Clogged or damaged IP3600 printhead

[Kardell]

I didn't use my printer for less than 3 weeks, but after that fast or normal printing isn't possible. High quality is fading after about 4th page.
First I was cleaning the printhead using steam & hot water in plate with paper towel. With no avail.
It seems that only bigger black cartridge is affected.
Later I was soaking the print head for 3 days using amonia based windows cleaner. Prinhead check pattern is ok, however during normal printing I get horizontal blank 5mm fades(gaps) about every 1cm.
What do You suggest? Replace the print head or carry on with more advanced cleaning. Alcohol?
I refill using Hobbicolor ink shipped from US.
Thanks in advance

 

[PeterBJ]

Could you upload scans of nozzle check and a printout that shows what the gaps look like ? When talking printer problems, sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words

 

[ghwellsjr]

Have you checked to make sure your purge pump system is working? You can do this by depositing some window cleaner or just plain water on the two black pads where the print head parks, making sure that it remains there for ten seconds or so, then do a cleaning cycle and see if it has been sucked away on both pads. Let us know what you find.

 

[Kardell]

Thank You for quick reply. That's how it looks:

I check purge system as You said tomorrow.

 

[gigigogu]

From images it looks to me that the gaps are vertical and not horizontal.
Had you print in multiple pages per sheet or booklet?

If the gaps are vertical and considering the good check pattern and behavior in high quality print, it may be a ink flow problem in cartridge or a partial clog in pigment channel from mesh screen to nozzles.

Try with another cartridge, also drip some cleaner on mesh screen.

 

[PeterBJ]

Could this be printed using landscape orientation, instead of portrait orientation ? If so, it is most likely caused by clogging of some nozzles in the PGBK.

I got a Canon MP540 for free, which showed severe banding (missing lines) in PGBK. At first glance nozzle check looked normal, but at a closer look I saw than the top and bottom 25% of nozzles were missing from the pattern, so that only the 50% in the middle were printing. I managed to unclog the printhead, but that took me a couple of days.

Could you please upload scans of nozzle check and a document printed in normal portrait orientation, for instance the Windows Printer Test Page ?

 

[Kardell]

Hello again. I was busy of other things recently.
That's true, the uploaded picture was printed in landscape orientation.

I left the printhead for 6 days on a toilet paper in a plate filled with windows cleaner covered with plastic film.
There was no positive result, all other colors are priting perfectly, but PGBK died, at this moment print just empty page.

I soaked both internal sponges with windows cleaner, carried out few normal and deep cleanings, no difference, blank page.
Kind regards

 

[The Hat]

Kardell


If your print head is still blocked and wont budge after all your cleaning then have at look at this thread,
there maybe more here for you to try..
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=47687#p47687

 

[Kardell]

Thank you very much, I try these more drastic countermeasures.

 

[Kardell]

By the way is there any way to print text without using this damn black cartridge and use the small black one instead? How to set it up?
I'm sure it's not economical, but I'm in urgent need of print few pages.
Thanks in advance.