are dearer but well worth it I reckon.
Just think of the lovely time you’ll have profiling for the new inks !

 

[Emulator]

You wouldn’t have filled the PM cart with the normal magenta would you, that’s an easy mistake.

No the Magenta bottle wasn't and still isn't opened.

I am still not tempted, I would have to become familiar with gloss optimiser and how do you profile that?

 

[The Hat]

I would have to become familiar with gloss optimiser and how do you profile that?

O’ didn’t you know that’s one of life’s great mysteries ?