Officejet Pro 8000 CISS

[owenb]

Several weeks ago I purchased a CISS system for my HP OfficeJet 8000. Rather than the usual ink cartridges connected via tubing to separate bulk tanks this style used a single large refillable cartridge for each color. Each cartridge had a decal showing a syringe being used on the ink port. The unit came without a explanation.
The vendor is in Asia and could not give a explanation of how or why to use the syringe. The syringe in the illustration appears to be empty and suggests that it was being used to vacate trapped air. When I attempted to use a syringe to do the same I encountered a vacuum, no air or ink was evacuated.
The bottom of the unit is comprable to the stock HP 940 inkcartridge, that is there is the ink port and what I think is soft oblong bulb pump device.
Does anyone know what the syringe is supposed to do? Or better yet how to use it?

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Usually the large format HP cartridges you simply refill with ink with the syringe. One port is for ink and should be closed unless you are refilling, the other port is for air ventilation and should be left open. The bulb on the bottom of the cartridge is used by the printer to get the ink flow going/prime the cartridge. It is not a CIS, it's just a "refillable cartridge". There is no need to use a CIS on an HP 8X00 series printer, since the internal design is already the same as a CIS (big tanks that don't move, tubes leading to the print head).

Where did you buy this system? With such bad support, I would be worried that it's of low quality, especially the ink. You may do more harm than good by using it at all. Post a photo of it, and see if any of the vendors here recognize the tank, though there aren't many people here who use HP.

 

[websnail]

Blimey no explanation eh? Absolutely useless product then frankly and I'd be badgering for my money back were I you..

That said I can shed some light on the whole thing.

The Syringe is required to help prime the cartridge properly so that only ink (and not air!) remains in the bulp/pump/feed part of the cartridge.

What you'll need to do is tip the cartridge over, stick the needle into the port (making sure you don't create a new hole!) and then draw back on the syringe plunger to draw out ink and air.

Repeat, while adjusting the angle of the cartridge so you encourage any air to a point where you can suck it out, until you're happy that you've got it all...

With the syringe/needle in the port, also try pushing the bulb a few times to pump ink into the syringe just to be sure...


Right... as for the vacuum you're experiencing... Best guess is one of the following:
1. You've not actually filled the cartridge with any ink via the inlet port.
2. There's something jammed or glued shut within the cartridge
3. You've got the end of the needle up against the wall of the cartridge effectively blocking the end.

My guess is 1. but I could be wrong.

Hope that's of some use though.

All the ink you draw out can be dumped back into the appropriate reservoir where any bubbles can disperse.