65536 printouts detected in MG6250 EEPROM

[Łukasz]

Hello!

have some good news here.

Someone ask me how to reset ink absorber counter on Pixma MG6250, because regular procedure revealed "Error code: 009". Error code was found to be due unclosed cd-tray cover. The real surprise was page counter, first thought was "faulty EEPROM", but number of PGBK ink tank changes was also high - little over 100.

Here are some scanned service mode printouts:

Although generally good look, some symptoms of aging was found. Very little CLI-BK nozzles distortion, and also similar defects of CLI-Y (very hard to spot them!).

I wish everyone on this forum that its printer made even more prints!

Ł.

 

[PeterBJ]

I see no errors in the regular nozzle check. I think the stripe in the dye BK is caused by a fold in the paper. In the extended nozzle check I see some vertical striping in the dye black pattern. I have also experienced striping in the extended nozzle check for dye black, but a regular nozzle cleaning from user mode made the extended nozzle check for dye black look OK again.

I think this is the highest number of pages printed by a Canon inkjet printer posted on the forum, but @jimbo123 is getting close.

Comparing the numbers to those posted by jimbo123, it looks like the MG6250 has just had the absorber counter resat a second time. Do you know if the ink absorber was replaced or cleaned at the time of the first reset? if not it seems to be safe to reset the counter once and continue printing. I think the answer could be of interest for @mswannie .

Here is an example of an absorber overflow, but this printer was reset 4 times without having the absorbers changed,

 

[Łukasz]

I think the stripe in the dye BK is caused by a fold in the paper.

Yes - I got these printouts by postal service
But it is also very thin horizontal line in gray strip in service test print (can be seen with naked eye, but not on descreened scan). Gray strip is printed with solely CLI-BK, while two upper, blue stripes are 2 pl and 1 pl (printed with C + M).

Comparing the numbers to those posted by jimbo123, it looks like the MG6250 has just had the absorber counter resat a second time.

From what I know, it was the first reset absorber. I do not even know whether it has been replaced. The majority of this printer waste ink is PGBK, which has an outlet (1) above the feeder cassette (on the forum there are pictures of MX892 and see what black heap can be there). The ink dye is poured under the the service station, and when ink overflows (2), the pump roller sensor gets dirty and throws error 5C20.

Here is fine disassembly instruction (it is for iP4600 but is the same printer family):
http://www.startcopy.ru/repair/rol_c_ip4600.shtml

Position of Pomp Roller Sensor:

Pomp Roller Sensor & Slat encoder design:

Please take a look on 3 "blades" (1) and unclosed bottom (2).
When absorber overflow, ink gets inside by unclosed bottom (2) and is splattered by "blades" (1) onto Pomp Roller Sensor. In effect "Error 5C20" is returned. Error 5C20 literally means: can't see rotating "blades".

So, it is possible to reset ink absorber counter multiple times until appearance of Error 5C20.

Ł.

P.S.
I also have some EEPROM data from MG6150, which printed not more than 3000 pages and has 85% ink absorber counter. That high rate of waste ink per printed page has something to do with disabling ink monitor, and printer usage profile.

 

[PeterBJ]

...From what I know, it was the first reset absorber. I do not even know whether it has been replaced...
...I also have some EEPROM data from MG6150, which printed not more than 3000 pages and has 85% ink absorber counter. That high rate of waste ink per printed page has something to do with disabling ink monitor, and printer usage profile...

I think these very different number of pages printed before the absorber was full, and not knowing if the MG6200 had its absorbers changed, makes it impossible to tell if it is safe to continue printing after an absorber reset without an absorber change or cleaning.

I don't know if the error 5C20 can be trusted to switch the printer off before an ink disaster happens. Putting a suitable plastic tray under the printer might be a good idea if you reset the absorber and continue printing without changing the absorber. Also be careful when transporting the printer.

The low number of printed pages for a D-value of 85% confirms the reports that disabling ink level monitoring drastically increases print head cleaning. So the use of a resetter is recommended.

The number of printed pages before an absorber reset is needed seems to depend on the printer usage pattern. The line PC ( M=000 R=001 T=302 D=007 C=117 I=040 ) from the EEPROM info is interesting.

Here is my interpretation: PC means Purge Count.

M=000 means no normal manual nozzle cleaning from the printer driver was done.
R=001 means one manual intensive nozzle cleaning from the printer driver was done.
T=302 means 302 purges was caused by a timer. This happens at some intervals probably independent of pages printed. If the printer is disconnected from the mains when turned off, this timer will cause a purge when the printer is turned on next time. Leaving the printer always connected to the mains and only turning it off using the printer's on/off switch reduces the number of purges and increases the absorber life.
D=007 means 7 purges were caused by a drop counter during large print jobs.
C=117 means 117 purges were caused by a cartridge or print head change.
I don't know the meaning of I=040, it is not mentioned in the older service manuals.

This thread has two examples of different number of pages printed before absorber reset was needed. One printer printed a large percentage of photos, another printer was used mostly for plain paper documents.

I checked the startcopy.ru site. I find their instructions excellent even if I have to use Google translate. Another site that also has some excellent instructions for absorber change is druckerchannel.de. Link to instructions here. Scroll down to "Resttintenbehälter wechseln" = "Change absorbers". Note that a relatively new printer like the iP7250 is included.

 

[jimbo123]

65536 is one of those computer magic numbers.

65536 is the largest number that can be expressed by 2 eight-bit bytes of data.

65536 is 2 to the power of 16.

65536 is the number of ports supports by the TCP protocol.

if 65536 is the total number of pages printed that is quite an impressive number !

i checked my MP830 last week it is at 55,500 pages and still printing, D=48%, on second set of waste pads.

J

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
• Active Printers: MP830, MP980, PRO-100
• Stored Printers: IP4500, MX700, MX860, MX870
• Method: German Durchstich Method
• Ink: Hobbicolors and OCP
• Misc: Squeeze bottles - so much easier than syringes

 

[The Hat]

I can certainly confirm that running a printer with no ink monitoring enabled does causes excessive purging and wasting of ink big time, so it’s to be avoided whenever possible..

 

[Łukasz]

Lots of topics to discuss

It was first ink absorber reset - "INK CLR=01"

I agree, it is not safe to wait until Error 5C20 or until overflow. It is good to at least visually inspect the ink absorber when the ink counter is high.

Here are some explanations from famous MP640 Extended Service Manual:

PC(...) = Purge Count

• M = Manual cleaning (Ł: triggered only by user)
  
• R = deep cleaning (Ł: triggered only by user)
  
• T = cleaning by Timer (Ł: auto cleaning before first print after power-on, triggered by time interval)
  
• D = cleaning by Dot count (Ł: auto cleaning after certain/large number of droples fired)
  
• C = cleaning at ink tank or print head replacement (Ł: auto cleaning)
• I = faulty termination (Ł: after forced power-off even if printhead was capped)

*auto cleaning cannot be disabled or canceled.

65536 is one of those computer magic numbers. (...)
if 65536 is the total number of pages printed that is quite an impressive number !

It may be even higher, because it is "end-of-counter" situation, and seems not to be modulo operation there.

After some calculations, it seems that this printer has printed an average of 100 pages per day

These druckerchannel.de instructions are fine. They showed box absorber in iP7200

And here is something very interesting:
http://www.startcopy.net/notes/canon_printhead.shtml

Unfortunately, the Author (http://www.startcopy.ru/conf_gal/mag54.htm) died in 2011

Ł.

 

[The Hat]

Here’s to Michael..
RIP

 

[PeterBJ]

Thank you very much for this additional info!

The extended service manual has a good explanation of the EEPROM print out for newer Canon printers.

The Canon print head info by the late Mikhail Agafonov is also excellent. RIP Mikhail.

The extended service manual for MP640 is found here, for those who want to study electronics info and interpretation of EEPROM print outs for newer Canon printers. Thank you very much to Lucasz for the tip.

I don't know what is safe, but this thread and this post by @dadasalam suggests that you can at least reset the absorber counter once without replacing or cleaning the absorbers and continue printing safely.

 

[mswannie]

Right, well I have reset the absorber counter and I have not changed the ink absorber on my MG6150 and I will carry on printing and let you know what happens, if anything does (like an overflow) but I think it will be Ok.