Clog or electrical failure?

[aruiz]

Hello.

I have a Canon PIXMA Pro9000MKII and I am having problems with Photo Cyan color.

When the problem starts I had only problems with the PC color. A lighter cyan band on the middle of the PC nozzle test.

I dismount the print head and soak it on distilled water for 24 hours. I do a nozzle check and I had clogs on 4 different colours. After, adviced by The Hat, I soaked it on a glass cleaner named W5 for 24 hours. I do another nozzle test with the next results:

Seems that the only color with problems is the PC that seems to have a dark top half and a light bottom half. I have read here that's a typical electrical problem.

Please, what do you think?

Here, a new printhead for a Pro9000MKII costs more than USD200. I have found a refurbished one on ebay for about USD99 with shipping included: http://www.ebay.es/itm/221296739810?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649 but with some negative feedbacks about not working and leaking ink.


Please, do you think that I can check or do something to try to fix my printhead?

Thank you very much for your help !

 

[websnail]

Here, a new printhead for a Pro9000MKII costs more than USD200. I have found a refurbished one on ebay for about USD99 with shipping included: http://www.ebay.es/itm/221296739810?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649 but with some negative feedbacks about not working and leaking ink.

Just on that seller... I wouldn't touch them.. Looks to be less reliable and more like gambling.

I looked up the UK source for printheads and the price is lot better:
http://www.crc-tasktron.co.uk/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=76
94.79 (inc VAT)

Some confusion as to whether they'll ship to Spain (if that's where you are) but gives you a few options.

 

[aruiz]

Thank you websnail for your link.

I prefer to not spend so much money with the printhead. Think that with shippong it will costs, approximatelly, 115=130=USD176. For me, a little bit expensive.

More if I read that the price on US is:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9062
ordered a new print head from Canon QY6-0076

$87.79 + $6 ship plus $3.75 tax
Total 97.54


Do you think that's possible to fix the printhead soacking it more time on W5 Glass Cleaner and/or adding a littel bit of isopropyl alcohol ?

Thank you !

 

[websnail]

Whoops... Assumed you were in Spain due to your eBay link... If you're in the USA then the yes going to Canon direct would be a much better. Considerably cheaper than you'll get in Europe.

As for fixing it... I doubt you'll get much joy but practising the techniques discussed in a number of threads on here can't hurt.

 

[The Hat]

Thank you websnail for your link.

I prefer to not spend so much money with the printhead. Think that with shippong it will costs, approximatelly, 115=130=USD176. For me, a little bit expensive.

More if I read that the price on US is:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=9062
ordered a new print head from Canon QY6-0076

$87.79 + $6 ship plus $3.75 tax
Total 97.54


Do you think that's possible to fix the printhead soacking it more time on W5 Glass Cleaner and/or adding a littel bit of isopropyl alcohol ?

Thank you !

Soaking the print head more wont do it any harm but it probability wont improve it either, it looks beyond recovery.
Sorry for the loss of your print head but that can happen from time to time for no valid reason through no fault of your own.

Buying a print head outside the EU is very dodgy because youll get hit very hard by customs charges
unless your package is delivered by post, believe me its almost 100% more..

 

[stratman]

I agree with The Hat and websnail.

Nature abhors straight lines. So do clogs when it comes to perfect banding as is seen with your PC. This defect is most likely due to a malfunctioning print head and not clogs. It could also be the logic board assay but you do not mention an error code and the risk of this problem is low.

It will not hurt to attempt more soaking, unless you damage the print head circuitry, but it probably will be futile. Canon USA, if you are in the States, usually has the best prices on replacement print heads.

Even if you get the print head working, if you want to continue to use the printer for years to come then consider another print head now. Canon does stop manufacturing, such as with my MP830, and prices probably will never be lower than they are right now. Consider stocking up now for that eventual rainy day..

 

[aruiz]

Thank you very much for your replies.

Is true what you say. Here the prices are a lot expensive than the prices on Canon USA.

I buy often outside EU, usually to China and USA, and, normally, I receive it through the post office. Then, I don't pay usually customs fees. But if customs "discovers" the package, I must to pay VAT (21%) and another fee of aproximately 3%.

As you say, I don't receive any error code. But after cleaning it, I see a perfect divided nozzle check of PC color. The half top was strong and the half bottom was light. After printing tests and do cleanings on the printer, the PC shows some clog/ink flow problem as you see on the image that I posted. But seems that has a electrical problem.

Actually, I have removed the ceramic plate on the bottom of the printhead and cleaned initially with hot tap water and after with the W5 Glass Cleaner, as explained here: http://www.ehow.com/how_5195058_clean-clogged-canon-printhead.html

Now the ceramic plate is being soaked on 20ml of W5 + 6 ml of Isopropyl Alcohol, for some hours and I will let being soaked overnight.

I think that the price of the print heads are very expensives. For the price of 2 printheads of the 9000MKII you can buy a Pro9500MKII, new, with warranty, with 10 full cartridges, the printhead, the printer....

When I Reassemble the printhead, I will post here the results, if the printhead continues printing.....

Thank you, once more.

 

[aruiz]

Hello!

Finally I let soaking the ceramic plate for more than 2 days. I rinsed it with distilled water and dry it externally.

I installed it and printed a nozzle test. The nozzle test was perfect except for the PhotoCyan color that printed dark the half top and light the half bottom.

I tried to print another nozzle test and I received the B200 error flashing ten times the green and yellow lights before a pause.

I unplugged the power cord for some minutes. No change. After I unplugged the power cord for hours, without any change. Error B200. But the big problem is that the printhead don't moves it. Seems to be nailed on the right side and it is not possible to move it manually.

I let the power cord and the USB cable unplugged for 3 days. And finally the printhead moves it then I can change it.

The B200 error code also disappeared then I can print normally but with the PhotoCyan problem.

I am thinking to buy the refurbished printhead of ebay due to the so different price ($99 vs $179), compared with a new unit bought here.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pk-refurbi...0-/221296739810?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123


I read a lot of possitive feedback and also some negatives. THe seller has an score of 99,1%.

I read that the QY6-0076-000 and the QY6-0055-000 are equivalents.

For a Pro9000 MKII which do you think is better ? He sells the 0055 a little cheaper but seems that the 0076 is a the newest model.

Thank you !

 

[Trigger 37]

Aruiz,...first off you are very lucky that the printer came back to life after the B200 error. Now lets talk about the condition of the head. The nozzle test you included above doesn't have that much contrast but the PhotoCyan does show ink in both upper and lower sections. This tells me there is nothing wrong with that section of the head except "Clogs". If there were any kind of electrical failure on either side, you would not see "ONE" drop from any nozzle. What you can do is to get into Service Mode and print the Service Test Print and that will give you an image of EACH AND EVERY NOZZLE IN THE ENTIRE HEAD. some of the problem could be due to a poor ink cart,..not supplying sufficient ink to sustain the printing,..and again any part of the head that is clogged will prevent the ink from reaching the nozzles and sustaining a full color band.

They have changed so many things on this web site I can't remember how it used to be,..but there used to be a way for you to send me an email and if you could I would send you my PDF file on cleaning heads. Many people don't realize just how difficult it is to get the clogs out of these heads and the very tiny nozzles make it even worse. I for sure would tell you NOT TO PRINT ANOTHER DOCUMENT WITH THAT HEAD UNTIL YOU GET IT CLEAN. Post a picture of the Service test print and that will tell the whole story. Use a photo editor to enhance the contrast so it is more visible. It doesn't matter how bad the colors look.

 

[The Hat]

Opening a print head is a real No No and should only be done in a last resort and in your case it was.

Your print head has had it, dead bang down the hole and there’s nothing more that you can do to it
except maybe blow the hell out of your logic board continuing to use it.

My advice is to take the hit and move on from it, print heads can die from no fault of your own,
you now have the difficult choice of buying a new print head or a new printer, not cheap either way.

I hate to be the one to break it to you like this, but I’d also hate for you to damage your printer
beyond repair trying in vain to find a magical fix for it sorry..