Ink Volume Unknown M C for Canon MP530 printer

[ronbo2000]

I recently inherited a Canon MP530 printer from my relatives. Since it has a scanner, I was definitely interested. I got the MP530 connected and was happy with the scanner and I started checking out the printer side of it. I saw that the ink cartridges were mostly empty with the exception of the yellow with some ink left. They were using original Canon printer. I cannot afford to by original Canon ink so I decided to by from the advertiser here inkfarm.com for only the black ink (equivalent of PGI-5bk and CLI-8bk) just to test if the print head is still good. Got the ink and installed them the inks lit up fine indicating that it was detected with ink. I tested the printer by printing a simple page with text and it printed fine.

However, the LCD panel shows a message: Ink Volume Unknown M C. Ink Low Y.

Questions:
1) Do I have to get all the colors replaced also so that this message will disappear?

2) I scan using the Canon MP Navigator 2.2 and prints the resulting scan in black and white and it prints fine. However, when I use the option to copy from the printer, the resulting printed copy is barely readable even though I just am scanning a printed text on a yellow paper. Is this because of the error or the yellow paper?

Appreciate your suggestions.

 

[The Hat]

Congratulations on your inheritance, a very nice little AIO printer, sadly its not all good news.
The print head in your new printer sounds like its had it, dead bang down the hole !.

This caution comes a bit late for you now but you should only print nozzle checks till you can establish
whether or not the print head has clogs in it or is faulty, i.e. Electrical problems (Burned out)

Question 1.
If you replace the three cartridges then the error message will cease,
now as to whether or not getting a replacement cartridges for the magenta, cyan and yellow will solve your problem is highly unlikely,
it maybe a case of getting a new print head to fix that.

Question 2.
When you scanned your image in Navigator and printed it out, your printer only used the pigment black cartridge for that type of image,
but when you copy an image thats a different matter all together.

Your printer will only use magenta, cyan and yellow and no black to reproduce any copied image,
so you definitely have a major problem with your other three colours.

There are several things you can do to try and save the print head if of course its not too late,
replace the magenta yellow and cyan cartridges first of all.

Now youll have to run a normal head clean, follow that with a nozzle print similar to this one (For display purposes only)

Check it carefully to see if there are any missing gaps in the printed image,
if there are then run a DEEP head clean this time and then print out another nozzle print,
now check them both side by side for any improvements.

If there are still missing segments in your image, in exactly the same place as the previous nozzle print,
then run another normal head clean and check it again and this time
if no improvement is visible then you will only be able to print in greyscale (Black) until you get a new print head..

 

[ronbo2000]

I received the three color inks today that made the original message disappear. However, I guess you right about the print head. I print the nozzle print I get broken grid but the colors print fine. I run the cleaning process and the nozzle print results are the same. :-( I run the deep clean, it just got worst, the black just stopped printing.

What is interesting about this is I take out the cartridges and lift the print head and put it back and then the cartridges and try the test print in black it would print but the next print just blurs.

 

[The Hat]

If youre having problems with ink flow on just the nozzle print, the cartridges you bought may not be the best,
by leaving your printer to rest for half an hour and then running another nozzle print it should print ok again.

The blurring print however is not good to hear at all,
it sounds like you may not have seated the print head into position and secured it properly.

It is best not to be removing your print head from the printer, there shouldnt be a need to do at all,
the printer can usually take care of all its cleaning and maintenance without any help in most cases.

As you cant upload a print sample just yet you can send me one by way of email, and Ill post it for you,
that should help us see exactly what the problem is and give you a better response ok..

 

[ronbo2000]

For some reason today, I turned on the printer and tried the print page test and it printed. So I followed it up with a nozzle print and it printed the grid with only one missing on the lower right hand side.

I loaded the picture on this site but my account is still limited so I cannot post the link here.

 

[Tudor]

You can post the link without the http and www

 

[The Hat]

Here is the nozzle print from ronbo2000, it is not great quality but its there anyway.

Judging by what I can see it doesnt look bad at all and maybe your print head is still good to go.

I could be jumping the gun here but I cant really say for certain that your print head is 100%
so only time will tell after you have done some printing with it.

Now for the bad bit

For the future dont let your cartridges run out of ink next time before replace them,
it doesnt make sense to do that with a Canon printer, its false economy in fact.

So if youre going to use compatible cartridges instead of OEMs dont be tempted to refill them,
just buy more new ones, it too would be false economy and will definitely end in disaster..

 

[ronbo2000]

Now for the bad bit

For the future dont let your cartridges run out of ink next time before replace them,
it doesnt make sense to do that with a Canon printer, its false economy in fact.

So if youre going to use compatible cartridges instead of OEMs dont be tempted to refill them,
just buy more new ones, it too would be false economy and will definitely end in disaster..

Just to confirm, only OEM's are advisable to refill not compatible or third party ones. Even the one sold by MIS Ink supply? www.inksupply.com/printer_products.cfm/p/Canon_PIXMA_MP530.html (thanks for the tip @Tudor)

 

[jtoolman]

I doesn't matter from whom or from where! DO not use compatibles or refillables on you Canon. Unless you have plenty of extra heads waiting on the side lines.

Canon carts are too easy to refill and they are always reliable unlike these other carts.

Joe