iP4600 suddenly the printhead died!

[geocha]

Suddenly and before emptying a complete refill ink set from octoink the printhead just lost all the yellow color. After repeated cleaning cycles i managed to get back the yellow but lost almost all the other colors. I took the head a part and clean up properly. I also cleaned the waste/suck mechanism which works perfectly.
Now after repeated cleaning cycles the printhead won't print solid colors. What could be the problem? Electrical issue maybe? I love this printer with the above ink and don't want to recycle it.
What can i do?

thanks guys!

 

[The Hat]

Suddenly and before emptying a complete refill ink set from octoink the printhead just lost all the yellow color. After repeated cleaning cycles i managed to get back the yellow but lost almost all the other colors. I took the head a part and clean up properly. I also cleaned the waste/suck mechanism which works perfectly.
Now after repeated cleaning cycles the printhead won't print solid colors. What could be the problem? Electrical issue maybe? I love this printer with the above ink and don't want to recycle it.
What can i do?

thanks guys!

One thing you could do is to print out a nozzle check and post it for us to have a look at it.
Some more information would be a great help also are you using OEM cartridges
and how many time have you refilled before this problem came up.

In the mean time do you have any other cartridges that you can try just to eliminate the possibility of ink starvation..

 

[geocha]

I don't use OEM inks and i think i have printed until now about 120ml of ink of each color. I also have another inkset ready to use but i get the same issues.
Tomorrow i'll post some pics but i don't think that we're gonna find out anything....The damn head is juuuust dead

 

[geocha]

here is a fresh nozzle check sample. I'll try to dilute the inks with some distilled water inorder to see if there is an ink starvation problem


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[geocha]

I need a printer that prints decently fast in normal mode (laser mode) and with good colour quality. I don't think that epsons can do that so my other choice in case the ip4600 is dead is the HP officejet pro 8100.

Any recommendation?

 

[The Hat]

Your nozzle check does look like an electric problem but not necessarily a terminal one.
Try removing the print head and cleaning the contacts on the back with some alcohol.

I would also give the timing strip a clean as well it may have droplets of ink on it.

Dont give up on your print head just yet but please explain what you meant by taking the print head apart,
there is some of the nozzles clogged but they can clean up with just doing a few prints..

 

[Grandad35]

Your PGBK pattern appears to have about 40 randomly clogged nozzles out of 256. If the problem is an electrical problem, the missing nozzles are usually in a regular pattern, not a random pattern like this. The other nozzle checks appear to show something similar, but it is impossible to say from the posted image. A number of the patterns appear to be missing random nozzles, but the M, BK and Y appear to be the worst. Can you scan a small section of the BK nozzle check at a much higher dpi setting so that the dot pattern can be seen?

The first thread in the FAQs covers a number of cleaning techniques that could help in this case.

 

[Tin Ho]

here is a fresh nozzle check sample. I'll try to dilute the inks with some distilled water inorder to see if there is an ink starvation problem.

Your nozzle check print reminds me my i960 that suffered from a similar clogging symptom before. It looks like a badly clogged print head. No, you don't want to dilute your ink. The ink is formulated to withstand the heat of the heaters in the nozzles. By diluting it the ink will lose that ability and will clog even more. Many poorly formulated after market inks can clog print heads for a same reason. Your ip4600 is a fairly new printer model. I am curious what caused it to clog like this. Usually it is the pigment black ink that is more likely to clog. Your print head looks clogged on all channels. I had Image Specialists ink for my i960 back then. I know it's probably not the ink that caused the problem. I still have the ink bottles that still have more than half of the ink remaining.

 

[geocha]

I don't think that is the ink. Today i took a part again the printhead and cleanit up really well. I strongly think that is an electrical issue because the missing nozzles are always the same. oh, now i also lost again the yellow channel...totally!
I also cleanedup the gold contacts where the printhead makes contact with the printer. Nothing

How can i check if there is ink starvation?

 

[The Hat]

I don't think that is the ink. Today i took a part again the printhead and cleanit up really well. I strongly think that is an electrical issue because the missing nozzles are always the same. oh, now i also lost again the yellow channel...totally!
I also cleanedup the gold contacts where the printhead makes contact with the printer. Nothing

How can i check if there is ink starvation?

You still havent explained what you meant by taking apart you print head.

The best way to check if you cartridges are supplying enough ink to your print head is to get an another cartridge
that you know works, or even better a new one and try a nozzle check using that..