Canon Pixma Ip5000 - Printhead Died?

[MP640]

Today, I picked up an IP5000 really cheap, because only the pigmented black worked. Hoping for a clogged printhead I thoroughly cleaned the head with windex and lukewarm water. Unfortunaltely, no good result. Did a cleaning and a deap cleaning cycle. No result. The pigmented black nozzle check is 100% perfect, the colors and photo black are nonexistent in the nozzle check (not even some strikes).

Would it be a safe assumption that this printhead has passed away?

 

[The Hat]

It seems you have tried everything possible to revive the print head and your assumption maybe correct but as you have nothing to lose, try soaking it in warm water and a little washing up liquid for at least 24 hours then dry it thoroughly and try it again.
Fingers crossed..

 

[MP640]

Thanks for the reply, Head. I'm pretty sure by now the YMCpB have free inkflow, as I was able to inject water thru the inlet hole and it came out on the other side (same as I unclogged my Pro9000: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48948862@N07/11034516526/).

Would it still be worthwile to soak it for 24 hours? I really like this IP5000...

 

[The Hat]

What have you got to lose, only time..

 

[pearlhouse]

When you first started the flush did you get some ink out of the head first before it turned to clear water.??

 

[MP640]

Yes, I saw magenta and cyan colored water when I started flushing the head. Yellow I'm not sure of, but that's a bit harder to see than the other two colors.

What puzzles me is that after the flush, two cleaning cycles and one deep cleaning cycle there's no trace of color whatsoever in the nozzle check...

 

[PeterBJ]

This normally indicates an electronic print head failure, but could also be caused by a purge unit that is inoperative for the dye colours. To test the purge unit see this post for turbguy's purge unit test: http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/urgent-help-canon-ip4920.7972/page-4#post-66333

 

[Photofan1986]

So, MP640, anything new?

 

[MP640]

Sorry it took a bit longer to try the suggestions.

Soaking an additional 24 hours didn't solve the issue.

I just finished the purge unit test and that also passed. Pool of fluid didn't disappear from the pads after a couple of minutes and after the cleaning cycle the pads were without the liquid.

So I guess it after all is the printhead that's defective.

Is it a common printhead failure for to lose all colors while the pigment black remains?

 

[PeterBJ]

Yes, this is a typical symptom of electronic failure of the print head.

The print head is actually two print heads combined in one package. One section is for the pigment black and the other section is for the dye CMYBK inks. Each section can fail independently of the other.

An electronic failure in the pigment black section could show as totally missing PGBK test pattern, upper or lower half of the pattern missing,or a picket fence pattern.

An electronic failure in the dye section of the print head could show as totally missing dye print, one or more stripes split along the middle with the upper or lower half significantly lighter than the other, or other striped patterns.

Canon print heads can fail for no apparent reason, especially if old, and the Pixma 5000 is not exactly a new printer.

The parts number for the print head is QY6-0057-000 if you want to search for one, but I guess it is hard or impossible to find.