Canon pixma IP5000 - no cyan at all

[QE2]

follow up:
tonight I put in all new Canon cartridges and tried 3 test patterns (all came out pretty well), and a dark photo print with multi colors. The latter also seemed to come out pretty well.
So I'm feeling like it's fixed, although I'm a bit leery since I had put drops of solution on the intakes earlier today.
I'll try it again in the am after it has been shut off for the night.

Still wondering (ghwellsjr) if you have any thoughts about my post from earlier today (Monday: QE2 11:56:56 am) about Inctec dye, pigment black, etc.
You have all been so generous to take time answering and chiming in, so if I don't hear anymore I'll figure I wore you out with questions.
But obviously I couldn't have even attempted this otherwise, and my small success its yours too.
Thanks so very much.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I would prefer to use a reliable pre-filled non-canon cartridge because I won't always be available to refill and others can just pop a new one in. No muss, no fuss. I do understand that I could make a second set.
But in your experience are there any good/reliable sources for the pre-filled carts?

No.

Read this link:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6935#p6935

If I do venture into the refill arena, I have a couple of questions:

RE: "I recommend Inktec dye ink. I have also used their pigment black ink but have experienced clogs in the purge units on three MP780 printers (all recently) that I service. I had already decided to switch because that ink smears when you use a highlighter on it. I'm still looking for a good replacement..."

I'm assuming that the pigment black ink that you refer to is what goes in the BIG cartridge in the ip5000? correct?
have you found a replacement?
Have you used Hobbicolors High Quality Black Pigment Ink for Canon?
http://shop.ebay.com/kbay2002/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

Yes, the pigment black ink goes in the big cartridge.

No, I haven't yet decided on a replacement. I'm still hoping that someone in Europe will supply us Americans with the KMP ink or that someone in the USA will recommend a pigment black ink that is 100% pigment, won't smear if it gets wet and won't smear if you use a highlighter on it. I'm probably just going to have to buy small quantities of several inks and try them out.

And no, I haven't tried the Hobbicolors ink.

Also noting that you prefer the German method and thanks for the link.
A lot of people seem happy with Hobbicolors kits. But I assume you've made this choice to go the German method with Canon carts because of some experience/consideration.
Do you want to share any thoughts about this?

Yes, When I first started refilling, I did what everyone did, which was to remove the plastic ball in the top of the reservoir and refill through the hole it was plugging up. Then I would use the blue plugs that I got from Computer Friends (same place as the syringes). This process is a hassle the first time you do it and the plugs sometimes don't want to go in, or they break, or they leak. I then switched to vacuum refilling Canon cartridges because I could refill 75 cartridges at one time with 1 liter of Inktec ink and you don't have to make a refill hole or plug it up. But you do have to clean out the ink in the serpentine air vent path along the top of the cartridge. This is a hassle. With the German method, you don't have any of these problems.

Also regarding:
"I like the needles available (with syringes) at the bottom of this website:
http://inkjet.cfriends.com/accessories.htm
Can you confirm that this is:
"Small slip-tip syringe (10-12cc capacity) with blunt 2" needle?"

Those are the ones.

Seems that if we use the printer irregularly for color prints, that there wlll always be potential issues with the color heads drying out + clogging - no matter which way we go...

The printer will do periodic head cleanings if you leave your printers turned on to minimize this problem. However, I do recommend doing a nozzle check at least once a week and at the same time squirting some Windex on the two purge pads and observing that it gets sucked away after closing and reopening the cover. These two simple procedures should keep your printer running for a very long time.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I'm assuming that the pigment black ink that you refer to is what goes in the BIG cartridge in the ip5000? correct?
have you found a replacement?
Have you used Hobbicolors High Quality Black Pigment Ink for Canon?
http://shop.ebay.com/kbay2002/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25

I contacted Hobbicolors to see how to buy just the pigment black ink for the PGI-5Bk. It is item #250517825492. I also asked if it will smear when a highlighter is used. Dave told me that they never did any testing with a highlighter and wanted me to buy some and test it myself.

So I'm asking for people who refill with the above mentioned ink, does it smear when you use any highlighter--not one that is designed not to smear?

 

[leo8088]

I have used ink from Hobbicolors for several years. I do not use highlighter much but when I did I did not have any smearing that I could remember. My requirement for a black pigment ink is if I post a sheet of black text outdoors the letters will remain intact and deep black after a night of rain. The PMT ink from Hobbicolors had served me well with this requirement. I actually tested it bt dipping a test sheet in a sink full of water for a few minutes. After the paper dried the text looked almost no change. The paper was crooked so I won't say the text looked exactly the same.

 

[QE2]

Although I don't want to jinx anything...
I am happy to report after waiting a day and now printing a bunch of color images that everything looks good.
I am so pleased that I found this forum, and grateful for the time that you all took to respond.

ghwellsjr, I assume that you have been using pigment black ink from Inktec when U refill via the German method, and that you'll continue doing so tilll you find a replacement. Am I correct?
If you do find something you prefer, I hope that you'll post it...

Cheers!

 

[ghwellsjr]

Actually, I haven't used up all the BCI-3eBk cartridges that I previously refilled with Inktec ink using the vacuum process so I have not yet started refilling them with the German method. I do not have any more Inktec pigment black ink, so when I use up the existing refilled cartridges, I will start refilling with some other brand. I'm still hoping that I can get some KMP ink but I can't wait for that to happen. I will probably put in an order for Hobbicolors and see if that passes the highlighter smear test. If it does, I'll go with that. Otherwise, I'll have to look for another candidate. I'm open for suggestions.

 

[QE2]

Noted...
by the way, do you store your (bottled) inks in the fridge?
And I'm assuming that you remove the syringes from the bottles and wash them for storage between refilling sessions?

 

[ghwellsjr]

My 1-liter bottles of Inktec ink say on the label, "Use ink in normal temperature 15C-35C (59F-95F) away from direct sunshine." For that reason, I have never stored them in a refrigerator. I have kept them in an enclosed shelf near the floor.

By the way, the expiration date on them is more than two years away and I've had them for over a year, maybe two.

You ask me about removing the syringes from the bottles and washing them. I'm not sure what you mean by this.

If you are going to follow the process I recommended in the link on post #32 of this thread, then I would not wash anything when done refilling. The small syringes that the Inktec ink comes in cannot be re-used so there is no point in washing them and it is just about impossible to wash them anyway because you cannot even retract the plunger inside the syringe.

I just discovered that the although the syringes that I got from Computer Friends do not have threads on them, the needles do, and they perfectly fit the threads on the Inktec "syringes" which means that you want to twist the needle a half turn or so to make a secure fit with the Inktec syringe.

So when you empty a syringe, put the rubber cap on the needle, remove the needle from the empty syringe, discard the syringe and put the needle on a fresh syringe of the same color. When you're done refilling, put the rubber plug on the end of the needle and store it. This way, each color has its own needle, the fresh ink is never exposed to air, and you're always ready to refill another cartridge.

If you are not getting your ink in the Inktec syringes, then you would want to drain any excess ink out of the syringe you are using and wash it and the needle, leaving them apart so they can dry.

By the way, if you don't put the cap on the needle when transferring it from an empty syringe to a full one, you'll likely get ink all over the place.

Also, since I still have lots of Inktec dye ink in the 1-liter bottles, I'm not yet using the small syringes for refilling. I do have a few of them to test out the process.

And, I ordered the pigment black ink from Hobbicolors so when I get it, I'll report on its water- and highlighter-fastness.

 

[QE2]

thanks for the update...

 

[cksdjs]

I have a similar problem - also with the cyan - but Pixma iP4000. My cyan began streaking, and a nozzel check was fine on reg. cyan, but streaked on the lt. cyan strip. Eventually, after multiple cleanings, both shades of the cyan showed streaked on the nozzle check. I put in a clean printhead, cleaned previously and stored sealed like when new, which printed all colors without streaks. I put the other printhead in to soak overnight like I must do periodically for a couple years. I then dry them for a couple days, repackage and seal - and this has always made them work like new the next time.

After printing a few pages, the cyan began streaking again, both reg. and lt. nozzle check. I tried a few cleanings, with no change. I made sure the cartridge was changed, in case something was in the ink of the first cartridge - no change.

Since it is the same color, with 2 different printheads, I am beginning to wonder if the printer itself might be causing the problem, since it has age on it, and even squeaks pretty bad sometimes, especially during cleaning.

The drivers were replaced only a couple months ago, when I bought this new 1 TB, 64-bit computer.

It is time to print the Christmas Cards, so I need to solve this or bring down a new printer from the top of the coat closet.