Having problems with a Canon MP640, using original ink - BK won't work

[Jeppe]

Hi all! I'm new to this forum, I found it after googling some problems I'm having with my printer. This seems to be a very friendly and helpful forum so I hope you guys can help me Please note that I'm a newbie when it comes to fixing printers - I've never done anything more advanced than the cleaning programs in the printer software.

I'm having some troubles with my Canon MP640 printer. It has not been used in a long time and unfortunately has not been cared for very well (I got it from my father who hasn't used it in a long time) since I suspect I have some dried ink somewhere that is causing problems. I just got five new original Canon ink carts (there has always been original carts in the printer), and all of them but the small black one - CLI521BK - works perfectly. But the BK one refuses to print at all - I've printed a nozzle check and the line for that cart just says BK, there's not the two vertical lines next to BK and not the large rectangle to the right. I had the same problem with the Y cart, but that was solved by a deep cleaning. I'm looking for some advice what to do. I've removed the cart and cleaned the "ink hole" on both the cart side and the printer side with a damp cloth, but to no help. Should I try a few more "deep cleanings"? If so, can I remove the other carts first so that the ink in them is not consumed? Or should I attempt to clean the printer in any other way?

The main reason I need the BK cart working is that I'm planning on printing on a few printable CD's, and it seems I cannot do this with the large PGBK cart. Is that correct? Is there anyway to circumvent this?

Thanks in advance for any help!

/ Jesper, Sweden

 

[The Hat]

Hi all! I'm new to this forum, I found it after googling some problems I'm having with my printer. This seems to be a very friendly and helpful forum so I hope you guys can help me Please note that I'm a newbie when it comes to fixing printers - I've never done anything more advanced than the cleaning programs in the printer software.

I'm having some troubles with my Canon MP640 printer. It has not been used in a long time and unfortunately has not been cared for very well (I got it from my father who hasn't used it in a long time) since I suspect I have some dried ink somewhere that is causing problems. I just got five new original Canon ink carts (there has always been original carts in the printer), and all of them but the small black one - CLI521BK - works perfectly. But the BK one refuses to print at all - I've printed a nozzle check and the line for that cart just says BK, there's not the two vertical lines next to BK and not the large rectangle to the right. I had the same problem with the Y cart, but that was solved by a deep cleaning. I'm looking for some advice what to do. I've removed the cart and cleaned the "ink hole" on both the cart side and the printer side with a damp cloth, but to no help. Should I try a few more "deep cleanings"? If so, can I remove the other carts first so that the ink in them is not consumed? Or should I attempt to clean the printer in any other way?

The main reason I need the BK cart working is that I'm planning on printing on a few printable CD's, and it seems I cannot do this with the large PGBK cart. Is that correct? Is there anyway to circumvent this?

Thanks in advance for any help!

/ Jesper, Sweden

Shifting a clog in your print head is never just straight forward its seldom easy.
To start with dont use up all your new inks doing deep head cleaning otherwise
youll have to buy more ink by the time you have cleared the clog.

Remove the BK cartridge from the print head and put a couple of drops of
window cleaner onto the inlet hole where the cartridge usually sits.

Using the old BK cartridge put about one ml. of window cleaner into the cartridge by just dribbling it
onto the outlet hole and put it back into your printer.

Run a head clean on the colours only not the PGBK and (not a deep clean)
then print a nozzle check out and see if there is any improvement in it.

It may take several head cleans to unclog all of the dried ink but after each clean run another nozzle check,
dont print anything else till its cleaned.

If you are getting a little improvement but not a lot then just leave the printer turned off
for a couple of hours and try a nozzle check later.

Patience can be a real nuisance at this time but thats the one ingredient needed
to make everything turn out properly in the end, dont fight it its a good friend to have on your side.

Report back later and give us an update on your progress and maybe post a nozzle check ok..

 

[Jeppe]

I don't have any window cleaner at home unfortunately. Do you think pure ethanol (it's a strong solvant) would work?

 

[gigigogu]

For best results search for "pharmacist recipe" here on forum.

Myself I got decent result with a mixture of 75% distilled water and 25% Isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) and I suppose you can replace isopropyl alcohol with ethanol.

 

[Jeppe]

I just mixed about 3/4 tap water (couldn't get distilled water, decided to try anyway) with 1/4 pure but methylated ethanol, and dripped some of it on the pad on the printer, then dripper more of it on the old cartridge (I let it absorb it, then put some more, about three times). Afterwards I ran the standard cleaning program once, and believe it or not the BK cartridge printed out perfectly! I replaced it with the new and ran one more cleaning just to be sure. Now the printer works perfectly Big thanks to you two for the help!