CLI-42 Cart Flush - First Attempt

[Methodical]

I've search with no luck so far. I will keep trying.

Update: I found post from '09 where someone mention milking a cartridge by squeezing the sides, but that's about it so far. I am still looking.

 

[martin0reg]

I agree with pharmacist, because the upper sponge is for air exchange, it may not be filled up to the top. Therefor the upper is kind of water repellent while the lower is water absorbent.
To bring the ink level down you can simply blow into the top of the cart where the air vent is. Certainly while holding it over the kitchen sink and not too hard, until some ink is dripping out - you don't want to empty your cart...
BTW I don't know how canon refillables are doing it without the two sponge, so this may be a more or less critical issue.

 

[jtoolman]

I just remove the fill plug and exit Prof clip as I hold it over a plastic cup. After several drops out of the exit port I rep!ug the fill hole.
Joe

 

[The Hat]

When I have finished refilling a cart and plugged the refill hole airtight again, I remove the orange clip from the outlet hole and allow the cartridges to drip for a couple of seconds.

When it has stopped dripping, I am satisfied the cart has reached the perfect 3 bears balance of just right for goldilocks...

My carts always fill the upper sponge every time with no ill effects, but I do make sure not to overfill the reservoir, see photo...

 

[martin0reg]

...
My carts always fill the upper sponge every time with no ill effects, but I do make sure not to overfill the reservoir, see photo...

This cart looks to me as if only the lower sponge is really saturated, or "filled" with ink.
The upper is colored, but not "wet" from ink like the lower, exactly like it should be.
Only difference to a new one is the fact that the upper is colored all over, but that' might result from the different filling procedure. When you refill a cart which is not bone dry or "condiitioned" for better sucking, you get such result, which is fine.

But this cart

seems to be totally filled and wet... and this may (!) affect the air exchange:
which goes from the air vent through the upper sponge to the "ridges" which are leading finally to the gap between ink chamber and sponge chamber.

PS: I just have noticed that you can see the "ridges" in both carts. And these are free of ink, like it should be, at Hat's cart... but at the other these may be full of ink, so the air has to free these passage...

 

[Methodical]

That's not my photo, it's the OP's photo^^^^. Mine look like what The Hat posted.

 

[martin0reg]

Sorry... I will correct it..

 

[The Hat]

seems to be totally filled and wet... and this may (!) affect the air exchange:

@martin0reg, they only thing I can see wrong with the cart photo you posted is, the reservoir is a bit to full, and you’ll also notice that the ink saturation is at the same level in the sponge section, and looks darn close to the air maze, which may cause ink starvation if blocked.

I reckon if the orange clip was removed from this cart, it would leak like crazy till the excess ink in the sponge area was vented, it would also test whether the air maze is clear or blocked...

 

[Methodical]

Hopefully the OP will chime in and let us know the outcome since he posted this back in the summer.

While we are on the subject. I have a cart that's been sitting for months and I am sure the sponge is dry as a bone. How do you prep it for ink? I was thinking of adding distilled water until the sponge is saturate and then drain the water from the sponge and then fill with ink.

Thanks

 

[martin0reg]

...
I reckon if the orange clip was removed from this cart, it would leak like crazy till the excess ink in the sponge area was vented, it would also test whether the air maze is clear or blocked...

Well it might be too much worry, but the air have to go through all of this: air maze - upper sponge - ridges below the upper sponge - finally through the gap into the reservoir.
So not only the vent should be free of ink, also the upper sponge and the ridges - what in fact is the case in your cart.
You can test the air flow with a small tight roll of kitchen towel, shaped and sized like a cigarette. Press one end on the ink outlet and let it suck...
Hopefullly you are right and after the excess ink has been sucked out, the air would start to bubble into the reservoir. Because that is same what would happen in the printer.
I have had refilled carts which would give the ink from the sponge, but won't start to bubble, so that the reservoir don't supply any ink to the sponge... but this might have happen for other reasons..

So again, I may be worrying about a non issue.

But I use to do the bubble test with all carts which I suspect to cause ink starvation.