IX6850 clogged pigment black

[PeterBJ]

Are you sure the service manual is for the iX6800 series printer and not for the iX6500 series printer listed in your profile? The service manual for the iX6500 series printer is found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzbafkx2fcF8Zm5teTRmZFk1N1U/view

If the manual really is for the iX6800 series printer please upload the complete manual in small parts. It would be very interesting to read about service mode operations on printers newer than the PGI-x25/CLI-x26 cartridge generation.

 

[floK]

I obtained a service document for this series of printer in 2014. The pages dealing with disassembly and the purge pads I tried to upload. I have had chronic clogging of the PGBK slot on three machines in this series. The forum file size limitation precludes uploading the 1.5 mb file.

It would be great if you had the manual for the IX6800 series and not for previous versions, as PeterBJ suspects.
If yes, I could give you an email address to send me that document and then I'll try to reduce its size (or to divide it into smaller parts) and to post it here, for the benefit of the community.

 

[floK]

Well, waiting for my new cartridges to arrive from OctoInkjet, I've tried once again to unclog the printhead.
I soaked it for 8 hours on a tray with my homemade solution (4 parts of distilled water, 1 part of isopropanol and 20 drops of ammonia-based glass cleaner), I also put a hose filled with the same liquid on the large inlet, but no trace of pigment black ink has yet appeared on the paper towel underneath, not even a molecule!
This means that, since I tried to unclog the printhead last time (when I also disassembled it and washed all the ink inside), no more pigment ink came to the nozzles.
So, I'm pretty sure that the clogging occurred inside the inlet filter (and verified once more this assumption by trying - without success - to blow or to draw some air through it, with the aid of a rubber pump).
Any idea about how this piece could be cleaned without damage?

 

[floK]

Ok, I understand that there are no answers to my last question ... so let's move on...

Meanwhile, I received the new refill kit from OctoInkjet, containing recycled OEM cartridges and some very useful tools/accessories - as shown here: http://www.octoink.co.uk/news/415/. I can testify that this method of "vacuum refilling" is very easy and works great!

So I replaced that damned chinese refillable cartridges that made me so much trouble and started to test again the printer.

Unfortunately - as expected, given the problem mentioned in the previous post - in regard to the pigment black nothing changed, even after 30 hours of soaking the printhead and several cycles of cleaning/deep cleaning.

Still, with all the cartridges being in good health (continuous red light), I resumed the "Stratman experiment" , with the following results:
- First phase (printer unplugged) - the water pooled several minutes on both purge pads
- Second phase (printer restarted) - the water was absorbed by the dye inks pad, but remained unabsorbed on the pigment black pad.

Well... I still don't know whether it can be concluded that the purge system is defective or if the pump can not pull the fluid because the ink intake (from the cartridge into printhead) is clogged...

In this situation, buying a new printhead (as I intended) could be a risky expense that would not solve the problem, so it seems that I must resign myself to using the printer only with the dye inks.

This would not necessarily be a big drawback for me, yet I have a concern: to be able to use only the dye inks, the printer must be fooled (from its menu) that it will print on photo paper. But if, instead, I'll use plain paper, wouldn't this harm further the printhead (by abrasion or by clogging with paper fibers, for example)?

 

[turbguy]

Printing with a setting of matte paper, while using plain paper, should not damage your printhead. There could be a problem with excess ink being deposited, leading to long drying times/warped paper.

Try it.

 

[floK]

That's exactly what I thought would be the best compromise, to use the matte paper setting. I've been doing this for a month and the results are pretty good.

 

[stratman]

I still don't know whether it can be concluded that the purge system is defective or if the pump can not pull the fluid because the ink intake (from the cartridge into printhead) is clogged...

If you are using a known working Pigment Black cartridge and Pigment Black ink does flush out of the print head nozzles, then you are most likely dealing with clogged purge system tubes for the Pigment Black ink side.

Things to try or options:

1) Clean the Pigment Black ink purge pad. You will need to remove it first. Then retry the "Stratman Experiment" for pooled fluid.

2) Carefully take apart the printer to get at the purge system tubing and then clean out the tubing. Take pictures with a camera after every single step in the dismantling process so you can reverse the process and not get lost. This is a laborious and long process taking several hours, especially if you dismantle down to he felt purge pads that the purge system tubing dumps waste ink onto. Very messy project, but once done, you can hopefully reset the Purge Pad Counter to new with a Service Tool or sequence of button pushes on the printer (if available for your printer model) and use your printer for several more years. Forum members @The Hat or @PeterBJ may know if and how you can enter Service Mode and reset the purge pad counter.

3) Use only the Dye-based inks, even for things that normally use Pigment Black such as text. You already know about using Matte setting, or any photographic setting, to force use of Dye ink only.

4) Get a new printer.

 

[floK]

If you are using a known working Pigment Black cartridge and Pigment Black ink does flush out of the print head nozzles...

Unfortunately, as I wrote in post #13, the ink not only doesn't flush out the printhead but even doesn't enter into it through the inlet filter, which I found is definitively clogged.

After I wrote that, I further tried to unclog it by pulling/pushing cleaning solution or even air through it (via an attached hose and using a syringe as a pump) but without the slightest success.

And as I see (by the fact that my question has remained unanswered) it seems that nobody knows how this issue could be solved...

...you can hopefully reset the Purge Pad Counter to new with a Service Tool or sequence of button pushes on the printer (if available for your printer model) and use your printer for several more years. Forum members @The Hat or @PeterBJ may know if and how you can enter Service Mode and reset the purge pad counter.

Unfortunately again, as I have read, beginning with the models using PGI x50/CLI x51 cartridges (and my Pixma IX6850 is using 550/551) there is no way for the users to enter the Service Mode...

4) Get a new printer.

Good advice!

Indeed, given the two above issues, it seems that buying a new printer is the only solution.
In fact, I evaluated this possibility for the last two weeks, with the following variants:

1. Buying again the same model.
The IX6850 still remains the printer that best meets my needs. I don't print too many photos, but mainly graphic design works and architectural drawings, and for this tasks the printer performs very well. It prints the fine lines with good resolution, the colors are enough accurate and without banding, the paper feed is very precise (I didn't experience any paper jam, yet) and the A3 format is a big plus.
The only drawback is the long preparation (30-45 seconds) that the printer executes before the first print, but I can live with this.
However, after all the troubles I had, I'm a bit reluctant to invest more money in the same equipment.
Although I'm aware that those troubles were caused mainly by the bad refillable cartridges, I'm not yet convinced that the new kit will work flawlessly and if the third-party pigment ink (even it is KMP, which is praised to be of good quality) hasn't had a role in the clogging.
What if this would happen again?


2. Radically changing everything and buying an EcoTank Epson printer.
At the first glance, this system has a lot of advantages: the original Epson ink, although not of the top quality (as Claria), is almost as cheap and at least as good as the best available third-party inks; the possibility of clogging is (almost) totally eliminated; no self-maintenance cycles, meaning that the waste ink tank will fill up much more slowly (if ever).
However, all these come with a price, even a lower end A3 printer (L13xx series, with only 4 cartridges and inferior quality ink) costing about 450 Euro, more than double that my IX6850 (210 euro).
Even so, maybe I would have decided to make a financial effort if I were sure that EcoTanks are good-quality printers.
But from what I read, they are nothing else than a CISS added on some of the low-class printers from Epson and, although their print quality seems to be reasonable when they work well, annoying problems may arise from the fact that they are not too well-built. Among these, I've seen a lot of user reports on banding in prints and paper feed issues, so...not for me.

After all, I came to the conclusion that the best thing, for now, is to keep my current printer and to use it for as long as possible, forgetting about the pigment black.

The only doubt I have is whether or not to buy a new print head (costing about 80 euros).
For this, however, I should be sure that the purge system is not defective, but water is not absorbed from the purge pad due to the clogged inlet filter. In this case, a new printhead would solve the problem in a happy way.
Otherwise, it would be a waste of money, as I'm pessimistic that I could fix the purge system.

Any other advice is welcome!

 

[stratman]

And as I see (by the fact that my question has remained unanswered) it seems that nobody knows how this issue could be solved...

Not sure what question you are referring to but I did touch on soaking the print head to dissolve clogs. Read the last paragraph of mine in post #4. Patience is key. Allow soaking for at least 12 if not 24 hours the first time around, then flush, let dry and then try a nozzle check. Report your results.

HOWEVER, if your purge system is clogged then all of this is moot, ie a waste of time, as would be a new print head.

but water is not absorbed from the purge pad due to the clogged inlet filter.

The issue here is with the purge system, not the print head. While there may be a remote connection between the two, you need to treat them as separate issues that need to be their own resolutions.

I did suggest cleaning the purge pad, since it is relatively easy to do, but chances are the issue is a clog in the purge system tubing.

After all, I came to the conclusion that the best thing, for now, is to keep my current printer and to use it for as long as possible, forgetting about the pigment black.

At this point you know the options of what can be done or attempted with your printer. It's up to you now.

 

[floK]

I did suggest cleaning the purge pad, since it is relatively easy to do, but chances are the issue is a clog in the purge system tubing.
.

Thanks again, @stratman, but just to be sure I understand correctly:
do you say that the purge system does not have an airtight junction with the print head (when parked), so even if the printhead is clogged, this will not create a vacuum and the purge system will still be able to absorb the liquid from the pad (supposing I'll manage to repair it)?
Because, otherwise, I couldn't have any proof that I fixed it.