Is this a printhead problem?

[roofrabbit]

Have Canon IP4300 printer, purchased two months ago and under warranty.

Suddenly cyan color is striped. I have done several deep cleanings, replaced the ink cartridge, removed the printhead several times and cleaned thoroughly using water, alcohol, compressed air, and windex but there is no difference whatsoever in cyan print pattern. The nozzle check strip seems a strange pattern to me -- every 1/2 inch horizontally the pattern changes.

I'm going to upload an image of the cyan pattern. Do you think the problem is with the printhead?

Reason I'm asking: Canon offers three options under warranty
(1) take printer to a repair station and wait however long to be repaired;
(2) get a new printer body but not a printhead;
(3) get a new printhead.

Option (1) requires me to be without a printer, the other options require me to diagnose the problem myself.

 

[roofrabbit]

This is the image of the nozzle check pattern of my Canon iP4300 printer that I described in my message "Is this a printhead problem."

 

[jflan]

I've never seen a segmented pattern like that.
Typically the lines will be consistent all the way across the page with a compromised printhead.

I think it is deeper than the printhead and would opt for choice #1

 

[roofrabbit]

Thanks for your reply.

One of the snags with the warranty is that, after the initial Canon cartridges were exhausted, I replaced these with generic G&G ink cartridges from Inkgrabber.com by removing the "security chip" from the Canon cartridge and affixing same to the G&G replacement cartridge. As a result, all but one of the 5 cartridges have the ink indicator cut off (I don't know how to use third-party ink without this happening). This is a give-away for the warranty repair place to see than non-Canon ink has been used in this printer. According to the warning message displayed on-screen, use of non-Canon ink invalidates the Canon warranty.

I have all Canon ink cartridges on hand, but I don't know how to reset the ink indicator. Can anyone tell me?

 

[mikling]

When did this problem start? Before or after you started using the new compatibles? Also, did you stretch the empty cartridge till it was completely empty? or did you replace at the time of warning or empty indicator?

Resetting to the home refiller is still not available. Your best bet would be to replace all compatibles with new working ones, leave it in there for a day and see if the problem improves before taking it in. It'll be easier on you that way. If the problem resolves itself then you'll know the source of the problem and won't need to take it in.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I've never seen a segmented pattern like that.
Typically the lines will be consistent all the way across the page with a compromised printhead.

I think it is deeper than the printhead and would opt for choice #1

Here is an explanation of the segmented nozzle check pattern:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=8684#p8684

 

[Tin Ho]

It looks like a clogging case. The G&G ink cartridge (and the ink in it) very likely did not work right on your printer. It probably had a poor ink flow which frequently resulted in clogging like this. A clogging like this can be difficult to clear because the print head can be already damaged. If you can get a replacement print head from Canon go ahead and ask for it. The print head may be more valuable than the whole printer. Once getting the print head in case it proves that the printer is to blame you can sell two print heads (one from Canon) and get more than enough money to buy another ip4300.

G&G does not make ink. It is one manufacturer of plastic products. It is either G&G or Inkgrabber that filled the G&G cartridge with whatever ink they got for sale. Unfortunately the cartridge and the (cyan) ink did not work together. The combination probably created a poor ink flow situation.

 

[roofrabbit]

When did this problem start? Before or after you started using the new compatibles? Also, did you stretch the empty cartridge till it was completely empty? or did you replace at the time of warning or empty indicator?

Resetting to the home refiller is still not available. Your best bet would be to replace all compatibles with new working ones, leave it in there for a day and see if the problem improves before taking it in. It'll be easier on you that way. If the problem resolves itself then you'll know the source of the problem and won't need to take it in.

The problem started after using compatibles, but not soon after. I think I was on the second cyan compatible cartridge when striping happened. The cartridge was about half full when striping began. Since indicator is shut off when using the compatible (has the security chip), there is no warning or indicator.

I found out that by simply replacing the compatible cartridge with a Canon one, the indicator comes back on. Thus, the message that the warranty is voided by using non-Canon cartridges is meaningless since after replacing with Canon cartridges the evidence is erased.

 

[tigerwan]

After replacing the cartridges with the Canon OEM, did your cyan start to print properly?

 

[mikling]

I had my suspicions.

Yet, another likely case of inadequate ink flow to your head and kogation and possibly damaged print head.

The root of this problem is likely a poor quality cartridge. The Quality issue could be caused either of or combination of poor dimensional tolerances, sponge characteristics or the ink contained within the cartridge. What has likely happened is that your heaters have some scorched and baked on ink inside the printhead chambers surrounding the heaters.

Being that your printer is under warranty, I'd say get a new head from Canon and then be aware that compatibles are inexpensive for a reason. The wholesale selling price is very low for these and the competition is based solely on price so the resultant quality suffers. Refilling the original Canon OEM is considered by many to be a much superior alternative AND more reliable. YOU are in control of the quality and they will be the next best thing after a new Canon OEM one.

If you want to try and recover the printhead, you've got nothing to lose BUT do not continue to use those carts you had used before. Either refill your Canon ones or get some new ones and SAVE the orange seals. Submerge the printhead nozzle plate in hot water and soak for at least ten minutes. Take out and using a paper towel that is slightly moistened, dab it against the nozzles. If NO traces of Cyan appears then I'd call it quits. If you see CYAN, then proceed by running a column of hot water and hold your printhead under the column of water at various angles to try and get water into the nozzles to dissolve the cyan ink. Continue this and soaking till you think you've dissolved the ink inside. Try an overnight soak. When trying the printhead again, DO NOT USE the cartridges that caused this.