Inkjet Printhead Cleaning Method

[Darth]

I'm going to guess this is an ink flow problem inside your print head. This was already discussed by Grandad35 on post #7 of this thread where he used a straw to force cleaning solution into each color of the print head. Since then, other similar techniques have been suggested. See this post and read the whole thread for a complete discussion:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=27841#p27841

No luck, I am still getting the same results

 

[ghwellsjr]

Is this problem on the large pigment black ink cartridge or the smaller dye ink cartridge? In other words, when you first noticed a problem with the nozzle check, was it the grid pattern at the top that had missing segments or the block at the bottom that had streaks in it?

Did you verify all the failure modes listed in my previous link? And did you read the whole thread and follow any of the suggestions?

It would be helpful for details on what you actually have done and what you have learned at each step.

 

[Darth]

The problem is with the large pigmented black ink. I followed a number of the steps and finally removed the print head completely and cleaned it, verifying that everything was open both in the head and between the screens and the head.

I am beginning to suspect my ink. I opened a new (old) bottle to refill both my OEM canon cart and the new MIS cart. Unfortunately I purchased a number of bottles of this and they are at least 2 years old. I even tried diluting the ink with distilled water and still have the same problem. I guess, I am going to have to try a new OEM canon cart, and if that works, some new refill ink. Or at least, completely flush out my old cart. I saw the formula for that somewhere here.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I agree that getting a new Canon cartrige will quickly tell you if the problem is in your cartridges and/or your ink. I had a similar problem with a bunch of Canon refilled cartridges that I mentioned on the first post of this thread:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=28110#p28110

The problem cartridges would produce a perfect nozzle check but could not provide ink fast enough to print solid black, not to mention a page of text. Since I had refilled about 35 cartridges at the same time with the same ink, I blamed the problem on the infamous sponge clogging problem that requires purging or cleaning of the cartridge by flooding water through it and then thoroughly drying it. Although this thread and the article it points to are about BCI-6 cartridges, you can follow a similar process for the BCI-3eBk cartridge except you will not get clean to pure white:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1973#p1973

 

[Darth]

I agree that getting a new Canon cartrige will quickly tell you if the problem is in your cartridges and/or your ink. I had a similar problem with a bunch of Canon refilled cartridges that I mentioned on the first post of this thread:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=28110#p28110

The problem cartridges would produce a perfect nozzle check but could not provide ink fast enough to print solid black, not to mention a page of text. Since I had refilled about 35 cartridges at the same time with the same ink, I blamed the problem on the infamous sponge clogging problem that requires purging or cleaning of the cartridge by flooding water through it and then thoroughly drying it. Although this thread and the article it points to are about BCI-6 cartridges, you can follow a similar process for the BCI-3eBk cartridge except you will not get clean to pure white:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1973#p1973

Well now, I purchased a new OEM canon cart and after a couple of clean outs again of my print head I cannot print ANY black! No black nozzle check, no nothing.

Now, my printer just turned off and won't turn back on. Woe, Woe is me.

Got the printer to turn back on by un-pluging and re-pluging. Recleaned the print head and made careful to dry everything out. Still no black and light cyan and magenta are now blank on nozzle check. Maybe it is time for a new print head?

 

[embguy]

Well now, I purchased a new OEM canon cart and after a couple of clean outs again of my print head I cannot print ANY black! No black nozzle check, no nothing.

Now, my printer just turned off and won't turn back on. Woe, Woe is me.

The problem is with the large pigmented black ink. I followed a number of the steps and finally removed the print head completely and cleaned it, verifying that everything was open both in the head and between the screens and the head.

Did you dry the electronic before putting the print head back into the your printer?

 

[Darth]

Did you dry the electronic before putting the print head back into the your printer?

I didn't before, and that may have caused the printer turning off problem. The second time, I made sure the print head was dry, and the printer is on again, but no black, and no light cyan, and no light magenta on nozzle check. Trying to print black just results in blank page.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Did it ever print black after you put the new BCI-3eBk cartridge in?

 

[Darth]

Did it ever print black after you put the new BCI-3eBk cartridge in?

Yes and No! I had first tried someone else's suggestion and purged my cart and filled with Photo Black. When I put the new OEM canon cart in, it printed partial black (like my original picture) but it wouldn't clean up, so I cleaned the print head again and now it won't print ANYthing black or light magenta or light cyan. I think I might have damaged the print head, so I just ordered a new one.

 

[Darth]

Well, I bought a new printhead, and now, my light cyan and light magenta (not photo) print again, but NO pigmented black. Multiple cleanings, deep cleanings, and even a purge with a large black filled in circle. Two new OEM carts. Is my printer toast????