New weapon of Canon: new carts to replace CLI-221/521 and PGI-220/520

[inkjago]

ooooook

 

[valentt]

If you could also measure an empty cartridge that would be helpful.

I'm not sure of the exact weight of the inks we use but water weighs about 1 gram per ml, so you should be able to know how much ink to inject by the weight of the cartridge.

If my info is correct 525 cartridge has 20ml and 526 cartridges have 10ml of ink, let's say 1ml stays in sponge.
So empty cartridge should weigh:

PGI-525 - 34g - 19g = 15g (empty)
CLI-526 - 18g - 9g = 9g (empty)

Hi guys,
my cartridges ran out and I put them on digital scale. Printer was showing warning message but it looks like there still was some ink in them.

CLI-526 C = 12g (printer showing 1/4 bars and warning)
CLI-526 M = 12g (printer showing 1/4 bars and warning)
CLI-526 Y = 13g (printer showing 1/4 bars and warning)
CLI-526 GY = 13g (printer showing 1/4 bars and warning)

I still had some ink in BK (regular black) and PGBK (big black), printer was showing 2/4 bars for them (half full) and their weights were:
CLI-526 BK = 15g (printer showing 2/4 bars)
PGI-526 PGBK = 25g (printer showing 2/4 bars)


I filled up only those 4 that had warning in refill shop and after refill they weight:

CLI-526 C = 20g
CLI-526 M = 18g
CLI-526 Y = 20g
CLI-526 GY = 17g

So it looks like Cyan and Yellow were filled with more ink that they came originally and Grey is a bit less.

 

[inka]

Hi

I've been refilling these cartridges since buying my Canon ip4850. Having checked through this really useful forum, I just top fill and weigh cartridges regularly to check fill levels.

I fill CLI-526 when it's 12g - 14g. This fills to about 20g - 21g before ink starts spilling over the top. And I fill PGI - 525 when it weighs 19g - 20g. This fills to about 19g -20g before overspill of ink. I've tried measuring fill with toothpinks, but to be honest, you can clearly see when the cartridge is full from the top. I print regularly and keep a close check on cartridge weights so it's never running on empty.

I've bought ink from Octoink and have been very pleased with the quality and colours. However, only a few months into my new purchase, my Canon printer has now suddenly stopped printing Yellow! The cartridge is full, ink is coming out through the pad, I've done 3 cleans and 2 deep cleans with the printer, I've sponged the base of the printhead with alcohol (the print cleaner type) and still not printing yellow.

I'm unsure what to do next? So grateful for any suggestions.
(I'm wondering, even though the printer is still under warranty, will Canon supply a new print head (if it comes to that) if I've refilled their cartridges?)

 

[MP640]

I cannot really help you, but I have the same problem with my mp640 printer. There are some lines missing in yellow. I did all the things you did and on top of that I've put the print head in the washing machine (in the pocket of jeans). Still clogged.

I think I maybe left the printhead without cartridges in it for too long when refilling the cartridges, which caused the ink to dry in the printhead. When refilling, I used to remove all cartridges at once and refill them one by one. During this time (30 - 45 minutes) the printhead was without cartridges in it.

From now, when refilling a cartridge I take it out of the head and replace it with an empty one. I haven't encountered any more problems.

Still stuck with the missing yellow parts, so I am going to buy a new printhead.

 

[Redbrickman]

I suggest that to avoid damage you don't put your next print head in a washing machine.

Even cleaning them with windex and other methods that have been discussed on the forum is not without risk, but washing machines and printheads are not a good idea, as the head will be bashed around and the electronic parts subjected to water and chemicals for too long.

Putting a replacement cart in the head immediately is a good thing as it stops the head drying out. Best plan is to have a spare set of carts and then you don't need to rush refilling.

Before you splash out on a new head I would try windex or equivalent and let it soak overnight. Patience is the key here, and others have successfully brought their printhead back to full working order after several days of patient cleaning.

Search the forum for others experiences in unclogging seemingly hopelessly clogged printheads.

 

[inka]

Thanks - I will try soaking it. Certainly won't be putting it in the wash.

I'm just disappointed in Canon. This happened with my last Canon Pixma, but, having said that, it was a few years old, and the ink I was using was not the best. But for it to happen again with a 6 month old machine which is well looked after and not allowed to dry out...? I'll be going for a continuous system next time round! And definately not Canon.

Here goes...

 

[ghwellsjr]

(I'm wondering, even though the printer is still under warranty, will Canon supply a new print head (if it comes to that) if I've refilled their cartridges?)

Why not call Canon and tell them that your yellow isn't working even after many cleaning attempts and see if they offer you a new print head? Check to see how far away your nearest Authorized Service Center is in case they want you to take your printer there, maybe it's too far or to inconvenient. You don't have to volunteer any information about refilling and they probably won't ask. They have generally been very good to others in the same situation.

 

[inka]

Good idea - I'll keep for that next time...
In the meantime, I've got the yellow to work!

The printhead was obviously clogged. Here's how I unclogged it:

I soaked the base of the print head in alcohol for a couple of hours, checking occasionally if yellow was coming out through swabbing the base. It wasn't.
So, I then connected a small piece of plastic tubing to fit snugly around the yellow ink inlet and a 50ml syringe onto that. Then, while the print head is still sitting in it's alcoholic bath, apply strong suction (hence the 50ml syringe) until the alcohol comes through. I also flushed it back through again, checking that there's no resistance first.
Then another couple of suction and flush cycles.
Dry lightly with tissue and hairdryer. Into the printer, load up, check print, et voila!

It's the syringe suction that makes the difference, I think. Hopefully this will help others out there who are tearing their hair out.
Phew, thought it was time for another printer...

 

[websnail]

Good to know you got it resolved but more than mildly concerned that you got such a resistant clog...

Either way, just to mirror a couple of things.
1. Washing machine?!!? - Erm, You've done what now?
2. Avoid strong suction wherever possible
3. Rather than a purely alcohol based cleaning solution, go for more ammonia and distilled water
4. Leaving a printhead to wick up the solution into the printhead nozzles and breakdown the clog generally safer than stressing the nozzles with a high pressure vacuum and force approach.. (Sometimes it's last resorts but definitely one to avoid if you can!)

For what it's worth the Image Specialists yellow isn't one I see clogging... A more likely cause is ink/air foam near the outlet port, or ink build up in the air vent matrix on the cartridge. This would starve the printhead and reduce ink flow...

At a guess things may have snowballed from there, with the alcohol swipe (try to avoid swiping as that can damage nozzles too) potentially drying out ink in the nozzles...

Hard to be sure but overall good to know you resolved it in the end...

 

[Redbrickman]

I'll be going for a continuous system next time round! And definately not Canon.

Here goes...

Only buy a CIS if you are intending to do regular printing and lots of it.

And don't buy a CIS for a Canon, more problems with clogging etc.

If not printing a lot, do a nozzle check every week to keep ink flowing in the nozzles and avoid any clogs