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Hello Triiger, I should really have stated how I came to the conclusion. I tried shaking and then wicking the excess ink out of the cartridge but saw - using a magnifying glass - that the outlet pad was still wet/saturated. And the nozzle tests were still problematic. I tried another...

I can now confirm that the problem - needle-shaped white patches in the noozle test pattern - was caused by an overfull cartridge. Yes, I have noticed that an OEM cartridge is good only for a couple of refills. In fact, I took apart a new cartridge and saw that the absorbent 'sponge' was...

Many thanks to both Smile and Dan. That the cartridge is too full does make sense; I can see that the cartridge pads are wetter than those of a new OEM cartridge. (A few months ago, worried I might be over-filling the BCI-24 carts, I asked, on the refilling forum, how to gauge when it's...

Many thanks. Picking up on your comments on air in the system, I have just did a further search on this forum. The second and third pictures in the thread: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2982 show a perfect example of the sort of thing I'm finding in the top colour...

I've run both the nozzle test print and the Service test pattern on my Canon i455. I've just fitted a new print head and have fitted new cartridges. There's a problem on the test patterns: On the Service test print, there's a cyan band 1cm high a third of the way down the page with a long...

Hi and thanks for the reply. Filling to saturation was when I'd run into problems such as messy wet black streaks on the first few prints and, more recently, poor colour printing that no amount of deep cleaning cleared. On removing the printer casing, I could see quite a mess in the...

I can now confirm that - for this cartridge at least - overfull is when there is weepage from the nozzles in the printhead and the knock on effect of that is excess ink being spread over the nozzles and causing blockages. I used absorbent paper towelling (not toilet paper, which leave a dust)...

Many thanks. I don't have sensitive scales and I notice that different carts use different sponge types. Also, it looks as if the capacity of the Canon sponge falls off with time and might not be all that high from new. At the moment, I've taken the printhead out - as easy as removing...

Thanks Simon, but this really highlights the problem I encounter, namely, I can't be sure how much is left in the cartridge, especially if I refill well before the ink level starts to get low. The sort of test I had in mind might be, for example, if you see liquid ink if you put slight pressure...

Many thanks for your interest. My printer is a Canon i455 and the cartridges are the BCI-24s: three-colour cart and black cart. Martin

I find it very easy to overfill a cartridge, especially when regularly topping up, rather than waiting till the cart starts to run dry. And that makes a bit of a mess in the printer. Is there a foolproof test that indicates when a cartridge is optimally filled? Martin

Slight setback: the hot-melt glue is not sufficieantly well bonded to prevent leakage. After a week or so, I got leakage between 2 compartments. I removed and cleaned the sponges, removed the glue remnants and this time used epoxy (Araldite) slow-setting. The bond is better but again...

I have now refilled the cleaned empty cartridges as detailled above. A point to note is that it is worth filing down the sides of the colur cart until they are a milimetre or so lower than the 2 walls that separate the 3 colour cavities. This way, you can be sure that the lid is making...

I have now disassembled my BCI-24 colour cartridge. Prising the top off was slightly more difficult than on the black cart, but still relatively easy. The sponges came out easily together with the 4mm square pad that sits behind the delivery outlet. They washed clean without much...

I have opened up my black Canon original BCI-24 cartridge and am posting my findings. I have refilled the black and colour carts, through the ink outlet sponge, for the past 2 years and had noticed a fall-off in the colour quality which I put down to evaporation of the ink carrier leaving...

I've been refilling my Canon BCI-24 black and 3-colour cartridges for some 18 months now and I think the cartridges might be getting tired. I've ordered new Canon carts but plan to experiment with the old ones. I understand the ink is pigmented not dye-based. I ran some ammonia...

You're dead right, BlasterQ. Thanks. Furthermore, I sent them an e-mail 3 days ago pointing out this apparent oversight and asking if, indeed, it was an error. I have not had a reply and the website has not been altered, from which everyone is free to draw their own conclusions. Martin

Dear Rob, Like someone replied to me concerning some duff information about printer settings: "There is a lot of bad information on the 'Net and this site is full of it!" I'll be filling the BCI-24 (Canon i455). I have not yet connected up the printer or fitted the cartridges. I have...

Thanks Rob, I have seen quite a few instructions which talk about enlarging the vent hole eg: http://www.alotofthings.com/supportforrefillers/instructions_canon_BCI-21_BCI-24_BC-20_BC-23.html and some talk about enlarging the "fill hole" - eg: http://atlascopy.com/instructions/ca40c3bk.pdf...

Is the refill hole is the vent hole enlarged with a 1/16th drill or similar. If so, do you run into problems by sealing the hole completely? Or do you have to remove the plug for printing and replace it immediately afterwards in order to allow the pressure in the tank not to fall during...