Canon Pro 10s. I think it is toast....

[niteowl]

Try to make this short. Pro 10s (2018), Precision Color inks. Been working fine. The print counter is only a little over a thousand. I mostly print negatives for alt processes with it. Rarely do anything larger than 5x7.

Last spring it started using a ton of the two outside colors (G and PM). I assumed it was dumping the inks and there was something wrong with the head. I bought a new head direct from Canon but in the meantime, life. Hurricane and such. So I didn't put it in until a couple months ago. That is when the fun started. I couldn't get the new head to print except for a couple colors, mostly though just the gray printed. I put the old head back in and it did the exact same thing... Put it on the back burner again. I thought I might have messed up the docking pad/suction thing trying to clean it before I put the new head in so it wasn't sealing. I finally got around to removing the top to see what the problem could be. Now the thing seemingly is toast. I didn't disconnect the battery during disassembly. It was unplugged for most of the last six months or so. Now I get the error of 26 alternating flashes (26 each light). I can't even find a code for that error. When I turn it on it makes a little noise, then that is it. The print head is locked on the docking station too and doesn't move....

So is it toast?

 

[The Hat]

Now I get the error of 26 alternating flashes (26 each light)

Try counting the LED lights again, because there’s no such thing as 26 flashes..

Take it slowly..

 

[niteowl]

Hat- I did! Counted four times.... Am I missing some kind of code in there? 26 each light, then it starts over again. 26 each light.....

 

[The Hat]

there? 26 each light, then it starts over again. 26 each light.....

Ah, but that’s a battery disconnection, I taught you said you didn’t mess with the battery..

 

[niteowl]

Belay the last.

Went and checked again. Noticed the wifi light came on with the code. Looks like we now know that is the wifi card is not plugged in it gives the 26 code.... I plugged that back in and it went through the startup, then I moved the carriage to the middle.

I'll keep working on it. I'm assuming the printing issue is still there but now the carriage is out of the way of the docking area. I'll give it another go tonight to see what happens and update the post. I don't want to waste anyone's time.....

p.s. I didn't mess with the battery. It did get tugged though, so maybe... But the printer did start up normally after I plugged the wifi card back in.

 

[niteowl]

It is back to working "normally" again except it doesn't lay any ink down. I did a dozen deep cleans and nothing. Not one drop of ink on any color. Goes through all the motions though just like normal. Doesn't give any errors or anything. It acted this way before I shelved it a couple months ago. Even after the deep cleans the cartridges weigh the same, so no ink is coming out of them.

Any ideas?

 

[The Hat]

I did a dozen deep cleans and nothing. Not one drop of ink

It is possible to do a dozen cleaning cycles one after another, but if it’s not putting out any ink on the first couple then its pointless repeating the same steps, now for the bad news..

Running deep cleaning cycles is never recommended.. Because they can damage your print head, any more than two at a time and it can cause over heating in the nozzles leading to permanent damage..

When you have an issue with all Canon printers and can’t get a good nozzle check, be warned, test prints should be avoided until you can achieve a 100% nozzle check, printing with missing nozzles will cause permanent damage and burn these same nozzles out..

As to what ever other damage you may have done is anyone’s guess..

 

[niteowl]

The deep cleanings were spaced out over an evening. I didn't do them back to back.

I'm thinking that the head isn't getting the message to print, like something isn't connecting right. No ink at all on any color is very bizarre.

I have a new head that I can install but like I mentioned before, the printer acted exactly the same before when I installed the new head back when it would only print one color. Printed only one color with both heads. IIRC the old head printed two colors, the new head printed one. That would eliminate the head as the problem. Something is keeping the heads from pushing ink through.

The cartridges light up when changing ink so that is getting power at least. Maybe there is a ribbon cable issue or the main board is toast.

The other possibility is the cleaning cycle isn't working right. During the cleaning cycle does the printer suck ink out or just push it out? The pad area looks like it seals with a rubber gasket and there is a pump isn't there? Maybe if I what I am assuming is happening isn't happening then the head won't clear because the suction isn't working.

 

[The Hat]

he pad area looks like it seals with a rubber gasket and there is a pump isn't there?

There are two possibilities, one the logic board has damage to it, or the purge unit may be blocked, you can’t do anything about the logic board except replace it, but the purge unit is a different matter.

First turn on the printer and when the print head moves away from the purge unit (Parking station) pull the power plug, (Real quick) then move the print head by hand to the left side of the carriageway..

Now use a syringe or turkey baster, and squirt window cleaner on the top of the purge unit pads, fill it to overflowing, then watch to see if the liquid empties into the purge unit itself..

If it does, that’s good but if not turn on the printer once again and let the printer do its cleaning cycle itself, repeat the process with the window cleaner once again..

Then try printing a nozzle check if the purge unit is working you should get some ink on the paper..

 

[niteowl]

Thanks Hat (sorry I don't know your name)

Looks like the Windex isn't going down, just sitting there. Before I put the Windex on the pads they were pretty dry. A paper towel lifted almost nothing off them. Is it normal to have this much ink around that area? Seems like a lot to me. I wonder if this purge unit hasn't worked in a while. Lots of ink in the foam channel too. I'll give it a few runs with the Windex and come back with an update....