Canon i850 - need to change print head?

[fotofreek]

Are you sure that one or more of the ink carts isn't leaking? If you refill, perhaps the fill hole isn't completely sealed? SAme might be true for an aftermarket cart that isn't sealed properly---and the unthinkable --- a faulty OEM cart????

 

[linefeed]

Yes I'm sure. I've never refilled and I've always used Canon carts. I pulled them all yesterday and they look fine. Also this problem has persisted through several changes of each cart.

I'm going to look for Windex. My wife only uses chamois on the windows but I think Windex or something similar (ammonia based?) is available here in the UK. I picked up a can of compressed air so I'll give that idea a try too.

What I'm still not sure about is whether, if all else fails, it's worth trying a new print head. They're about 74 pounds over here ($125 - $130) so it's not a cheap experiment, but a new similar printer would cost a lot more. On the other hand I'm reluctant to ditch the printer because after a cleaning cycle it does a great job on color photos. I might just live with it for another year.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[Grandad35]

If you don't already have Windex, just mix about 5% of ammonia with tap water. If you decide to look for a new print head, I Canon's service centers often sell them for less than most other sources. Print heads are someitmes available on ebay, but I don't see any currently listed for your printer. Maybe someone knows if there are other printers that use the same print head so that you can look for a print head for those models (or maybe even a complete used printer if the price is right). Good luck.

 

[CanonPhreak]

Try cleaning the service station:

http://www.weink.com/ecom/support/technotes/tsn19.htm

Yes I'm sure. I've never refilled and I've always used Canon carts. I pulled them all yesterday and they look fine. Also this problem has persisted through several changes of each cart.

I'm going to look for Windex. My wife only uses chamois on the windows but I think Windex or something similar (ammonia based?) is available here in the UK. I picked up a can of compressed air so I'll give that idea a try too.

What I'm still not sure about is whether, if all else fails, it's worth trying a new print head. They're about 74 pounds over here ($125 - $130) so it's not a cheap experiment, but a new similar printer would cost a lot more. On the other hand I'm reluctant to ditch the printer because after a cleaning cycle it does a great job on color photos. I might just live with it for another year.

Thanks for all the suggestions.