ip3300 print head clogged

[ltsang]

My printer was working fine until this afternoon, when I have a lot to print tomorrow which reminded me to fill up the ink cartridges beforehand. The four cartridges are at half but I top them up anyway. After the refill, I do a print head test and it showed perfect. I started the first page printing in color and halfway down the page the magenta faded left me with a half greenish page. I did a couple of head cleaning and no magenta showed up. The other colors and the black were perfect. I then tried a few other normal ways to clear up the magenta print head, no luck. I then performed two deep cleaning, and still no magenta. I looked at all the cartridges, and found the printer actually used half the ink in each cartridge to do the two deep cleaning except that the magenta cartridge is still full. Thus I come to the conclusion that the magenta path is really clogged and the pump for the head cleaning is working. Another thing that brings me to this conclusion is that when I push the print head against a clean paper towel, I got the other colors except the magenta. I tried so many ways trying to clean up this clog until I gave up and pour some ammonia on top of the magenta screen overnight and see if it clears the path tomorrow.

It was probably my 10th time I refilled this 3300 and I have always use the Durchstichmethod on the oem cartridge.

I tried flush the print head under the tap, blow compress on the screens, clean the contacts. Just don't understand why the magenta alone die right after I refilled the cartridges.

 

[Grandad35]

Itsang,

This sounds like what I have experienced when there is a problem with a cart. The filter can become clogged to a point where it takes too much suction to pull ink from the cart - this is why the hot water technique was developed. It is also possible that the sponges have been knocked out of position - this will also disrupt the ink flow.

If the sponge isn't flat against the bottom and front and back, gently tap the cart (not on the discharge port!) to nudge the sponge back into position. Make sure that it isn't jammed too tightly against the back, or it will plug the air grooves and not pull ink from the ink chamber.

Try gently blowing into the vent hole on the top (with a paper towel held under the exit in such a way that it will catch the dripping ink while allowing you to see it fall into the towel, wearing old clothes, over a sink, etc., etc.). This will reestablish the "ink link" inside the cart. Compare how much pressure it takes to get the ink to drip with the pressure on a known "good" cart. After you do this a number of times, you will develop a feel for how much pressure indicates a problem.

 

[Trigger 37]

itsang,

If you want a quick way to prove that Grandad35 is correct, just put in a brand new ink cart. Even if you refill your ink carts, you should keep on hand the low cost compatible carts that sell for $1.50 just for times like this to prove to yourself you have a problem with an old dried up cart. If the rubber seals around the filters are bad you can get the same results. They make a good seal so ink will be sucked out of the ink cart. If the seal is broken anywhere,... there will be no ink flow. Take a straw and puncture a small hole in the straw about 1" below the top and see if you can suck any water out of a glass. I bet you have a lot more suction than a printhead.

 

[ltsang]

Thanks Grandad and Trigger,

The first thing I did the next morning was to get a new generic cartridge and install it, hopefully it was the cartridge. But things remained the same. No ink was sucked through the print head. not even a trace. The other three colors printed perfect and I thought I spend enough time on the printer, its time for a replacement. I only got the printer since June. I bought the printer back to the supplier and they gave me a brand new 3300, I was happy with it but so much for recycling or keeping the earth green. I guess they will never bother to repair the printer which will ended up in the dump. Felt kind of guilty inside. All this printer need is a new print head and yet I have to waste the whole printer. And I don't know what not to do with this new printer. Why is bad things always happened when I change cartridges, either the Epson or the Canon.

 

[Tin Ho]

Actually the printer will be sent back to Canon. It probably will be sold again as a refurbished one.

 

[Grandad35]

Is the replacement printer still under warranty? If it is, Canon will probably send you a new print head for free.

 

[Trigger 37]

Itsang,.. The problem you had with your iP3300 is similar to many other peoples problems. All of a sudden some color will not print and no amount of cleaning and new ink can fix the problem. This is a mystery that I have been working on, and I still don't have the answer but I will continue. I wish I had your printer such that I could begin to issolate that problem. Many people have the same one. Since you put in a new cart, and you know the suction from the purge unit is working on the other carts, this leaves only the contacts to the printhead, the logic board, the printhead, the carriage ASM, and all the cables to the carriage ASM, that could have been wrong. It would have been easy for me to test with several continuity test and a swap of printheads. I'm looking for an easier, more reliable way for others to check their printer when things like this go bad.

I'll keep looking for the answer.

 

[ltsang]

Thanks Trigger 37, before I read your reply, I thought I was the only one that did something wrong to the 3300, I did tried every method that I knew to clear up the problem.
One way that I tried is to have a piece of plastic tubing put on a syringe, press against the print head, and tried to suck out some ink through the print head while have the cartridge pressing against the screen. If the print head was not plugged, I should be able to get some ink flow out, But in this case, I could get ink from the other colors but the magenta have none no matter how hard I tried, which tells me the passage from the cartridge to the print head is some how blocked. An ultrasound cleaner will clear this blockage for sure but not on Canons, it will make it worse for sure, happened to me before. Also thats why I tried to soaked the print head over night to try to clear the clog.
Anyway I like the printer very much and I saw somewhere that the 3300 & 4300 will be a discontinue model soon and that is why it is on sale, I went and purchased another 4300 today. I did this because I still missed my i560 which cannot be replaced after my last one was broken few years ago.
And if my 3300 or 4300 breaks likes again, I will gladly give it to you to find the problem and the fix, I am sure you will figure it out some day.
Also I asked to sales person what will they do to the printer I returned and he said it will be sent back to Toronto to have it check out and try to resell it some way.

 

[Trigger 37]

Itsang,... sorry for the long delay in not responding. I've just finished two weeks vacation. Glad to hear you got a 4300. I know what you mean about missing your i560, I let mine go about 6 months ago, and my new iP6600d is no where near as fast, but the quality of the photo color prints is much better and that is what I was after.