Is my ip4000 printhead toast?

[zagged]

Hi

I have been using my ip4000 for 4 years now very heavily, refilling my own ink - over the course of the four years, twice I have needed actually clean the printheads with windex and/or air to unclog.

Recently, the printer stopped printing for all colors so I did a windex cleaning, no fix so I did the cleaning again with no fix? I have also noticed the faint tones the printer made when doing it's own cleaning process have disappeared? Unfortunately the printer has not set off any trouble lights? When a document is sent to the printer, it feeds the paper and pretends to print, spitting out a blank page.

Does this mean the printhead has finally reached the end of it's life? Or is this another issue?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated before I fork out $ on a new printhead.

**also, my apologies if this issue has been answered - I was unable to find any post relating to my issue**

Best Regards,

Dan

 

[Smile]

Hi

I have been using my ip4000 for 4 years now very heavily, refilling my own ink - over the course of the four years, twice I have needed actually clean the printheads with windex and/or air to unclog.

Recently, the printer stopped printing for all colors so I did a windex cleaning, no fix so I did the cleaning again with no fix? I have also noticed the faint tones the printer made when doing it's own cleaning process have disappeared? Unfortunately the printer has not set off any trouble lights? When a document is sent to the printer, it feeds the paper and pretends to print, spitting out a blank page.

Does this mean the printhead has finally reached the end of it's life? Or is this another issue?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated before I fork out $ on a new printhead.

**also, my apologies if this issue has been answered - I was unable to find any post relating to my issue**

Best Regards,

Dan

If you don't hear printer cleaning noises etc. while cleaning print head, then purge unit might be broken, it might be stuck etc.
If all colors we lost at once then it's elecronics problem not head clog.

 

[zagged]

If you don't hear printer cleaning noises etc. while cleaning print head, then purge unit might be broken, it might be stuck etc.
If all colors we lost at once then it's elecronics problem not head clog.

Is there a way to fix that or is the printer itself roasted?

 

[pebe]

You could try reinstalling the driver, in case it has got corrupted.

 

[ghwellsjr]

You can rule out computer/driver issues by disconnecting the USB cable and doing a nozzle check from the printer's buttons. Just hold in the top button until it starts blinking. After the second blink, release it. If it goes through the motions of doing a nozzle check, but doesn't print anything, then you know the problem is in the printer.

 

[zagged]

You can rule out computer/driver issues by disconnecting the USB cable and doing a nozzle check from the printer's buttons. Just hold in the top button until it starts blinking. After the second blink, release it. If it goes through the motions of doing a nozzle check, but doesn't print anything, then you know the problem is in the printer.

Thank you for the information...I ran through this test and it still printed 'blank'. I would rather not be purchasing a new printer to avoid having to use the 'chipped' cartridges - is it possible to fix/replace a purge unit as 'smile' suggested could be the problem? Or should I be shopping around to find this model out there?

Any suggestions? I was recently told that Brother has a relatively inexpensive unit that does not use the chipped ink tanks, however I am concerned with the print margins that canon offers (very large in comparison to other brands I have used in the past (HP and Epson). I do a fairly high volume of printing and am unable to justify $100+ in ink cartridges a week which I could easily accumulate if stuck using a 'chipped' ink tank.

Thank you for everyone's input

 

[Trigger 37]

zagged,...you mentioned a "Windex cleaning" but that could mean almost anything. Please add a post and explain in more detail.

You could have one of three possible problems. 1. The head is very very clogged from excessive printing, and possiblly printing after one or more of the ink carts went dry. This could cause the head to heat any left over ink to the point where it has baked it into a clog. 2. At this point the printhead could be dead. 3. The Purge unit has clogged along with the printhead and no ink can be sucked up into the head to prime it and therefore it won't print.

Your choices are; 1. Do aggressive cleaning of the head. 2. Buy a new head. 3. Try and clean the purge unit from above and do aggressive cleaning of the printhead.

Aggressive cleaning means to let the head soak in hot water (not any hotter than you would drink your coffee). Find a way to soak the printhead in a very shallow pan of water (1/4") while it is on the stove heating. Don't let the water go above 140 degrees but keep the heat on it for a long time. There are "Simmer" plates that provide a heat cushion between the flame and the pan the minimizes the max temperature. From time to time, remove the head and put it under a stream of strong hot tape water, focus the stream on the bottom of the nozzles. Some people have overheated the head and this can distroy the internal seals such that all colors leak internally and contaminate all inks. Not a good idea. When it gets real hot, you can use an air compressor to force air from the bottom back through the nozzles and this should help clean it out. Keep this up and keep trying to test the head again. Make sure you do a cleaning cycle once you put the head back as this will prime the head with ink.

Try and clean out or test the purge unit. Place several drops of hot water onto each nozzle pad in the parking area. Then you will need to do several full power on/off cycles to force the purge unit to do a couple of cycles and this should suck the hot water down through the purge tubs and help clean them out. Repeat until you are convinced the purge unit is sucking the water down to the bottom.