Chip conundrum on newer Canon printers

[easytimes]

I've been using a yellow ink tank for some time, now... several refills performed in that time. All of a sudden, I can't reset the chip. I figured, "no sweat, I can swap for one of the chips I removed from the 220-221 group to use as replacements for my IP4920 on the 225-226 tanks. I tried two of the spare chips, and neither of them could be reset, either. The first chip was the one that came on the tank, and the other two were ones that were removed from other tanks... meaning I don't know what color they were on, originally.

I'm just wondering if the chips aren't color aligned. I have been swapping black for black, cyan for cyan, and so on, when I swap the chips between the two printers, but I didn't really know if they were required to align by color. Am I just not seeing something that one or more of the refill veterans know about this? If these chips aren't required to be used on the same color, I'm really confused by this turn of events. Either way, I will surely be buying another yellow tank for my IP4700, but I would like to know what's going on, if I can find that information.
Thanks,

 

[ruffin]

Easytimes: I read where one can swap chips, but must ensure that chips be "color coordinated". I.E. a yellow chip from yellow cartridge must be swapped to another yellow cartridge. Think your resetter can only reset one style of chip. Either resets 221 or 225, but not both types. Octoink and Precision Colors provide different resetters for the two cartridges. You might also check your resetter battery. Good Luck

 

[easytimes]

Thanks ruffin,
Yes, I have chip resetters for both series of tanks, and I was using the correct one... as I successfully reset and changed two other tanks before midnight, last night. Solves the problem of the battery being dead, as well. One of the tanks was the empty one I had just removed.

The mystery is... not so much that resetting doesn't work, but now, even the resetter is to refusing to reset that one tank, no matter which chip I put on it. It has gone from giving unusual blinks, to giving nothing at all with that particular that tank, but it works perfectly on all of my other tanks. While I was at it, I reset all of my other empty 220-221 tanks... then refilled and replaced two, which worked in the printer.

I just can't see how all chips can't be recognized on that particular tank... neither the chip nor the resetter knows what color I injected. The resetter shouldn't be able to know that the wrong color is accompanying that chip. It's only my placing the chip in the wrong print head slot that should mess me up.

Wouldn't you know it... I saved all of my removed chips, not actually knowing that I should have stored them by color... but now that tank seems to be fighting me, as well. Oh well, at least I swapped tank for tank, by color, when I applied the chips to the 225-226 tanks... they are working very well, so far.

The other lesson is this... don't forget to reset the chips BEFORE refilling. I let three get by me, and one of them is somehow haunted or something.
Thanks again,

 

[PeterBJ]

I think the chip on the malfunctioning yellow cartridge is not seated properly, so the contact pins on the resetter are not making contact with the contact pads on the chip. You could try to check how the chip is positioned in in comparison to those on the working cartridges. I use a small piece of thin double sided sticky tape to keep the chip in place when transferring chips from one cartridge to another.

You find an excellent instruction in chip transfer here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6360

 

[easytimes]

I think the chip on the malfunctioning yellow cartridge is not seated properly, so the contact pins on the resetter are not making contact with the contact pads on the chip. You could try to check how the chip is positioned in in comparison to those on the working cartridges. I use a small piece of thin double sided sticky tape to keep the chip in place when transferring chips from one cartridge to another.

You find an excellent instruction in chip transfer here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6360

Thanks PeterB,
I would have thought that, but the first problem I had was the original chip... I hadn't changed the chip. That was an idea I had to fix the problem, since I had so many chips from swapping with my 225-226 tanks. Unfortunately, I never kept the chip color ID, so I can only try to guess what they are.

I'm famous for having multiple problems at the same time... and I figure, the original chip went bad, if that's possible. Then when I put other chips on the tank, they didn't match the color. Hopefully, just purchasing an original yellow tank and setting it up for refilling will solve the problem. I had a big refill day, yesterday, and everything worked very well. I made sure to reset all chips prior to filling. That was my lead off error with that problem yellow tank. It just slipped my mind, and I had to do a messy reset on three tanks... with that yellow one being uncooperative. All others are working fine.

I'm getting too old to keep having these mysterious happenings in my life.

By the way, I use a little smear of black RTF gasket maker, left over from my boating days. I use a toothpick to apply on the tank, and then slip the chip into place. Just another suggestion for those who are doing these chip swaps. It works well, too.

 

[The Hat]

easytimes
Your resetter is working on all of the other chips except the yellow right.
I think you may have mixed up your 221 with the 226 chip because that can cause a most unusual error to occur.

The original 226 yellow chip probably just died for no reason that happens sometimes and
its very easy to mistakenly put the wrong chip onto your cartridge.

If you have a problem trying to identify which chip is for which colour cartridge, they can be matched up perfectly
by carefully examining the code number on the back but youd need to know the correct code and colour first.

To help with identification try using a process of elimination start with one of the other colours first
then work through them and the ones left should be the yellow chips..

 

[easytimes]

Hi Hat... sorry, just couldn't help myself.

The chips are easy to differentiate between the two different printers, and this one is the 221 chip. Now you could be right, the first one could very well have been reset by the 225 resetter... I have done worse things before. But then I tried resetting it with the correct resetter and could get nothing. Probably a situation they create at the outset of chip manufacture to prevent refilling.

Anyway, the exposed litho surface of the chip is black on the 225-226 tanks, and green on the 220-221 tanks. That may be totally different on the other side of the Atlantic, but here in the US, that's my findings. I have checked the numbered backs of the reserve chips and I come up with this list of codes... hL6, b05, eF1, hQ8, dC5, cK5, and hG6. These are all off of IP4700 tanks. Should any of you discover or previously know what colors these numbers refer to... I would appreciate a heads up, so I don't have them going to waste, in the event another situation like this arises.

I'm still a bit perplexed about the resetter not responding to other chips installed on that rogue tank. The last two chips I applied to the tank evoke no response from the resetter, but other tanks reset just fine. Even the original chip didn't have a normal flash, but it did flash somewhat. As I mentioned, that was an original yellow tank with the original chip on it. The scenario for me messing it up may be fairly evident, but why the resetter won't light when other chips are applied is a bit whacky.

Like I said, I have a new full tank with chip, and I'm sure it will put me back to refilling with a full set of spare tanks, but I just hate to give up not knowing what the heck is happening. That's my just anal side at work, I'm sure.
Thanks to all...

 

[mikling]

I once tried to see if I might be able due to some miracle convert a 221 to a 226 by using a 226 resetter on a 221. It did not work and when I tried to reset the 221 with a proper 221 resetter, the chip was no longer functional on 221 printers. Since I did not want to waste another cartridge, I elected not to try another one to confirm the effects. This situation might be similar.

 

[easytimes]

I once tried to see if I might be able due to some miracle convert a 221 to a 226 by using a 226 resetter on a 221. It did not work and when I tried to reset the 221 with a proper 221 resetter, the chip was no longer functional on 221 printers. Since I did not want to waste another cartridge, I elected not to try another one to confirm the effects. This situation might be similar.

Yes, I'm figuring the first mistake was mine... I just overlooked which resetter I used. I'm just puzzled by the fact that any chip I put on that one tank now refuse to indicate being reset, by lighting the LED. I keep trying to think, what is it about the tank that prevents the light from lighting... since I've used more than one chip to test it. Probably better to move on and use the new tank, and just not worry about it. As long as the new tank works, I will always have a solution, should the problem happen again.

At any rate, even if I have this problem four times a year, refilling ink tanks is still cheaper than using OEM inks continuously. I also left out the part where I spilled half of a two ounce bottle of yellow ink.

 

[stratman]

Yes, I'm figuring the first mistake was mine... I just overlooked which resetter I used. I'm just puzzled by the fact that any chip I put on that one tank now refuse to indicate being reset, by lighting the LED. I keep trying to think, what is it about the tank that prevents the light from lighting... since I've used more than one chip to test it.

Since you swap chips, it could be the orientation of the swapped chip on the cartridge. What ever you did in excising the old chip and then fixing the new chip could be the issue with that particular cartridge. If the problem is all the same color cartridge no matter what chip you affix, then it could be the chips themselves are malfunctioning. If you've tried to flash them with the wrong chip resetter, then that could have fouled the chip for good as Mikling posted. I recall reading about this a few years back.

If your chip resetter works on every other color than the one, then it probably isn't an issue with the chip resetter. However, since none of us know the details of these resetters, it could be a low battery affects one particular chip first. Doubtful, but worth a consideration about putting in a new battery(s).