Canon Pro-100s - when deep cleaning doesn't help

[KasperDM]

Hello everyone, glad to see how the forums here are thriving, with the industry clamping down on repair and durability, places like these are strongholds of independence!

But I'm writing right now because my Pro 100-S is suddenly giving me trouble.
Been cleaning and deep cleaning through the software for some days now, to no real change.
I'm using OctoInk and have been using it for some years, to my great satisfaction.

I've made some photos of a test print I made just now because it might illustrate the problem better:

test print on normal paper:

and a photo paper print:

(not exactly what my better half had in mind when she asked to print some images of our son's first birthday :/)

And the nozzle check:

I assume this means there's a larger problem with the C/BK/LGY/GY part of the print head?
Thinking back now, I remember having swapped the OctoInk C last month for an old half-full OEM cart I had still lying around, since I can't seem to unclog the needle on my refill bottle for that ink. That OEM cart was signalled by the printer as empty when I tried to print with it (though it visually wasn't), so I found a way to get the OctoInk in the OctoCart without the needle and it printed fine again for a week or so.

- would you advise soaking the print head as the next best step?
- could there be another reason?

thanks so much in advance.

kasper
Belgium, Continental Europe

 

[The Hat]

thanks so much in advance.

You seem to have a lot of things going on all at once, so can you post up the latest nozzle check that’s not on creased paper and show the full image and not cropped, don’t go cleaning the print head externally just yet, because it could be some other related issue...

 

[KasperDM]

You seem to have a lot of things going on all at once, so can you post up the latest nozzle check that’s not on creased paper and show the full image and not cropped, don’t go cleaning the print head externally just yet, because it could be some other related issue...

Thank you for your swift reply, @The Hat !

Here's a new nozzle check (overview and detail) and a new test print. Bottom right of the picture crop included because it's there that zones of disturbance appear.
(Click to enlarge)

Thanks again,
kasper

 

[James Mike]

Thank you for your swift reply, @The Hat !

Here's a new nozzle check (overview and detail) and a new test print. Bottom right of the picture crop included because it's there that zones of disturbance appear.
(Click to enlarge)

Thanks again,
kasper

View attachment 15849View attachment 15850View attachment 15851View attachment 15852

That looks like an electrical fault of the printhead and will need to be replaced. Hope i'm wrong though

 

[websnail]

Hi Kasper.. Few things I note although I have access to information that nobody else does so hopefully it'll provide a fuller picture.

1. The issue doesn't appear to be an electrical issue but something's definitely not happy with the ink flow in the GY, LGY and BK cartridges. Hard to tell about the others as yet.
2. Your original ink supply was from 2020 so it's probably time to consider that expired.
3. I can see you purchased new ink roughly 6 months ago so you at least have newer ink to hand.

Overall, I'd recommend flushing your Grey, Light Grey and Black cartridges and start using the newest ink immediately. One key recommendation.. If you're vacuum refilling, don't use that technique with the Grey or Light Grey carts as there's a quirk to the inks that stops foam bubbles from dissipating over time with those two inks. Top-fill only...

Drop me a line if you need any specific guidance to help with any of the above though...

 

[The Hat]

I will start with your BK, LGy and Gy..

It would look like your running these 3 carts beyond low ink and that might be one of the reasons they are suffering from poor ink flow, follow @websnail advice and purge these carts to be on the safe side.. Don't wait, refill immediately you see the yellow alert..

I would also suspect that you have filled the Cyan, Photo cyan and Magenta, photo Magenta with the wrong inks, maybe with both the same colour..

 

[Smile]

I think this is ink flow problem, if the empty lines never change then electrical problem. I always keep good nozzle check when printer is new to compare to.

 

[KasperDM]

Thank you all for your replies and thoughtful options.
I will start by flushing and refilling said carts.

I honestly believe never having filled the carts with the wrong ink, but maybe this decoloring too is linked to the inks being already three years old? @websnail have you ever seen anything similar with older Octoinks?

have a nice day out there, will report back
kasper

 

[websnail]

I honestly believe never having filled the carts with the wrong ink, but maybe this decoloring too is linked to the inks being already three years old? @websnail have you ever seen anything similar with older Octoinks?

With our version 1 Pro-100 inks, yes, unfortunately very much yes.. With the version 2's... Less so but if memory serves there has been some limited reports of inks degrading less gracefully, or uniformly on the version 2's but pretty rare all told.

In this instance though it does look to be more of a ink flow issue rather than decolourisation.

 

[The Hat]

In this instance though it does look to be more of a ink flow issue rather than decolourisation.

Maybe reluctant to point the finger at themselves..
I’m still using ten year old inks..
P.S. We’ve all make stupid mistakes..