dinky said:
Finding the path into reservoir with a 2 inch Hobbicolors needle is not easy! There's resistance in the foam so to break out into the reservoir it feels like you're hitting solid plastic. You sometimes are hitting the plastic wall and sometimes just need to wiggle and push to get through. It's a "blind" process because you can't really see the needle and have to sort of try and feel your way through. I imagine with practice it becomes a zen path of some sort to the reservoir and voila you can squirt to your heart's content. Still, quite a pain!
There is a ledge between the sponed side and the spongeless side. It is common to butt up against this ledge with the needle tip. Gentle waggling up and down of the needle combined with a bit of backwards and forwards of the needle will eventually get the tip into the spongeless side. You'll get the hang of it soon.
Two big problems: My canon would not recognize the refilled/reset generic Magenta cart. I tried two of them and it wouldn't print no matter what. The cart would light up and then go dead and the printer wouldn't go no matter how much I pressed the lower "amber" flashing button to override the printer's circuits.
First, compatible chips may not be as rugged to handling or conducive to accepting a reset as OEM Canon cartridge. These and other reasons are why it it best to use OEM cartridges. That said, it could be your techniques with resetting or you could have damaged or altered the position of the chips somehow. Maybe the chips are crappy in the first place and it was nothing you did. It is unusual that two different chips would present as a problem, so it may have nothing to do with your handling. Adding to this theory is that a chip marked as "empty" and not reset should still allow you to override ink level monitoring and continue printing at your own risk. Your printer didn't allow for that. Could be a printer problem. Try a new OEM Canon Magenta or some other Magenta that you know or believe will work to help narrow down the issue.
Bigger problem: Images are printing green! I have no idea why. I am not sure what to do. Calibrate the colors? Nozzle check? Futz with some other maintenance program? Without solving this, I am obviously wasted $60 and many hours of time learning to be an ink warrior! I may have to go back to third party refills and hope that works and prints beautiful images (I worry I have messed up the printer's delicate circuitry somehow and that there is no return to photographic delight?)
If the Magenta was not reset or overridden as you wrote, then how is it you were able to print? A chip marked as "empty" stops the ability to print further until a "new" cartridge with a working chip OR an override of the chip/cartridge in question is performed.
If you were able to continue to print despite an unrecognized and not overridden chip, then possibly the printer is behaving as though no magenta is available (despite a refilled cartridge) and no Magenta is used during printing. This would explain the lack of Magenta in your green prints. A nozzle check an appropriate early step, though the initial issue of the Magenta cartridge not being recognized must be resolved somehow and may be the root of your printer output problem. Printing more than nozzle checks until you resolve the Magenta issue may result in a burned out print head (if not already).
Suggestions:
1) Do a nozzle check and post it here. Do not print anything else. Do not do cleanings or maintenance whatever.
2) Be prepared to purchase at least a new OEM Canon Magenta cartridge. You may wait until your nozzle check has been examined here and you are given further advice on what to do next. That way you may save money or trips to the store if it's found out other issues need correction.
3) Follow The Hat's advice.
