Canon Pixma MG5150 color print quality decline

[Aleksandar84]

I am having the folowing problem. Over time the color prints have started degrading. Colors in printed images show a bit dull, kinda blueish, photos are waaaay cooler than they used to be. I tried the printer deep cleaning, tried manualy cleaning woth windex and distilled water to no avail. When printing the print nozzle check pattern, there are no white streaks just the letters on the left C M Y K B are a little greener than before. Also tried head alignement but didnt help. I have been refilling the cartridges with cheap inks from day one and from the same company, there was never any bigger problem just graduall coolness of the colors printed. Any idea? I can attach a scan from the nozzle check pattern if needed

 

[PeterBJ]

Yes, please upload a nozzle check. The green cast to the letters indicates a problem with magenta.

 

[stratman]

Welcome to the forum Aleksandar. Hopefully we can get this figured out.

Could be the ink you are buying has changed in its color vibrancy over time due to manufacturing changes or maybe there is a problem with ink starvation from one or more cartridges feeding the print head (Magenta at least?).

Please do upload your nozzle check. If you want you could also upload an image representing the problem along with the original image for comparison. But the nozzle check is the most important initially.

A few introductory questions:
What cartridges are you using -- OEM Canon or aftermarket?
What method of refilling are you using?
What ink are you using - brand name, etc.?
Have you changed any settings in the printer such as color intensity, printing mode, etc.?

 

[Łukasz]

Hello,

"test print" with extended nozzle check from service mode will answer if it is related to nozzles rather than ink.

I'm pretty sure, that instruction is somewhere on the forum.
Entering SMode in MG5150 is "5 clicks" rather than "2 clicks" found on MP540/550/560 but Service Tool is same (from 1 to 3.4, but 3.4 works with x64 Windozas).

Ł.

 

[The Hat]

It sounds very much like it started off as an ink starvation problem and progressed and that may have lead to some nozzles overheating, but hopefully not.

A nozzle check is just about the only way of knowing if the head can be saved, so don’t do any more test prints till you can get an answer to your problem..

 

[PeterBJ]

The service manual for the MG5150 is found here: ftp://mail.racs.co.bw/Canon/MultiPass Smartbase/MG SERIES/MG5140/mg5100-ssm.pdf

Sadly the server is often down and when it is online it is often slow to respond. The server seems to be located in Botswana and I guess it might only be online during business hours. Time zone for Botswana = GMT + 2 hours. I suggest to try at different times to download the manual.

I can confirm that the procedure described by Łukasz is correct, here is the procedure from the service manual, slightly edited to make it more clear:

(1) Service mode operation procedures

Use the Service Tool on the connected computer.
1) Start the machine in the service mode.
i. With the machine power turned off, while pressing the Stop button, press and hold the ON button. (DO NOT release the buttons.)
ii. When the Power LED lights in green, while holding the ON button, release the Stop button. (DO NOT release the ON button.)
iii. While holding the ON button, press and release the Stop button 5 times, and then release the ON button. (Each time the Stop button is pressed, the Alarm and Power LEDs light alternately, Alarm in orange and Power in green.)
iv. When the Power LED lights in green, the machine is ready for the service mode operation (nothing is displayed on the LCD).

2) Start the Service Tool on the connected computer.
i. When a button is clicked in the Service Tool dialog box, that function is performed. During operation of the selected function, all the Service Tool buttons are dimmed and inactive.
ii. When the operation is completed, "A function was finished." is displayed, and another function can be selected.
iii. If a non-supported function is selected, "Error!" is displayed. Click OK in the error message dialog box to exit the error.

You will need a service tool, I recommend version 3.400 which is found here: http://resetters.ru/?showtopic=16305

The downloads don' t work with a Google translated site, so here is the link to click to download:

For more info about how to use the service tools see this (lengthy) thread: http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/canon-service-tool-v2000.6615/ . The info in the first post is for an older version but the newer versions are similar.

The Test Print button produces an extended nozzle check with grid patterns for all colours and the EEPROM button produces a text printout with a detailed usage history and list of errors encountered.

Do only use the Test Print and EEPROM buttons in the service tool. Other buttons might cause unwanted resets or region change or even render your printer inoperable.

 

[Aleksandar84]

Wow I am impressed at the speed that you guys had your input on this matter. First, I will upload the nozzle check pattern. To answer stratman's questions, I am still using the factory cartridges. I am refilling them with a syringe through a hole I drilled in them and then cover that hole with tape. The brand of the ink is unknown, some cheap bulk buy. Something I noticed was that the red cartridge a while ago had a small black circle inside the ink exit port, like a black circle inside the pink spongy circle, so I suspected that it might have somehow mixed inks with the black cartridge, and pulled it out and flushed it with water and blow dry with air through the refill hole and the sponge was perfectly clean. Then refilled it. This also didnt fix the problem.

the scanned pic shows some dark squares those are my fault I didnt notice that the paper was already printed on on the other side.

 

[PeterBJ]

Taping the refill hole is OK if you are using the German or "Durchstich" method of refill, but if you are using the topfill method tape is not OK. A proper silicone plug should be used instead. If you are using the topfill method it is vital that the ink reservoir is sealed 100% after refill, else the cartridge will leak. A cause of ink mixing or cross contamination is leaking cartridges. So what refill method are you using?

The nozzle check looks OK to me, but the green lettering suggests that magenta is too weak, maybe a wrong type. It could also be caused by the loss of half the nozzles for one or more of the magenta stripes. The printer uses bi-directional printing and each stripe has two nozzle sets, one for each direction of print head travel, so an extended nozzle check is needed to verify that all nozzles are working.

If all nozzles work you should get an extended nozzle check from service mode looking something like this:

If one or more nozzle sets for one direction of printing are missing you will get an extended nozzle check looking something like this, but most likely with the error in one or more magenta stripes:

If the extended nozzle check shows no error, then the ink is most likely the cause. A better ink will then help.

 

[Łukasz]

@Aleksandar84,
This nozzle check looks to me nearly perfect, except magenta is only 1/2 o its intensity.

I have experienced exactly same phenomena on my MG5150, when one ink channel for Cyan was clogged (Cyan has 2 symmetric ink channels and Magenta has 2 symmetric ink channels, Yellow and dye Black has only one):

(please excuse me vulgar comment next to nozzle check)

And PeterBJ makes an excellent explanation why extended nozzle check from service mode is vital to verify ink channel clog/defect

Alternative way to test ink channels is "stamp" printhead test to show if all ink channels are delivering ink (but it won't show electrical damages).

Ł.

 

[Aleksandar84]

Lukasz, yout test print looks pretty much the same as mine, only in different direction(cyan vs magenta) No white streaking but different color letters.

PeterBJ, the way I am refillin them is by a syringe and a needle, through the drilled hole on the top which I drilled myself, very slowly with no air bubbles inside the syringe, untill I notice color dripping from the bottom of the carridge, then I wipe the top and cover it with adhesive tape. I dont know the name of this method.

Will try tomorrow the extended test in diagnostic mode to see what happens. On a side note, can the cartridge's sponges be worn out from the many refills and not deliver the ink to the printhead properly?