MP560 Pigment Head CLOGGED!!!

[themow]

I was having issues with nozzle check pattern in that there was nothing showing where there should be pigment black. I have read the 13 page thread and tried multiple things such as soaking, putting clear plastic tubing on the head with alcohol and windex and water. The pigment part on the head has almost no flow even with the tubing pressurized with a syringe. The dye based holes all flow equally fast and are clean. The pigment has had 91% alcohol soaking on it for 2 days and finally some black spots came out of the bottom of the head but it was only from the upper part of the spray nozzles and it was only with great pressure on the syringe. Can i remove the lower white part of the head thats held in with 2 screw and try to clean it that way?

 

[ghwellsjr]

Have you checked the purge unit to make sure it's getting the ink to flow in the first place?

I wouldn't take apart a print head unless it's a last resort. It's very easy to destroy it.

 

[themow]

No but if water is not flowing through a piece of plastic tubing that is airtight over the pigment section of the head shouldn't that be my first order of business?

 

[themow]

soaking all week and still no flow through the pigment ....any ideas?

 

[ghwellsjr]

It's so easy to check the purge unit. That should be the first thing you check whenever there is an ink flow problem. Do you know how to do it?

 

[RMM]

Try soaking with warm (not hot!!!) Windex with ammonia. I've had much better luck with this than when I used to use Isopropyl Alcohol. As others have also pointed out, you should check the purge unit, as its malfunction may be the cause for your current clog situation.

 

[Smile]

soaking in hot water with ammonia may damage the head, because ammonia gets highly reactive when hot (all chemicals do). And hot water is not good, mild warm water is good enough.

 

[themow]

after soaking and disassembling the print head and trying a new known workin pigment I still get nothing on my pigment section of my nozzle test other colors are fine. Nothing shows up at all its totally blank. I did get a few very very faint lines after a long soak but its back to nothing.


When i put windex on the park pads until it pools it drains before i shut the lid between 5-8 seconds after pooling it will drain printer unplugged. Any ideas?

 

[stratman]

Rules Of Missing Ink Club

1) Tell everyone you know about the Missing Ink Club. (paying homage to the movie Fight Club)
2) Never open the print head unless you are OK with ruining it for good, since that will mostly likely be the result.
3) Print nothing but a nozzle check until it is proper or for very good and specific reason to do otherwise. You may try 2 superficial and one deep cleaning at the onset as the manual advises.
4) Only do a nozzle check to see what the issue is. Post results on this forum if you can since a picture is worth a thousand words. Await further instructions unless you already know what to do.
5) Always check the purge system if the problem persists after cleanings. If the purge system is malfunctioning then messing with the print head may be of no value and will take valuable time away from solving the a difficult problem.
6) Numerous methods for unclogging print heads have been discussed on the forum. The key is PATIENCE!!!! Less aggressive methods have worked but they do require time. A gentler approach may be best in this situation - refer back to #2. Search for methods or post a question.
7) Sometimes nothing will work or you run out of patience and you end up buying a new print head or new printer. That's life.


I think you have reached #7 of the Missing Ink Club rules - taking the print head apart may have killed it for good regardless of a clog, not to mention the patience you did show in soaking the print head for week.

Concerning the purge pads:
If the pooled fluid drains before the printer even cycles or does a cleaning then you may have bigger problems than a print head issue, such as a detached purge tube(s) if I remember what ghwellsjr has said previously. I am not sure what you meant on this issue in your post. You close the lid but the printer is powered off?

 

[emerald]

themow: I'm convinced that the problem is a clogged pigment channel, not a purge unit. Your posts #1, #3 and #8 confirm that to me - no pigment flow. I've successfully cleared clogged pigment channels on 4 or 5 print heads similar to yours (QY6-0064 for i560) by using the same method you've used which is a piece of clear plastic tubing forced over the pigment nozzle and then using a syringe to force fluid through the channel. Before doing that, however, I remove all the rubber seals from all nozzles, place the print head under a water faucet and then vigorously flush HOT water (170 degree) through both sides of the print head several times until no more color appears on either side of the print head. Then I use the plastic tube, syringe and Windex to get a flow started. This is where damage can occur. Too much pressure on the syringe can cause an internal leak to develop between channels, especially between the dye channels.

You say you disassembled the print head. It's a risky endeavor but I've done it a few times - 2 times successfully - 2 times I've destroyed the print head. If you've reassembled the print head and it does not indicate an electronic failure, you may still stand a chance of clearing the clogged pigment channel. I've had one occasion where I was able to restore flow through the pigment channel by using the syringe method. But, it would print nothing - just nothing. I determined that the fault was not the purge unit because the print head failed in an identical manner in another known good printer. My guess was the failure was due to some electronic failure within the print head.

I'd try HOT water flushing, then place a piece of clear plastic tubing over the nozzle, fill the plastic tubing with Windex (a drop or two of ammonia is OK if you have some), firmly seat the print head output nozzle on several folds of a kitchen towel over night and see if wick action will start a flow. If you've read several threads about removing a clog and flushing, you're aware the print head circuitry MUST be DRY before installing it in a printer. You're on the right track. Good luck.