Possible print head clog with IP4500

[tsu3000]

Thanks for all the replies.

I will stop using the printer for the time being.

One other thing, what is a good way to keep the carts from drying when the cleaning process is under way? Would a resealable freezer bag be good enough?

 

[The Hat]

tsu3000

If you are worried about your cartridges drying out you can put the orange clip (shoe)
back on to each of the cartridges again using an elastic band to hold them on ok..

 

[fotofreek]

tsu3000

If you are worried about your cartridges drying out you can put the orange clip (shoe)
back on to each of the cartridges again using an elastic band to hold them on ok..

In addition, I put them in a plastic refrigerator container with an airtight cover. Easier to keep stored upright than in a plastic bag.

 

[tsu3000]

The nozzles that are most difficult to clear are with the pigmented ink. Do I recall that Pharmacist had a magic brew to help clear those nozzles?

Pharmacist's brew has ammonia as well. Is it required to add ammonia to the mix? I don't have access to Windex so plan to use Lidl W5 glass cleaner as an alternative (Thanks for the tip The Hat )

Thanks.

 

[l_d_allan]

should I investigate further and try to clean the heads?

Something I've looked for, and didn't find ....

Is there an up-to-date set of guidelines for dealing with a clogged dye-based print-head? Specifically for Canon? Seems like there could be a recommended progression of increasingly involved steps, but I haven't come across it ... maybe I didn't look hard enough. It would start simple and easy, followed by "deeper" attempts.

The following are my "stream of consciousness" ideas on tackling a clogged Canon print-head. Others with much more experience that this admitted declogging newbie are invited to "correct the error of my ways". Also, each situation is different, so "it depends". I don't claim the following is correct, but might serve as a starting point for more experienced de-cloggers to revise/add/re-order/fix. I can go back "after the fact" and edit in revisions, as appropriate.

* For Canon dye based printers, my speculation is you would start with a careful look at the nozzle check, and compare to when the printer was working well. Some nozzle check patterns may suggest that the print-head electronics are possibly causing the problem. Ask for diagnostic help on this forum with a scanned image, or closeup from your camera.

* Then a print driver normal cleaning and nozzle check to see if improved. You only need to do the set of nozzles with the one that has the nozzle check problem, not all nozzles (to save ink)

* No improvement? Then a print driver deep cleaning cycle and nozzle check to see if improved.

* Sometimes a print-head seems to "self-heal" overnight after a deep cleaning. Worth a try. Try another nozzle check in 12 to 24 hours.

* Try other carts to see if the nozzle check is better from them. If you have an oem cart with the Canon ink, try it. If you are using cheap ink and/or non Canon oem carts, then "all bets are off".

* If printer still in warranty, contact Canon and try to get a replacement print-head. Describe that a deep-cleaning didn't help.

* Check the purge unit to confirm it is working . Done several times with Windex, this may provide a relatively simple de-clogging of the print-head.

* So far the print-head has remained in the printer, and the carts are in place. The next steps are more involved. This declogging newbie's impression is that you want to hold off rinsing the print-head in tap water until a last resort.

* I've got a complete set of "cleaning cartridges" that have been purged and filled with a mixture of Windex + alcohol + distilled water. I put those in the printer and do several deep cleaning cycles. Then the carts with actual ink go back in and I do several cleaning + nozzle check cycles.

* If still clogged, I've put back the cleaning carts into the print-head, done a deep cleaning cycle or two, and let sit overnight.

* Still clogged ... remove the print-head and let soak on a Windex saturated paper towel. This thread has discussion of this. This can also diagnose possible electrical problems.

* Still clogged ... next post in the thread above shows a print-head sitting in an indentation of a Glad container lid. I've tried putting windex in the indentation and letting the print-head soak ... submerged in the Windex.

* Still clogged ... I've put a cleaning cart for the clogged color in that nozzle inlet, and let 10+ ml of cleaning solution run through the print-head for that color into the Glad container indentation.

* Still clogged? ... last resort is to rinse out the print-head with warm tap water ... if your tap water is relatively high quality and not too much minerals. Take 5+ minutes, turning the print-head upside down and right-side up regularly. Low pressure of water stream. Alternate between all the nozzle inlets on the right-side up top, and the print-head itself when upside down.

* Pay close attention when starting the rinse. Guide just a bit some into the problematic nozzle inlet from the top, and then look at the print-head when held upside down. If no ink is coming out, possibly badly, badly clogged nozzles for that color. If colored ink of the problematic color flows freely, the problem may be fixed, or you may have electrical problems.

* Shake out throughly.

* Drip distilled water through nozzle inlets and out of print-head to displace tap water.

* Shake out thoroughly and dry for 24+ hours so print-head electronics are less likely to short-out.

* Carefully clean contacts between print-head and printer.

* With chipped carts, all the cleaning cycles may have the printer thinking the carts are relatively empty, which may not be the case. If you have sufficient carts, end up with full carts that have been freshly reset so the printer thinks they are full.

Above almost surely would benefit from revisions/additions/fixes from more experienced de-cloggers than myself. I consider the above just a starting point.

 

[l_d_allan]

I wouldnt print any head alignments or anything else till you get the PGBK black sorted out first.

Agree. I mis-read the OP that the nozzle check for PGI was visible but didn't look right, rather than that section of the nozzle check was more or less non-existent. Sorry.

My speculation is that there isn't much ink sprayed during an alignment, so it isn't likely to overheat the clogged print-head nozzles. But I concur that if little or nothing is showing up during the nozzle check, an alignment doesn't serve any purpose. Can't help, could hurt.

 

[tsu3000]

l_d_allan

Thanks for the tips. I agree there needs to be a latest "howto" guide regarding pigment inks for Canon carts.

Going down your list I noticed you use Windex. Is that the version with "Ammonia D"? Did it work? The reason I ask is that this old link http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=63&p=2 suggests that *maybe* ammonia is not too good on pigment inks. Here is a quote from reply #18 by Grandad35 after he read Arthur Entlich info:

1. Dye based inks tend to be basic (high pH) and pigment inks tend to be acidic (low pH). An ammonia based cleaner (high pH) should not be used with pigment based inks until the combination is tested for compatibility as described in his writeup. This brings up an obvious question: "Are the pigment based inks used in Canon's BCI-3eBK carts compatible with ammonia based cleaners?"

I basically have the same question now after reading this forum - can ammonia be used for pigment inks, more specifically HobbiColors? There seems to be a lot of info regarding unclogging heads when dye based inks are involved and a lot of success stories too, but not a lot of info when it comes to pigment inks.

To recap, all my photo colours, the CLI OEM carts with HobbiColors ink, print the test pattern without any issues. Only my pigment PGBK is causing problems.

I think I will start with standard glass cleaner (Lidl W5) and see what happens.


Thanks.

 

[The Hat]

tsu3000
Most of the window cleaners on sale have little concentrations of different chemicals in them,
its mostly water so are not unsafe to use while clearing ink blockages out of a print head.

I sometimes mix W5 with washing liquid and alcohol from time to time to clean out my pigment cartridges
and they always come up clean and print perfectly afterwards, but only water for dye ink.

Did you ever think of changing your pigment ink ?
Or better still, purge the cartridge and fill with dye ink that would help in preventing clogs happen +
make it easier to clear quicker if and when it happens again..

 

[ghwellsjr]

Lynn, I just have a few suggestions for your excellent summary on nozzle cleaning steps:

1) Start off with a clear warning not to print anything except nozzles checks until all nozzles are unclogged since extensive printing with no ink flowing can overheat and burn out the heating elements.

2) On your second and third bullets you use the phrase "print driver" which should be "print head".

3) I would suggest that people only do normal print head cleanings unless they are using a specially prepared cleaning cartridges. They should be made aware that just a few deep print head cleanings can use up all the ink in a cartridge.

4) I would suggest that a cleaning cartridge have at least a little ink in it, just so that you can tell if the cleaning is working.

5) For people who are not yet into refilling but need a cleaning cartridge, they can make one easily by taking a cartridge that is almost empty (assuming they don't have a resetter), turning it upside down and dribbling window cleaner into the outlet port.

 

[tsu3000]

Did you ever think of changing your pigment ink ?
Or better still, purge the cartridge and fill with dye ink that would help in preventing clogs happen +
make it easier to clear quicker if and when it happens again..

I have not thought about changing the pigment black to dye black. But I may do once this is resolved

Would it be safe to just put dye ink into the PGBK cart once its empty? Or is purging the only way to go?

Thanks.