IP3000 Ink reverse-flow?!

[cong_99]

Hi all,

I have a strange problem with my Canon IP3000 (which has individual ink tanks: C,Y, and M - and black): the tank ink gets contaminated from other colors! Currently, the Magenta tank is getting conaminated by cyan and yellow inks. Prior to this, magenta was getting into the cyan tank. As everyone can imagine, this has caused very odd-looking color prints! Anyone have any idea what may be causing this? Has anyone experienced such problems?

Other tidbits that may be relevant:

- using inexpensive refill inks. The 3rd party inks available here are of asian origin, so giving brand names will probably not mean much...
- magenta contaminated by cyan and yellow: the cyan and yellow inks are from one 3rd party brand (tried for the first time), whereas the magenta is another brand (different volatility???)
- magenta leaking into cyan (the previous problem) occured while using 3rd party ink, all from the same manufacturer.
- opening up the print head, there are a total of 5 channels going into the nozzles. Two are cyan, middle is yellow, and the other two, which are supposed to be magenta, are colored GREEN (i.e. cyan + yelllow).
- silicon rubber seal between ceramic head and plastic ink tank holder appears intact, no leakage paths. The rubber also shows the same color pattern.
- the screens that interface to the ink tanks also have the same odd color pattern: cyan, yellow and, instead of magenta, green.
- Yes, I double-checked, the magenta ink tank IS a magenta ink tank. The liquid is still colored magenta (for now).


What I'd really like to know: is it possible that the cyan and yellow inks are "leaking" and reverse-flowing into the magenta tank? Is this caused by incompatible inks? And, of course, can the problem be solved by simply changing inks?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions / insights!

 

[Forsurchi]

I may be wrong here, but I thought the Canon IP3000 only had 4 colors. Black, Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta. The black catridge being at BCI-3eBK and the color cartridges BCI-6.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...&fcategoryid=184&modelid=10238#ModelDetailAct

Maybe you meant a i9900 or a i8500?

 

[ocular]

This is a feature that I came across when I was refilling with my IP3000 ( now CISS). It is particularly noticed when the yellow cartridge gets contaminated. I think this cross contamination occurs because the C,M,Y have a common container that they share when the printhead is at rest. If there is leakage (particularly after refilling if you over fill there will some ink wick into this common rubber well immediately after putting the cartridge back into the printhead) This then promotes cross contamination via retrograde flow.

What is the solution?

Ensure refill seals are tight.

Allow cartridges to sit and drip immediately after refilling before putting into printhead, or maybe allowing them to wick some ink away from the exit port on the corner of a piece of paper.

 

[Trigger 37]

cong 99,... The contamination problem is not that common but does happen on some vendor carts. If you refill your ink carts, contamination is caused by ink leaking out of some ink cart, which means the refill port is not sealed good. The ink carts sit on the purge pads and when ink leaks to the pad, it becomes saturated with all colors. Since the colored nozzles all share the same pad, the various inks can "Wick" back and forth and mix colors. This can get so bad after the ink carts set a while in the puddle of ink, it will wick all the way back up into other ink carts and contaminate the ink cart, which is then ruined.

The problem always comes down to leaking ink carts. Some vendor carts are terrible about this, especially G&G. If I were you I would remove all of your old ink carts, clean your printhead by washing all ink out of it, then totally dry the head and finally use Canon original ink carts and modify them for refill and refill with your own ink. Also, before you put the head back in the printer, you need to flush all ink out of the pads. You can do this with the head removed by adding warm water to the top of the pads and doing a couple of power on/off cycles. Do this until the pads are almost white. If you don't want to refill you own ink, try ink carts from inkforsale.net. They work fine and are very low priced.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I, too, have had problems with G&G cartridges. One of my cyans totally drained out overnight after I installed it. I had cyan ink all over the inside of my printer and it wicked up into some other cartridges. Read this thread for the full story:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6945#p6945

Since I was refilling for several of my friends, I was really concerned that they would have a similar bad experience. That is when I looked into vacuum refilling Canon cartridges which is the only way I go now.

Look on the bottom line of my profile for a way to get original Canon BCI-6 cartridges already refilled.