Canon CL41/CL51 cartridges dying unexpectedly (error code 5 in MP160)

[technik]

I've been refilling the Canon CL-40/41/50/51 series cartridges for at least two years now, and have had problems with them lately. When they first came around, they were by far the best inkjet cartridges with integrated print heads, at least what it comes to refilling. Not being able to reset the ink level counter was the only annoyance. But now when I refill the same cartridges for the same printer series, it seems that one out of three refills fail due to an electrical problem in the color cartridge (it's never the black one, for some reason) and I end up with error code 5 (cartridge not compatible or not installed properly). The refill might work like a charm for some time, and then stop working with no apparent reason like removing and reinstalling the cartridge or otherwise causing mechanical wear to it.

I'm sure that the problem is not in my handling of the cartridges, and also sure the same cartridge series used to work way better than this. Anyone else been having the same problem? If so, do you think it's just weird luck, a quality problem with the cartridges, or maybe some kind of self destruct mechanism by Canon to keep people from refilling?

 

[Smile]

I think it is "or maybe some kind of self destruct mechanism by Canon to keep people from refilling?"

because I've been refilling these for a year now without any problems. It's hard to believe you can get a few refills only.

 

[technik]

So far I had one theory. What if air inside the cartridge makes the print head fail, and cause the error. I thought that if a nozzle fires dry, it could, in theory, fry the resistor and make the cartridge "look different" to the printer, electrically. So I resorted to violence. I took a CL-41, removed all three sponges, sucked out all ink from the pre-firing chambers and proceeded to printing a full color page. The cartridge didn't fail, it tried to print half a page and halted, due to error code 28, which disappeared after rebooting the printer.

So... I seriously doubt my theory. Firing with an empty nozzle won't fry the cartridge into a condition mentioned in my first post.

 

[tigerwan]

Were the refilled cartridges re-installed back into the exact same printer they were removed from? Or....were they installed into a printer of the same series, but not the exact same one they came out of?

 

[technik]

Were the refilled cartridges re-installed back into the exact same printer they were removed from? Or....were they installed into a printer of the same series, but not the exact same one they came out of?

I've had this happen under both circumstances.

 

[tigerwan]

Yes, there seems to be something up with these cartridges which seems to have started this year, as you said before these were easily refilled many times without any problems when they fist came out, and ink was available to refill them. I myself have done quite a few, but so far haven't had any complaints about failures. All my clients have the original printers that housed these cartridges when first released, maybe that is the difference? The recent problems could stem from the newer printer being bought this year, with these cartridges. Other forums are reporting the same problems, all starting this year. Also, it mostly seems to be with the colour cartridges. So we are inclined to believe that Canon has indeed done something with the newer printers to disable these cartridges after refilling.

 

[Smile]

I have 4 CLI-41 that give code 5 error, and the original one mentioned by me in this post from 2008 still WORKING.

So are there any ways to make then work?

 

[mikling]

A sign of things to come. A matched revision of firmware on newer printers to coincide with newer cartridges with revised coding can produce this easily. They have to design the firmware so it is backwards compatible with old carts but when it sees the newer carts with their IDs, it starts with the new procedures and triggers a new mode.

Print volumes are down and the Printer Manufacturers are feeling it and have to plug the leaks to the revenue stream.

 

[pharmacist]

I would rather pay twice to three times the purchasing price and use cheap ink afterwards. Epson is supposedly thinking this way too by introducing the L800 in Europe.

 

[Łukasz]

Or something cheaper than L800, let me say L100.
L100 was priced ~600 zł ($180), but last month saw it for 299 zł (~$90).

According to error, try to check resistance with multimeter:

Range - 2 MOhms or more, 20 Celsius.

• red to red probe of multimeter
  
• green to black probe of multimeter

PG cart: ~1,3 MOhms
CL cart: ~1,2 MOhms

Higher values (2 MOhms or more) means broken circuit resulting in error reported above.
Unfortunately, there are other possibilities

Ł.