EPSON Workforce 600 Black Ink MYSTERY

[hearthstone]

OK, so I've refilled cartridges for years. Learned LOTS of lessons. many stained fingers...After experiences with HP and Canon, I chose a Workforce 600 AIO printer last year. Worked fine, albeit a bit slow and I STILL can't get the incoming fax set up AT ALL. Anyway, I purchased an eBay compatible re-fill set and kept them until needed. Finally, the ink was showing low on 2 orig cartridges and I made the full set switchover. Worked fine. THEN as the black ebbed and the end was near (not dry), I refilled it. Did the nozzle check. AOK. Nozzle clean, 3 times. What? No black zig-zags? Turned off printer. Restarted. Went to test print. NO BLACK AT ALL.

I did another test. Switched the BLACK cartridge into the BLUE port, and the BLUE cartridge into the BLACK port. Did a print test with 4 separate colors on the page. The BLACK cartridge printed fine - but it was in the BLUE position. The BLUE cartridge did NOT print at all in from the BLACK port. Ergo, the BLACK cartridge port is not allowing printing. Can anyone help me solve this mystery?

 

[websnail]

2 words... clogged nozzles...

Most likely your black ink is "universal" or just cheap as all git out and you've just shot it through your blue nozzles too... Erm... flush it quick!

In all seriousness, get some decent ink from a source that is known for more than just eBay feedback and low prices (assuming it was cheap) and then start over...

Apologies for the rather ascerbic tone... lack of sleep and my "polite head" switches to "spade = spade" mode... Imagine smiley faces to soften the tone..

 

[hearthstone]

I suspected either I had a clog or the just chip "shutting down" the black port after the required number of "pages".

So, how does one "unclog" the nozzles since "clean nozzles" doesn't seem to DO anything?

FYI I just bought an genuine Epson 69 set (all 4) off eBay for $30. My plan was to remove the clones and install a REAL set to "re-set" the chips, then re-install the clones.

IF it's a nozzle clog, how do I clear them out manually? Windex? Ammonia? Muriatic acid? (just kidding...).

Thanks!

Oh, BTW, the fax issue has me absolutely baffled too. Incoming calls are on a hunt line, go through answering machine to the phone. It SEEMS that the Workforce is to be set up BETWEEN the phone jack (wall) and the Answering machine so that the Workforce "picks up the call" before the answering machine kicks in. Problem is that the printer is in a different location, 10 feet removed from the phone/answering machine.

Thanks for whatever help you can provide. No offense taken at your previous reply.

 

[websnail]

I suspected either I had a clog or the just chip "shutting down" the black port after the required number of "pages".

So, how does one "unclog" the nozzles since "clean nozzles" doesn't seem to DO anything?

FYI I just bought an genuine Epson 69 set (all 4) off eBay for $30. My plan was to remove the clones and install a REAL set to "re-set" the chips, then re-install the clones.

IF it's a nozzle clog, how do I clear them out manually? Windex? Ammonia? Muriatic acid? (just kidding...).

Thanks!

The acid thing is tempting isn't it

I'll not repeat advice already given as there's lots of input on this... Search on this score is your friend but as to the whole "chip shutting down a cart" idea, that's a definite non starter... It would have shut down the whole printer.

Oh, BTW, the fax issue has me absolutely baffled too. Incoming calls are on a hunt line, go through answering machine to the phone. It SEEMS that the Workforce is to be set up BETWEEN the phone jack (wall) and the Answering machine so that the Workforce "picks up the call" before the answering machine kicks in. Problem is that the printer is in a different location, 10 feet removed from the phone/answering machine.

Thanks for whatever help you can provide. No offense taken at your previous reply.

Oh heck... I'm still trying to understand how my MP830 handles fax calls but as almost all fax calls are spam junk mail anyway I'm not going to lose any sleep over it... In short I'm no help on this score...

... or am I... You could get creative with a crimper, the appropriate plugs and some RJ45 cable and create two RJ11 cables out of the twisted pairs without actually separating them completely. Don't ask me to explain though, you either know or you don't and if you don't you probably don't have the tools anyway... Running cable is the only other option in the manner proscribed by the instructions.

As to offence, I'll try harder next time