Oh No! My trusty ol' ip4000!

[Cedar]

I was having problems with this printer, so I replaced the printhead with a new one, inserted a brand new OEM pigment black, and 4 refilled dye carts. Now the dye carts seem to be fine, as far as I can tell. I did a wee bit of printing: my CMYK strip tester, which looks good. I also printed part of a picture, it looks fine except the black text seems a little faded looking.

However, I am very puzzled by the nozzle check printout regarding the pigment black. See attached jpeg. Anybody got any ideas what might be going on here?

 

[turbguy]

Most likely, fail print head, Potentially a failed ribbon cable/connection

Remove and reseat the head and see if it is a simple contact error.

 

[Cedar]

A total failure of a brand new printhead? Really? Does it make a difference that I had it sitting around here for a few years, (still sealed in box)? If it's a failed ribbon cable/connection, is it fixable? Reseating printhead made no difference. Also, perhaps important: the last nozzle check I printed with the previous printhead printed a similar pattern for the pigment black, with alternating missing columns in the same manner, just with more, and random, lines missing.

 

[PeterBJ]

When a Canon print head fails it might damage the logic board and a logic board damaged this way might damage a new print head, so replacing a Canon print head is a gamble and I cannot tell the odds for success. The same error with a new print head suggests a damaged logic board to me.

Maybe the new print head is not new at all? Some sellers from the far east clean used print heads to look like new and repack them in counterfeit foil bags and cardboard boxes to look like new and unused print heads.

 

[turbguy]

A total failure of a brand new printhead? Really? Does it make a difference that I had it sitting around here for a few ytallears, (still sealed in box)? If it's a failed ribbon cable/connection, is it fixable? Reseating printhead made no difference. Also, perhaps important: the last nozzle check I printed with the previous printhead printed a similar pattern for the pigment black, with alternating missing columns in the same manner, just with more, and random, lines missing.

If the "new" printhead came from a reliable seller (such as Canon itself), then you have either a ribbon cable failure or a logic board failure. I have a Canon MP730 with the same issue in Cyan. A new printhead from Canon, USA did not solve the problem, however, the printer prints most things fine for my purpose when printed uni-directionally.

You can try reseating the ribbon cables, but that requires a significant amount of disassembly.

 

[Cedar]

How do you print uni-directionally?

If I continue printing with this printer as is, will this problem cause more problems, or is it possible it could keep on for some time yet?

 

[turbguy]

Typically, highest quality printing settings force uni-directional printing.

That may not be an option with a text/line graphic document on plain paper (which is the only time and type of document that uses Black Pigment ink). Photo printing does not use Black Pigment ink.

You can print text with the matte paper setting (lie to the printer) to get clear text. It will mix colors to get dark grey, and prints will not be water resistant, and printing will be slower, but it will work.

Print away! My MP730 has been working this way for years.

 

[The Hat]

Maybe the new print head is not new at all? Some sellers from the far east clean used print heads to look like new and repack them in counterfeit foil bags and cardboard boxes to look like new and unused print heads.

We still haven’t heard if it was a New Head from Canon or an EBay head...

 

[martin0reg]

We still haven’t heard if it was a New Head from Canon or an EBay head...

Beside the canon "hologram sticker" on the package of newer models, there is one more sign which refurbished heads seem to miss: a serial number stamp on the upper left of the bag:

..if you did not throw this part away yet...

 

[stratman]

We still haven’t heard if it was a New Head from Canon or an EBay head...

Cedar wrote the print head was "sitting around here for a few years" which I take to mean more than two years and decreases the odds it is a fraudulently advertised as new but actually a used print head out of China.

Still, inquiring minds do want to know when and where the print head was purchased.