Need help. My nozzle checks are bad on my Canon PIXMA MX 870.

[ghwellsjr]

11. Per instructions from ghwellsjr I replaced the virgin Caboodle cart with an OEM Canon CLI-221BK cart and performed a nozzle check. The result is what you see on the second picture (#5 post). Note: did not perform any cleans or a deep clean on the OEM Canon CLI-221BK cart.

12. I think it is time to do a print head cleaning.

Yes, it is time to do a print head cleaning.

 

[The Hat]

joseph1949 Per your post there is no waiting. Is this true?

Thats correct just squirt and go.
If there is no improvement then follow ghwellsjr advice and do a print head clean.

Can I ask if youre refilling only OEM cartridges and not compatibles and are using two different brands
of ink is that correct.

guyg I am new to this also so I am far from an expert and I don't think the Hat will approve

The advise is free but all your mistakes are charged for later..

 

[joseph1949]

To: The Hat
To: ghwellsjr

Thank you for your reply.

The Hat, per your question on my carts and ink, here is the straight dope:

1. All carts are OEM Canon carts. No compatible carts.

2. For the last five months I have refilled the OEM Canon carts with InkTec ink. This is the only refill ink that I have used.

3. The print head has seen OEM Canon cart ink, Caboodle ink (Canon cart with Caboodle ink), and Canon cart [OEM Canon cart or Caboodle cart (OEM Canon cart)] with InkTec refill ink.

4. In short, all carts are OEM Canon carts. The print head has seen Canon ink, Caboodle ink, and for the last five months InkTec refill ink.

If the Windex drops do not work, I have a question.

Question: To The Hat and all ships at seacan you give me detailed instructions on how to clean a print head? I have researched the forum and what I have read is to soak the print head in Windex and dry thoroughly or soak the print head in water and dry thoroughly. This is not enough detail for me.

Here are the details that I need to know. Please provide more details if you deem fit.

1. Is Windex Original the best liquid to use? If not, what is the best liquid to use?

2. Do I completely cover the print head with the liquid or just part of the print head?

Note: Please tell me how to orientate (i.e. which side down, which side up, which end up, which end down, etc.) the print head for cleaning.

3. If it is just part of the print head, which part is it?

4. Do I need to take the print head apart or can I soak the print head in one piece?

5. Can I soak the parts like I would the print head proper or do I need to treat the parts in a different manner?

6. How long to I let the print head soak in the liquid?

7. How long do I need to soak the parts?

8. How do I dry the print head and the parts?

9. How long do I dry the print head and the parts?

10. Is there a kit that I can buy to clean the print head?

11. Is there another method (i.e. non-liquid and/or non-soak) to clean the print head?

12. How do I treat the carts that I will place in the clean print head?

13. How safe is it to use the soak method on the print head?

Yes, it is a lot of questions, but I would like to know what I am doing before I do something. I would like to do the least amount of experimentation on the print head. A print head is not cheap.

Thank you.

 

[pharmacist]

My goodness to know that the MX870 is actually worse compared to the MX850 I have: the nozzle check prints shows a smaller band of all colours, so the printing speed is considerably slower than my MX850. All printing bands are 3 times broader, so the printhead of the MX850 (IP4500, IP5300) is superior to the one in the MX870. Why is Canon selling newer printers that are actually worse compared to the older generation in terms of ink volume/cartridge, construction quality, printhead speed/quality, programmed automatic purging cycles ?

 

[stratman]

My goodness to know that the MX870 is actually worse compared to the MX850 I have: the nozzle check prints shows a smaller band of all colours, so the printing speed is considerably slower than my MX850. All printing bands are 3 times broader, so the printhead of the MX850 (IP4500, IP5300) is superior to the one in the MX870. Why is Canon selling newer printers that are actually worse compared to the older generation in terms of ink volume/cartridge, construction quality, printhead speed/quality, programmed automatic purging cycles ?

$$$

 

[The Hat]

joseph1949 Here are the details that I need to know. Please provide more details if you deem fit.

1. Is Windex Original the best liquid to use? If not, what is the best liquid to use? Windex is Reckoned to be just about the best.

2. Do I completely cover the print head with the liquid or just part of the print head? Either or just cover up to the top of the ink inlets.

Note: Please tell me how to orientate (i.e. which side down, which side up, which end up, which end down, etc.) the print head for cleaning.

Normal side up as you see it in the printer.
3. If it is just part of the print head, which part is it? As Above (2)

4. Do I need to take the print head apart or can I soak the print head in one piece? No never take your print head apart (no serviceable parts inside).

5. Can I soak the parts like I would the print head proper or do I need to treat the parts in a different manner? As Above

6. How long to I let the print head soak in the liquid? Several hour but most guys leave it over night.

7. How long do I need to soak the parts? As Above

8. How do I dry the print head and the parts? Use clean cloths or paper towels.

9. How long do I dry the print head and the parts? Leave your print head to dry somewhere nice and warm,
6/ 12/ 24 hours depending on the level of heat (just warm dont fry it).

10. Is there a kit that I can buy to clean the print head? At this stage you will actually be using it.

11. Is there another method (i.e. non-liquid and/or non-soak) to clean the print head? No but any new suggestions are certainly welcomed.

12. How do I treat the carts that I will place in the clean print head? Just cover the ink outlets on the bottom of the cartridge with the orange shoe that came
with the cartridge when new and use a rubber band to hold tightly then refit when the print head is ready.


13. How safe is it to use the soak method on the print head? Soaking the print head is usually very safe but * (* very important)
* its very important that its completely dry before reinserting it back in the printer.

I think at this stage its time for a Tea break unless stratman has anything to add..

 

[stratman]

joseph1949:

I always listen to my wise uncle The Hat. He speaketh the truth.


The Hat:

Like the different colored font you used to answer joseph1949's questions. Very nice.

 

[turbguy]

By an chance, IS THE RUBBER GASKET SURROUNDING THE DYE BLACK INK INLET SCREEN MISSING???

Wayne

 

[joseph1949]

To: The Hat

Thank you for your reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The blue color was a very nice touch.

Before I forget I have one more question for you:

Question: I am assuming that the Windex should be at least at room temperature (70F-80F).

Is it O.K. to have the Windex at a higher temperature? If so, what would that temperature be?

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My nozzle check is now back to normal. I did not have to use the Windex drops. Here is what happen:

1. While I was trying to figure out what to do with the bad nozzle check I unplugged the printer and I opened-up the top of the printer which exposed the carts and print head. Date: Monday morning, 05/30/11

2. Because of the cleans and deep cleanings the Caboodle cart CLI-221M (not a refill) was empty. I removed the cart. I did not replace the cart with another cart. Date: Monday morning, 05/30/11

Note: The Caboodle cart emptied out very quickly. I am not sure why.

3. On 6/01/11 at 2:15 P.m. I placed a refilled CLI-221M cart (Note: this was a spare OEM Canon cart with only the sponge and pad having ink. I am guessing that the spare cart was around four plus months old. ) into the print head. Up till now the M cart nozzle was exposed to the open air. Maybe not good?

4. After replacing the M cart I did a nozzle check (see nozzle check #1 below). As you can see the BK line is now normal. What caused the Bk cart to show normaltime, just time, Dr. Watson. After the cleans and deep cleans I left the printer to rest-up with the BK cart (OEM Canon cart, not a refill) in the printer for three days. I believed that the three days gave the ink enough time to saturate the sponge (actually the sponge was saturated in a few hours).

5. As you can see in the nozzle check # 1 the M cart is not normal. The reason for this is because the ink did not have time to saturate the sponge. Remember, the cart was a spare. More time should be given to a spare cart so as the ink can saturate the sponge.

6. At 2:18 P.M on 06/01/11 I performed a clean. Please see nozzle check #2 for the result. The M is still the same.

7. At 2:22 P.M. on 6/01/11 I performed another clean. Please see nozzle check #3 for the result. The M is now showing some improvement.

8. At 2:25 P.M. on 6/01/11 I performed a deep clean. Please see nozzle check #4 for the result. The M is nearly normal.

9. At this point I decided to walk away from the printer. I wanted to give the ink enough time to saturate the sponge.

10. At 12:30 P.M. on 6/02/11 I performed a nozzle check. Please see nozzle check #5.
As you can see the M is now normal. All the carts look normal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was time, just time, Dr. Watson.

Note: I believe that the two cleans and the deep clean were not necessary. All I needed to do was to give the ink in the M cart enough time to saturate the sponge. I believe that overnight (maybe just a few hours???) would have been enough time.

So, What caused all the fess. Way back when I did a print and I saw that the color was off. I did a nozzle check. I saw that the Yellow cart was not normal. I tried everything I could think of to fix the problem.

Let us ponder the reason(s) for the problem.

Possible problems:

1. Stuff happens.

2. The print head had seen 2000 prints.

3. The print head may need to be cleaned.

4. The printer is left on 24/7 except to do a refill.

5. I use the top-fill method to refill the yellow cart. I use hot wax to cover the refill hole on top of the ink tank. Each time I do a refill I have to remove the hot wax from the refill hole. About half of the time all of the wax comes loose. But in the other half of the time some wax is left in the hole. If you try to remove the wax the wax falls into the ink tank. UpshotI have wax in the ink tank. The wax in the tank may be causing the ink in the Yellow cart to not perform properly (i.e. off color print and bad nozzle check). I have since learned how to remove the wax from the opening. I heat-up a paper clip and place the hot tip of the paper clip into the wax. I do not let go of the paper clip for five minutes (maybe longer). Note: do not do this if you have the shakes. Trust me, you need a steady hand. After five minutes I can let go of the paper clip. I wait another ten minutes and then using a pair of needle-nose pliers I pull out the paper clip and out comes the hot wax plug.

How to fix the problems:

1. Stuff happens and you cannot do a thing about it.

2. I have bought a second (refurbished) MX870 for $80. Will use this printer while the first printer is down.

3. Will clean the print head.

4. Will do cleans and deep cleans on a regular basis.

5. Rotate my carts. I have been using the same carts for four plus months.

6. Will buy a new print head or maybe a third MX870 printer. I have not decided.

7. I have decided that a separate print head and refill carts is not a perfect match. I will have to learn to work with the non-perfect match.

8. When refilling a spare cart (or even a cart that you have just taken out of the print head) give enough time for the ink to saturate the sponge.

9. Keep wax out of the ink tankbig time!!!!!

10. I may try the german method. As a mere mortal I know that I am not worthy to use the german method. Please forgive me, but I am going to try the german method anyway.

First nozzle check.

Second nozzle check.

Third nozzle check.

Fourth nozzle check.

Fifth nozzle check.

Thank you.

 

[joseph1949]

To: turbguy

Thank you, Wayne, for the reply.

Yes, I know about the gasket. As I said in my last post I tried everything to fix my problems with the carts and the print head. I removed the BK cart gasket and the M cart gasket and I cleaned around, in, and on the gaskets. I used alcohol and cotton swabs to clean the gaskets.

You are the first person to mention the gaskets. You get a gold star. They are there and should be cleaned.

When I do a print head cleaning I will remove all the gaskets around the screens and clean them by hand.

Thank you.