Canon Pixma ip4300 won't print text and won't print the pgbk test pattern

[Genki]

Ok I flooded the pads and then did a cleaning of the PGBK only. I did this twice. Both times both flooded pads were emptied of the water after cleaning. The square pad took on a more whitish appearance than before but the rectangular one remained black.

Doing the 2nd step now. I can see water coming up from the print nozzles and exiting all 5 ink inlet ports on the print head when I press the print head down on the paper towel in the soap and water solution.

 

[stratman]

Your purge system check sounds normal. Good.

Be patient with flushing your print head. Try soaking 24 hours if you can. Let us know the results.

Fingers crossed for success.

 

[Genki]

I cleaned the print head and soaked it for 24 hours. I then left it to dry on a paper towel. My only concern before I reinstall it is that despite flushing and soaking for 24 hours I still had a black ink stain on the paper towel where I dried it. Do you think it worthwhile to soak again until it dries with out any stain showing?

 

[stratman]

Do you think it worthwhile to soak again until it dries with out any stain showing?

Yes. Flush in the sink and then soak again.

 

[Genki]

After soaking 4.5 days more the print head still leaked pgbk ink on a paper towel as it dried! It was staining the wad of paper towel in the soak bath too but it finally stopped doing that which is why I decided to dry it out. It must be (or have been) a heck of an ink clog or just very difficult to fully flush out.
Oh well, back to the bath with it.

 

[The Hat]

Oh well, back to the bath with it.

@Genki, I hate to say this after all the hard work you have put in trying to get the head unclogged, the reason it won’t print the pigment black on that side of the print head is because the head has suffered a complete electrical failure.

Your cartridge is fine and so are all the black nozzles, but with no electrical power going to them, they simply won’t work anymore, if you set your Media selection to Matte paper you can continue to use the print head for text printing...

 

[Genki]

@Genki, I hate to say this after all the hard work you have put in trying to get the head unclogged, the reason it won’t print the pigment black on that side of the print head is because the head has suffered a complete electrical failure.

Your cartridge is fine and so are all the black nozzles, but with no electrical power going to them, they simply won’t work anymore, if you set your Media selection to Matte paper you can continue to use the print head for text printing...

I think I gave the wrong impression. I never tried printing with the cart after the 4.5 day soak. I noticed it was still bleeding ink from the pgbk slot when I was drying it so I didn't try to print with it. I just put it back in for more soaking. There's still hope!

 

[The Hat]

I hated being a killjoy, but the world loves an optimist...

 

[Genki]

Oh now I see. You think the original problem was an electrical failure and not a clog. That would explain the sudden onset of no printing text. Oh well, I only wasted a little dish washing liquid and some water.

 

[turbguy]

Don't give up yet...if a nozzle check shows ANYTHING in the PGBK matrix, even very faint lines, the PGBK nozzles are firing.

Good luck.