Canon PIXMA iP6000D

[Usksider]

My iP6000D has stopped printing photo-magenta altogether and magenta is streaked. I assumed the print head needed cleaning, so used the saucer of water/alcohol and tissue paper trick to take care of it. I was a bit surprised to notice as soon as I pushed the print head into the wet tissue, bubbles came up through both M & PM pads. I gave the head a good dunking anyway, cleaned it up and dried it, but cleaning made no difference when I reinstalled it: still nothing from PM and streaked M.

Before someone asks the obvious, yes both magenta and photo-magenta cartridges have plenty of ink in them (virtually new).

Can anyone suggest an electronic reason to explain why this problem should have occurred?

 

[inkjetcartridge_com]

I would generally not recommend dunking a canon cartridge in water or alchohol as this may cause color mixing within the nozzles of the print head (colors seeping into another color ink tank). My understanding is that Canon has used glycol additives at least in past cartridge constructions to keep print head clogs to a minimum. It is potentially an issue. I found once that even taking the cartridge out of an older Canon for one night caused a clog as I was in the middle of something and did not return it to the printer immediately after refilling. There are a few things you can do which are conservative and fast solution diagnostics. 1) change the ink tank in question and see if that resolves it. 2) Run the print head cleaning utility to resolve it 3) print in a higher quality, but slower mode and just live with the quality you are getting or 4) change the print head. Messing with it beyond that probably isn't worth the time for most people.

 

[Usksider]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I ought to have been a little more specific in my original post.

1. The first thing I tried when my iP6000D stopped printing magenta and more specifically photo-magenta, was to print a nozzle check and run the nozzle cleaning utility.

2. After 3 or 4 attempts and no change I ran the deep cleaning utility: again no change even after several attempts.

3. The PM cart was almost empty, so I changed it for a Canon original and did a clean routine before tring a test print. Still nothing.

4. I removed and cleansed the print head (saw cleaning fluid bubbling up through all six pads immediately).

I've tried printing colour rich images in the highest possible quality, but that hasn't helped either.

This is the stage where I start to question whether there's some other reason for the printer to stop printing magenta and photo-magenta.

Canon's advice is to change the print head, but say they can't be sure that's where the problem really is. What annoys me is the printer is just 14 months old, so 2 months out of warranty. I thought I'd bought a bargain having only paid 170 GBP for my iP6000D new, but I'm told a new print head will set me back 70 GBP. I can't believe the print head really does represent something over 40% of the value of the printer.

 

[hpnetserver]

As a Canon printer owner myself I hate to hear that a Canon printhead lasts only 14 months. Mine is getting old. If average life of a Canon printhead is 1 - 2 years that's scary to have bought a high-end one, an ip8500. A clogged and a dead printhead will show basically a same sympton. You will not know if any extensive cleaning will cure or further damage it. That makes HP brand a more likely choice for me for my next printer, especially if HP can be refilled. OK, I am not saying I like HP printers. But at least in a case of a dead printhead I can buy a cartridge, even a remanufactured one I will have my printer back. Let's do a polling. Has anyone own a Canon for more than 3 years (with ot without refilling with 3rd party ink)? I have had my HP deskjet for 5 years. I refill although it was mostly used for printing text junk not photos.

 

[drdjembe]

I have a Canon PIXMA MP780. Can someone tell me if both black ink cartridges (BCI 6BK and BCI 3eBK) are used for black text printing? Or is one dedicated for text, and the other for something else, perhaps graphics? I keep wondering why there are 2 black cartridges. Thanks.

 

[drc023]

I have a Canon PIXMA MP780. Can someone tell me if both black ink cartridges (BCI 6BK and BCI 3eBK) are used for black text printing? Or is one dedicated for text, and the other for something else, perhaps graphics? I keep wondering why there are 2 black cartridges. Thanks.

The larger BCI-3eBK pigment ink cartridge is only used when plain paper mode is selected. For all other paper modes black is either from the BCI-6BK dye ink cartridge or is a composite of CMY.

 

[drdjembe]

I am about to purchase an extended warranty for my Canon Pixma MP780 as the 1 year date of my purchase is almost up. I need to choose between Canon direct and Office Depot (where I purchased it). Any recommendations on which option I should choose. Thanks.