Another Print head bites the dust..

[The Hat]

Turned on my Pro 9500 yesterday morning and it went through its usual start-up routine but then it stopped abruptly with the Big red notice of B200 error warning displayed.

I turned off the printer again and I could pull the print head out from the parking station, I could also remove the cartridges but not the print head, the print head carriage was stuck in the down print position and wouldn’t allow the head to be removed.

I Figured it was time to pull the top cover off and see what had cause the problem in the first place, well it didn’t take long to notice the wiper and blades had de-thatch themselves from it’s position with bits of it all over the purge unit and one piece was stuck under the print head.

I carefully removed all the pieces I could see and then rotated the gears to enable me to remove the print head by raising print carriage up a little bit.

It was obvious that if I was going to attempt fix the wiper unit and blades then the purge unit would have to be remover and this would also assist me in finding the remaining missing pieces.

I managed to locate all the wiper unit pieces, then with an awful lot of cleaning I managed to get most of the ink off so I could see where everything was suppose to go, I had a lovely clean purge unit.

With the help of some photos that I had taken from a previous encounter with a purge unit repair, I was able to put all the pieces back in the correct order and glue them into their right position, I used EVO-STIK Rapid Metal hardener.

I carefully put the purge unit back into the printer and assembled all the bits I had removed to gain access to it and then put the top cover back on again.

I switched on the printer and everything looked and sounded fine then I installed the print head followed by the cartridges and Wham same Error B200 appeared, so I tried removing the cartridges and head once more and you guessed it, the head wouldn’t come out !

I removed the top cover AGAIN and pulled the head out, powered on the printer and it was sounding good with no errors this time, so I put an old spare damaged head in that I had and the printer accepted it and worked properly, Top cover still off at this stage.

So I pulled out the carts and print head and put back in the original head again and the same B200 error occurred, so it was time to try another approach, may be the head got damaged from hitting the wiper unit blade assembly ?

I put a third print head (Damaged) in and it work fine also, then I put the first damaged head that had worked previously in and it too worked fine and finally I put back the original head in and it worked with no carts in but once I installed all the carts then the B200 error reappeared.

The final outcome to it was to install a print head from my other 9500 and reassemble this printer again and it’s now working away like nothing ever happened to it, so it’s now time to purchase yet another new head.

I will do another thread later with photos and an update on the dissembling of the purge unit with something else that I found while poking around there..

 

[stratman]

Wow. What a story. I've not heard of this scenario before with bits and pieces exploded all over. What do you think was the inciting event - the wiper blades detaching then breaking up when the print head carriage tried to move from its parked position?

 

[The Hat]

Wow. What a story. I've not heard of this scenario before with bits and pieces exploded all over. What do you think was the inciting event - the wiper blades detaching then breaking up when the print head carriage tried to move from its parked position?

More like the other way round, the wiper unit probably got stuck in the way and the print head then ran into it on the way back causing damage to both the head and the wiper unit, I’ve never had that happen before.

I had a similar problem about six months ago with my i865 when the purge unit wouldn’t move and got stuck in the up position and jammed the print head giving the same B200 error, but fortunately the head was not damaged on that occasion.

The problems that these printers can throw up cease to amaze me..

 

[stratman]

The problems that these printers can throw up

I'd want to throw up too if my dear printer disintegrated like that.

 

[3dogs]

I would be in hopes that a LOT of folks read your post. Sure printers can throw up mechanical problems, anything that is put together, can and does fall apart. That is a natural function of use.

What I take from your post is that you observed the outcome of the mechanical failure then set about problem solving yourself, based on what you saw, and continued trial and error till you found a solution.

In a society where we have the option to hand our issues to others to solve for us, a forum like this can easily default into such a place. Where at the first sign of a problem a person throws their hands in the air and - ASK THE FORUM as a first response, instead of doing a bit of looking, thinking and figuring, so that when they get around to asking for help they are already at a point where they KNOW what the problem isn't.
I think you post sets a great example for folks entering the realm of printing DIY.

11/10

 

[martin0reg]

Congratulations for saving the printer, condolenses for loosing a printhead (which seems to be not the cheapest type of..)

I was wondering wether the primary reason was electronical or mechanical damage of the printhead...because the first is often caused by any kind of burnt nozzles, may it happen slowly over time or suddenly.
The "bubble jet disease" in my amateur view: over heating of nozzles running dry resulting in micro short circuits of the printhead's board...which possibly can result in damage of the printer's board.

But if in this case the first problem was mechanical I don't understand why the printhead seems to be NOT mechanical damaged ... and now keeps saying "B200"..!?

 

[The Hat]

But if in this case the first problem was mechanical I don't understand why the printhead seems to be NOT mechanical damaged ... and now keeps saying "B200"..!?

Thanks @martin0reg, I for one was stumped by the recurrence of the B200 error, I even tried the same print head in another 9500 and got the same message, so I know the problem is with this print head and not anywhere else, this was a first for me..

@3dogs I wanted to give you a couple more” likes “ because you gave me 11 / 10, so thank you too, now it’s time to talk to the Piggy bank and squeeze another €120 out of him..