Help with HP564 Leak - HP C309G

[PeterBJ]

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LeoKesler wrote:
Do you saw the pictures ? I dont know how to refill that prefilled cartridges but maybe its the same way of the retail HP564XL.

Yes I've seen the pictures. I assume pictures 0477 and 0478 are the prefilled carts. They have no filler plug to make top fill easy, but you should not refill them. If you drill a hole into the ink chamber to fill the cartridges and do not get it sealed 100%, 99% in not good enough, the ink disaster will happen again. I strongly advise against any attempt to top fill them, or refill them at all. If they work well and you are satisfied with the print quality, continue using them but replace empty cartridges with new ones of the same kind.

To me picture 0884 shows a towel with a lot of ink in it and maybe a lot of ink on the table. Does that mean a lot of ink leaked from the printer? Or is it just a shadow cast by the towel? Please report if a lot of ink has leaked from the printer, so we will know if we have deal with one more problem.

 

[LeoKesler]

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Great information. Thank you.

LeoKesler wrote:
Do you saw the pictures ? I dont know how to refill that prefilled cartridges but maybe its the same way of the retail HP564XL.

Yes I've seen the pictures. I assume pictures 0477 and 0478 are the prefilled carts. They have no filler plug to make top fill easy, but you should not refill them. If you drill a hole into the ink chamber to fill the cartridges and do not get it sealed 100%, 99% in not good enough, the ink disaster will happen again. I strongly advise against any attempt to top fill them, or refill them at all. If they work well and you are satisfied with the print quality, continue using them but replace empty cartridges with new ones of the same kind.

Ok, but I really want to know how the prefilled cartridges was filled.

About the pictures:



IMG_0477 - IMG_0478 -> Prefilled carts. Until now, it is working great. No leaks.



IMG_0480 - IMG_0481 - It is a better version of IMG_0479. This is where the ink was leaking.


IMG_0482 - The lateral of the printer, right side. The arrows shows that thing absoving the ink of print head. The white part is the "original color" . The black part is soaked of ink. There is something like a mesh, cotton or a foam, which absorbed most of the ink. I do not know the correct name of this thing. At the bottom, maybe you can see something gray, next to the connector on the bottom right. It is a kind of carpet. He was also full of ink.


IMG_0483 - This is where the printhead rests. Look that mess... I unable to clean, because I really dont know how to do it properly.


IMG_0484 - This is the result of 8 hours of leaking. All that 4 of 5 cartridges (refilled carts) leaked. Almost 40ml of ink. All the ink of the tank and the sponge had been leaked.

To me picture 0884 shows a towel with a lot of ink in it and maybe a lot of ink on the table. Does that mean a lot of ink leaked from the printer? Or is it just a shadow cast by the towel? Please report if a lot of ink has leaked from the printer, so we will know if we have deal with one more problem.

Exactly, the towel was the victim of the leak of the cartridge. There is an ink stain on the table. This was the result after one night.

The images were terrible because I was angry and disappointed but maybe you and the others can get some idea of the problem.

 

[PeterBJ]

LeoKesler wrote:
Ok, but I really want to know how the prefilled cartridges was filled.

As there is no evidence of a sealed top fill hole, I think they were vacuum filled. The cartridges have the vent sealed and are put into a vacuum chamber with the ink outlets submerged in ink. Air is exhausted from the chamber and air in the cartridges is sucked out through the ink outlets. When air is reintroduced in the vacuum chamber the cartridges will suck in ink through the ink outlets and be filled.

This method doesn't compromise the sealing of the ink chamber so there is much less risk of a disastrous leakage. Although I do not recommend refilling compatible cartridges, here is a link to a modern version of vacuum refilling without the need for a vacuum chamber, ghwellsjr's Freedom Refill Method: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6750&p=1 You will have to modify a syringe and make a suitable adapter yourself. Watch the video carefully and note tilting motion. Also note this is a vacuum fill method, no pressure should be applied to the plunger, or you risk an ink spray. The method works well with the transparent Canon OEM cartridges. Your prefilled cartridges are transparent so you can see what is going on. so the method may work for you. There are however some differences between Canon and HP OEM cartridges and the prefilled compatibles, making the OEM's much more suitable for refill. More about that later.

Another method refill method that does not require the ink chamber to be unsealed is the "German" or "Durchstich" Refill Method. You will need a syringe and a 2" 21g needle, preferably sharp, but if a sharp needle is unavailable, a blunt needle will do. Here is a link to excellent instructions by pharmacist for refilling the transparent Canon cartridges: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2465 This refilling method is preferred by many forum members. This is also my preferred method, but I am also trying out the Freedom Refill method.

If you want to refill OEM HP564 cartridges you could check out these threads: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6622 , http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6710 and http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7169&p=1.

One of the reasons Canon and HP cartridges are superior for refilling is that they use a unique and patented two sponge system. The two sponges have different properties. The lower sponge is easily saturated with ink, the upper sponge is not saturated with ink even if it may look so, but allows air to be drawn into the cartridge via the vent. This two sponge system together with other details gives excellent regulation of ink flow, not easily duplicated with only one sponge. Another reason is the vent maze on top of the cartridges. On the OEM cartridges the maze is made to precise dimensions and there are small air reservoirs in the system. This vent system does not always function satisfactorily on compatible cartridges. For more details on the design and function of Canon cartridges check: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=40316#p40316 and following posts.

I guess the reason you want to refill the prefilled cartridges is that you have some ink left over. If you really want to try refilling them, although not recommended, I suggest using the German method. There is a risk of the sponge in the compatible cartridge becoming partly clogged and restricting airflow into the cartridge and inkflow out from the ink outlet, and causing ink flow problems starving the print head of ink. The print head needs a steady flow of ink to cool the heaters expelling ink through the nozzles. Else they may burn out and ruin the print head or the nozzles may become clogged. If you refill the cartridge, do only so once or twice before discarding the cartridge. This way you may avoid problems with ink starvation.

LeoKesler wrote:
...At the bottom, maybe you can see something gray, next to the connector on the bottom right. It is a kind of carpet. He was also full of ink....

This carpet is an ink absorber, intended to contain ink normally sucked from the cartridges when turning the printer on or when doing a nozzle clean. This is normal and is necessary to keep the print head in good working order. The ink normally used this way is only a fraction of the amount lost, so the absorbers should normally last a long time before they are full. 40 or 80 ml should not fill the absorbers completely, so there should still be some capacity left, as a lot of ink went onto the table. But maybe the absorbers are smaller than those used in Canon printers? It may be very difficult to take the printer apart to change the absorbers if new are available, else you might need to clean them. A very dirty job.

I don't know how bad the problem with the absorbers is, or how to take the printer apart if necessary. Maybe others know more?

LeoKesler wrote:
The images were terrible because I was angry and disappointed but maybe you and the others can get some idea of the problem.

I would also have been angry and disappointed if I had had the same experience. Your new pictures are much better. Nice job with the upload and thumbnails.

Peter.

 

[llama_91]

I'd say you overfilled it. After filling the cartridges it is important that you give the sides a light squeeze and use a tissue to draw out any excess ink. Also, i'm not sure whether i am getting confused by your English or whether you are actually talking about the printerhead leaking, even if the cartridge is leaking, it should not leak through the printerhead.