Unclogging Canon Printheads

[inkoholic]

The second Windex bath improved quality a bit more. Now that was a nice little surprise. The cyan is now less displaced and stripes are somewhat less visible. I wonder if I repeat what I just did if things will get better and better! I wonder what did the trick compared to last time: the added alcohol or the extra bathing in demineralized water.
My cleaning process in a nutshell:

-rinsing printhead with hot tap water for a couple of minutes
-have the printhead sit in a miniature tub with Windex, alcohol and paper towels. Patience: take at least 3 days!
-gently agitate the printhead up and down so Windex is flowing upwards through the printhead, with paper towels on top of the ink holes
-After three days rinse the printhead again with plenty of hot water
-Rinse with demineralized water and have the printhead sit in demineralized water for another day.

Question: I used alcohol KETONATUS. Isopropylalcohol seems to work best, what's the difference with the ketonatus substance?

 

[SteveG]

Glad I found this place and hope someone can help with my Frustrating Problem. Grrrr!! Fairly new Canon IP4820 - constant clogged magenta print head. Tried several cleaning methods - it works for a while and then the same problem. Yesterday I bought a new Canon 226 magenta cartridge in case the old refilled one was faulty. Still, no magenta AT ALL and after rinsing and soaking (hot water/ then held over steam / then soak with squirt of Windex) it was fine again for 30 colour pages but after the next cartridge refill . . . back to no magenta AT ALL. Did the hot water rinse and soak again - still no magenta. Just did a software deep clean three times in a row with result being sporadic magenta.

Faulty printer? Did I ruin the heads? Should I buy the same model again as I have plenty of ink?? I need to print a few hundred pages ASAP. Help! And thanks . . .

 

[stratman]

Fairly new Canon IP4820 - constant clogged magenta print head.

I need to print a few hundred pages ASAP. Help! And thanks . . .

Is your printer still under warranty? If so, do not delay with posting here - call Canon technical support.

What ink are you using to refill?

What method of refilling?

Post an image of your nozzle check.

If you need a printer in a hurry, buy another one or use someone elses or a service like Kinko's. Until details are sorted out it is too early to tell if the problem is a clog that can be cleared, a print head that needs to be replaced due to malfunction, or a dysfunctional printer besides the print head.

*Your post and anyone else that replies to it should be in a new thread instead.*

 

[SteveG]

Fairly new Canon IP4820 - constant clogged magenta print head.

I need to print a few hundred pages ASAP. Help! And thanks . . .

Is your printer still under warranty? If so, do not delay with posting here - call Canon technical support.

What ink are you using to refill?

What method of refilling?

Post an image of your nozzle check.

If you need a printer in a hurry, buy another one or use someone elses or a service like Kinko's. Until details are sorted out it is too early to tell if the problem is a clog that can be cleared, a print head that needs to be replaced due to malfunction, or a dysfunctional printer besides the print head.

*Your post and anyone else that replies to it should be in a new thread instead.*

Sorry - not sure how to post this as new thread. Ink is from Island Inkjet (reputable company here in Canada) used them for years for Epson and Canon printers. Fill from drilled hole in top of cartridge/close with glue gun - done this for years with no problems. Nozzle check image not needed as the magenta is blank - no ink at all. Occasionally there are slim streaks then blank again. I clean the heads very well and all is fine - then nothing after next refill. Printer should be under warranty but . . . If I call Canon won't they say the warranty is void because of refilling? Thanks.

 

[stratman]

If everything is OK with a new Magenta cartridge but that color fails after a refill, then it sounds like your ink, the cartridge, and/or your refilling technique is the root problem. One thing you can try is flush your Magenta cartridge, refill and try again. Otherwise purchase a new cartridge and begin fresh.

We don't ask for a nozzle check image for our health but your printer's. Time and again a nozzle check is worth a thousand words. Users may not realize what they see or able to accurately describe it. If you don't care to post the image then the help you receive may not be appropriate to diagnose and fix your issue(s).

 

[SteveG]

If everything is OK with a new Magenta cartridge but that color fails after a refill, then it sounds like your ink, the cartridge, and/or your refilling technique is the root problem. One thing you can try is flush your Magenta cartridge, refill and try again. Otherwise purchase a new cartridge and begin fresh.

We don't ask for a nozzle check image for our health but your printer's. Time and again a nozzle check is worth a thousand words. Users may not realize what they see or able to accurately describe it. If you don't care to post the image then the help you receive may not be appropriate to diagnose and fix your issue(s).

I'll happily post a nozzle check image now - I could not find how to do it in FAQ so I'll assume I use the "upload" on this page and hope it works. Btw, everything is not OK with the new Magenta cartridge - I had not refilled that one when the problem happened again - and with the same colour (Magenta).
Thanks

 

[inkoholic]

If everything is OK with a new Magenta cartridge but that color fails after a refill, then it sounds like your ink, the cartridge, and/or your refilling technique is the root problem. One thing you can try is flush your Magenta cartridge, refill and try again. Otherwise purchase a new cartridge and begin fresh.

We don't ask for a nozzle check image for our health but your printer's. Time and again a nozzle check is worth a thousand words. Users may not realize what they see or able to accurately describe it. If you don't care to post the image then the help you receive may not be appropriate to diagnose and fix your issue(s).

I'll happily post a nozzle check image now - I could not find how to do it in FAQ so I'll assume I use the "upload" on this page and hope it works. Btw, everything is not OK with the new Magenta cartridge - I had not refilled that one when the problem happened again - and with the same colour (Magenta).
Thanks

Use http://imgur.com/ to upload the image. I like to see the nozzle test as the printer's ECG

I could also recommend to let the printhead soak in Windex for a long time. Tedious but it did help me at least. But I've also gathered you're in a hurry so I don't know if waiting is an option.

 

[stratman]

Yes, use the Upload function to post an image.

One other thing you can try is to clean the metal contact surfaces of the print head and the printer with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or use a pencil eraser. If the contacts are dirty from ink or oxidation then the electrical signal will be impeded and result in failure to output ink.

 

[inkoholic]

Yes, use the Upload function to post an image.

One other thing you can try is to clean the metal contact surfaces of the print head and the printer with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth or use a pencil eraser. If the contacts are dirty from ink or oxidation then the electrical signal will be impeded and result in failure to output ink.

I might as well give that a shot with my printhead. It's still got weird banding issues.

 

[leoo]

I have a strange nozzle check problem. I am sorry for breaking apart the URL with the nozzle check test but the forum does not allow noobs to post any URL.

ww w .nifty-stuff. com / forum /uploads/ 8913_nozzle-check1.jpg

There are no lines but magenta and yellow had their color block split in 2 parts, a normal tone and half intense and lighter shade blocks (see photo). Now the yellow is gone, and only magenta shows it.

Could that be

ink clogging problem
or
some electrical contacts
or
someting else?

Canon Pro9500.

Should I use amonia to clean the printhead or izopropyl alcohol? The printer uses pigment inks.

Any ideas?

I tried several cleaning cycles, droped some alcohol where cartriges deliver the ink with cleaning cycles but there is no change.