R1800 conectivity woes!

[Bazz8]

First Post
I can not resist a bargain so when I had some issues with my R800 which I have used for almost 7 yrs I considered upgrading my printer and so I saw a link to a brand new never used R1800 in the Netherlands SO ON ebay I got it for $19.75 AU with $ 140 POSTAGE
so I ran with it.
I bought a CIS for it a RIHAC which have a good reputation so I read every post re: blocked heads etc and prepared to clean the printer and get it going, well 3 weeks later 1.5 sets of OEM inks +1 set of inks the damn thing would not print.
Windex and gentle pressure ensured that the head was cleaned, I even got real good at removing the case etc. I concluded that the FFC cables to the head are not connecting so i bought a set and changed the lead into the head but no it will not print
I even considered following a epson owner who ran over his blocked printer with a 4WD.
I even tried the r800 head in the r1800 and it printed a nozzle test x2 then nothing, ( i am now assuming the ink that was in the head was eneogh to print the nozzle test but no more?
I am now running the CIS on the r800 with no problems ( dare I say so far) so it must be a electrical issue
I have downloaded a wshop PDF and it states that the head if replaced must be entered in the bios ( which is way out of my expertise)
I any one has any suggestions as to why the head does not print as I had the head ultrasonicly cleaned and checked out as ok, I am assuming it is one of the boards or FCC cables
I have read almost every post regarding the r1800 on this forum and know that there are some experienced operaters on the forum
thanks in advance
Bazz8

 

[newuser4]

Windex and gentle pressure ensured that the head was cleaned

Please don't get me wrong, I rarely write on this forum but as an old Epson user I have to say that if your print head was working before this attempt there are strong possibilities that you have killed it.

Epson printheads have a particularity, the flex cable which drives electric signals to the lower plate under the cartridges is at the same time the ink conduit or better, it is the upper part of the printhead ink chamber. If you create any kind of pressure inside of it the force will act against the solderings on its edges, damaging or detaching them. A picture of a dissected printhead would be worth thousand of words.

So as far as I can tell I think that you have to buy another printhead but you have probably to do it through Epson support. As you already know when you change the printhead you have to change the printhead voltage in the printer eeprom and this operation can be carried out only with the so called "service program" available only to authorized support centers.

 

[newuser4]

I've found it, full explaination is here: http://members.shaw.ca/hargravep/head.htm

This is what I mean (I'm linking the picture from the page above, I hope you can see here directly)

Ink flows between the pcb and the red plastic ribbon you can see here. Solderings are on the three edges of the ribbon, they drive current to the piezo elements layered on the pcb.