Ink starvation

[andy_48]

Canon PIXMA ip8750

Ink is not getting through for both Cyan and PGi Black. This occurs for both refilled OEM and compatible carts. Indeed, there is a "puddle" of ink forming around the inlet for both these colours on the print head.

When I have flushed the print head, the ink does get through for a while. However, despite running a weekly nozzle check, it seems to clog up again after a few weeks.

It's the "puddling" that's making me curious! Does anyone have any pointers for the likely culprit that would help me eliminate the problem, please?

 

[stratman]

Pooling of ink around the ink entrance ports of the print head is either due to cartridge or print head issues.

Cartridge

• Deformation of the ink exit port on the cartridge causing an imperfect seal with the ink entrance port of the print head. Exam cartridges.
• An air leak into the cartridge. Make sure everything is sealed as it should be. Caveat - there should be an air vent on the cartridge to allow for equalization of pressure inside/outside the cartridge.
• Overfilled cartridges. Is there a leak coming from somewhere on the cartridge?
• Improperly seated cartridges in the print head. Reseat and close locking lever if there is one.

Print Head

• Missing O-Rings around the ink entrance ports of the print head.
• Deformation of the ink entrance ports of the print head.

Please print a nozzle check, scan, crop and post here.

When printing does work, are there any streaks or missing ink or is all well for a time? When ink becomes missing, is it all at once or gradually?

This occurs for both refilled OEM and compatible carts.

Do you refill the compatible cartridges as well as the OEM ones? Or were these new never used pre-filled aftermarket cartridges?

 

[andy_48]

Golly, thanks Stratman for this very full reply!

Please print a nozzle check, scan, crop and post here.

When printing does work, are there any streaks or missing ink or is all well for a time? When ink becomes missing, is it all at once or gradually?

The attached nozzle check was done yesterday. Slightly worrying that part of PGBK is missing altogether.

I don't have any older nozzle checks so I will clean and dry the print head, fit a fresh set of carts and report back in a few days.

Do you refill the compatible cartridges as well as the OEM ones? Or were these new never used pre-filled aftermarket cartridges?

I've been refilling both OEM and compatible carts for years (although 550/551s aren't as much fun as older types!). The current blip is with a set of compatibles that I recently purged and may be past their best. I'll refill some OEMs for the next test.

 

[andy_48]

550/551s aren't as much fun as older types!

I've just filled 11 carts using the Durchstich refill method which, in eight years of refilling, I've never tried before. Actually. it was quite fun!

 

[The Hat]

Time for a new print head, your one is not coming back, it’s bunched.. Sorry..
https://www.crc-tasktron.co.uk/Item/qy6-0083-canon-print-head

 

[stratman]

... Durchstich refill method which, in eight years of refilling, I've never tried before. Actually. it was quite fun!

Agreed! Welcome to the club.

Absolutely give the refilled OEM cartridges a try. Did you flush them first, particularly the Pigment Black and Cyan? The idea is to remove as many potential confonders in trying to diagnose and fix the issues. The best choice would be new never-used OEM (or aftermarket) cartridges in case your current cartridges are part of the problem(s). Flushing the old cartridges is next best but does not guarantee the cartridge still cannot be a problem.

Unfortunately, buying new cartridges may not be the wisest use of your money. As our Moderator @The Hat said, your print head looks to be electrically malfunctioning and is irreparable.

Nature generally abhors straight lines and this is what you see in the Pigment Black nozzle check portion. Electrical malfunctions, on the other hand, love straight lines. There are also missing latticework lines which denote clogs.

The loss of all Cyan could be a massive clog or an irreparable electrical malfunction. Forum member Mikling has posted that some clogs are quite tenacious and may require days or weeks of soaking and flushing. The only way to know is to try.

If the Cyan returns but the Pigment Black does not then you can use a Photo Paper setting instead of Plain Paper to use only the dye inks to make Black for text documents.

If you need your printer to function now then obtain a new print head, or, get a new printer altogether. Buy a print head from a known supplier of Canon parts, such as the link The Hat provided.

 

[andy_48]

Time for a new print head, your one is not coming back, it’s bunched.. Sorry..
https://www.crc-tasktron.co.uk/Item/qy6-0083-canon-print-head

If you need your printer to function now then obtain a new print head, or, get a new printer altogether. Buy a print head from a known supplier of Canon parts, such as the link The Hat provided.

Agreed, thanks. I really like my ip8750 so hope to get a bit more life out of it!

Print head on order.

 

[stratman]

Good. Let us know what happens.

 

[andy_48]

Out of interest....

My current (failed) print head has lasted just less than one year. I use the ip8750 almost exclusively for printing photos, the majority of which are 4x6 'snaps' of grandchildren for family & friends (with the occasional A3+ collage for special occasions). Like most senior citizens during the past year, I have hardly seen my family or friends and consequently have printed a lot fewer photos than previous years.

To counter this inactivity and in line with advice learned some years ago from this forum, I run a batch programme to print automatically a weekly nozzle check to keep the printer's juices flowing. Given, with all these lengthy lock-downs, that this might be all that happens for months at a time, is it enough? Should I be giving the printer a more thorough and regular workout?

 

[stratman]

If your print head failed because of clogging then yes, print more often.

But, it appears that your suffered an irreparable electrical malfunction. Unless you were experiencing clogging symptoms before this malfunction, and you were using new cartridges or had flushed and refilled your refill cartridges to no effect, then no, printing more would probably not have changed the failure.

In other words, you were doing your part to maintain good printer function.

That said, printers seem to function best, maybe for longer, if used frequently. Once a week nozzle checks has been the forum consensus minimum for maintaining the print head if no other printing occurs. Some stretch that time longer. The important points are to use your printer as often as you can and to immediately stop all printing - except for nozzle checks - if a defect or loss of ink is noted in the print until it can be resolved.

Like most senior citizens during the past year, I have hardly seen my family or friends and consequently have printed a lot fewer photos than previous years.

It has been a disturbing lost year. I visited my robust 96 year old uncle on the holiday and stood outside while talking to him through the door. He invited me in but I didn't want to be the cause of his premature demise.

On the other hand, Covid is an acceptable excuse for not getting together with relatives you'd rather avoid even when there wasn't a pandemic.

Hang in there andy. We'll be rid of Covid one day. It's the politicians I'm worried about hanging on.