Loss of yellow

[John Wallace]

I have a Canon Pixma iP7250 and I'm using Canon carts. Because I've only used it for colour printing, the large black nozzle has blocked up. In my attempt to remove the printhead, I wonder if I might have damaged the yellow nozzle. I discovered that you cannot remove the printhead from the iP7250 unless you take the top cover off. I eventually discovered how to do this through another forum (see my other post on this in another thread). I still have not managed to unblock the black but I will persist with that, using the information on this forum. But have I damaged the yellow in my attempt to remove the printhead before I realised that the top had to come off? Here is the printout:

I have attempted to unblock the yellow but it wasn't showing a problem until I removed and replaced the printhead. Any help or suggestions much appreciated!

 

[The Hat]

Hi John

You may well be right about damaging the print head because it doesn’t look good at all.

Now I know you mentioned in another post that you had to remove the top cover to be able to remove the print head out of the printer, and this is where I reckon it went wrong on you. [See Below]

The missing yellow may come back but its very dough-full because usually when half of the strip is missing that’s a good sign of electrical failure, did you by any chance put the head back damp !

I would suggest you try soaking it again in a few drops of washing up liquid for a day or two (Fairy brand) and warm water 2 cm deep, cover the ink inlets also where the carts usually sit.

This may not work but never give up on the first try, because miracles do sometimes happen with these pesky heads, but it is important to thoroughly dry the head somewhere warm before reinstalling it, you never know the black might make a come back also.

Before putting it back into the printer try rubbing the electrical contacts on the back of the head with a rubber eraser to help make a good contact.

If this doesn’t work out for you then buying a new printer maybe cheaper than getting a new print head, link here:- http://www.crc-tasktron.co.uk/index.php?app=ecom&ns=prodshow&ref=82

Head removal

To remove the head just raise the top cover and allow the carts and head to centre then pull the power plug out of the wall socket, next remove all the carts and then lower the front cover to allow for CD printing.


Make sure the print head is centred first then with both hands pull back on the front part of the print head holder [HARD] where the ink colour label is, and the head will lift out, just reverse the procedure to re-fit again..

 

[John Wallace]

Many thanks for your quick and detailed reply. I will indeed give it a go as you suggested. I have in fact left the back glossy strip free so I can easily remove the top anyway. I found it really difficult to get the head out with the top on, but no problem with it removed. Just my clumsiness, I guess! If I can get the black to return, I can still use it as a B/W printer anyway. I'll keep the forum informed, but we're on vacion for two weeks so it will have to lie until then.

 

[John Wallace]

OK - just to come up-to-date. I followed your instructions to the letter but, alas, the black did not come back and now, you were right, the yellow has disappeared altogether. What I'll do now is run it as a black and white printer. How do I get it to default to the standard black cartridge and ignore the large black? I have a feeling this has been asnwered but I can't find the post.

 

[crenedecotret]

Simply tell the printer that you are using a photo paper rather than plain paper.

 

[martin0reg]

The "standard" black cart for printing on plain paper is the big one, called "text black" (other than "photo black" which is the small one)! So there is no chance to use it as "black only".
The other way around: using "color only" (with setting on photo paper) would be possible... if the yellow would come back...
I guess it wasn't you who damaged the yellow channel. Also the text black channel should not have been blocked, although you have printed mostly color ... the printer has to flush ALL nozzle rows from time to time to prevent damaged nozzles.
No more printing only nozzle check and cleaning cycles. Because canon bubble jet printers use to self-destroy when printing while the ink is not 100% flowing

 

[John Wallace]

Thanks, both of you. I knew it was something simple.I now have a wonderful B/W printer . . .
Unfortunately, I fear, the loss of the yellow was my fault and is almost certainly a damaged electrical connection due to my mishandling of the head. The problem with the black appears to be insurmountable, although I haven't yet tried fine wire in the slot.

 

[John Wallace]

Amazingly the yellow has come back! Still no luck from the big black cartridge but at least now I can print in full colour. You just never know . . . !