Starved for magenta, HP C309a

[kgvickers]

ThrillaMo, I'm having the same problem with my C309a with the CISS (although I don't know if it's the same color that's clogging). I'm sure you're familiar with it since you've commented on that thread.

Practically every time I go to print something with color I have to run a cleaning cycle. My CISS carts flow just fine and I've purged all air from the cartridges. Maybe it's time for a deep cleaning of the head.

 

[qwertydude]

The ink foaming and not flowing when blowing out a cartridge is usually a sign that the foam has swollen. Similar problems occurred with the Canon cartridges of similar design. Most people assume it's a normal thing to go and purge and dry the cartridge when this occurs. I had better luck putting a about 4-5 drops of denatured alcohol for every 2 ounce of ink. This tended to restore the foam to a normal flow rate. But so far my best solution was actually to just use generic online cartridges. These tended to have foam that flowed much better than the OEM and didn't tend to swell over time and starve the printhead of ink.

 

[emmaachile]

Can u recommend any good generic online cartiridges?

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Hi, kg. Sorry you're having problems too.

There are three possible causes for this problem: (1) partly clogged upper part of print head; (2) air pockets in sponge or other clog in sponge or cartridge outlet filter; (3) an air-locked cartridge. I think I've had at least two of the problems, but I'm only sure of the third. I'm closing in on it, but progress is slow. EDIT: I'm not so sure I believe #3 any more. There's a fourth possibility: a sponge not in contact with the exit port.

Mikling demonstrated the possibility of an air lock with some very interesting pictures. They are here, I think: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=46685#p46685 . He problems with the German method, due to air locking here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=46704#p46704 .

I have observed air locking on at least two occasions. I found a set of HP cartridges that have a small, transparent window. Twice I have noticed that I could not force ink from a cartridge by blowing on the vent, even though the spongeless chamber was full or almost full. If I drew through the exit port with a syringe, I got ink only if I drew the syringe back rather rapidly, suggesting that I was drawing ink from the chamber but not from the sponge. On one of these occasions I also weighed the cartridge and found that it was down by about 6 g, which corresponds approximately to an empty sponge, so it was apparently drawing from the sponge but not the ink chamber. Both of these incidents happened with cartridges that had worked 100% before and had emptied completely during printing.

I think when that happens you can tap the cartridge to get a bubble into the ink chamber, and ink out. This should get ink flowing, but I haven't had a chance to really test it.

The other problem I may have had is a dry sponge. I got some cartridges from a recycling bin, and I'm not sure if I properly purged them and wetted the sponge, or perhaps I got air pockets into the sponge while freedom filling.

Or maybe the print head really was clogged. Mikling posted a nice (safe) summary of unclogging methods here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=49410#p49410 . You can also put tubes on the print head inlets and fill them with 20% isopropyl alcohol. If the liquid drains equally well through all, then it's not clogged.

There's a nice video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrXXDYOcIc4 that shows removing the printer head and clearing jams.

Let us know what's happening.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Kgvickers, I have an idea. How is the cartridge installed? Is there a vent on the cartridge, and if there is one, is it sealed?

 

[nerdful1]

Any updates to this? Particularly the magenta starving?

 

[Tigerman]

Hi ....
just you try printing in Best mood ??? if you can please print in best mood for example magenta box for many times and make ink volume high.

this is just suggestion.

.....

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Any updates to this? Particularly the magenta starving?

Unfortunately, no. I've had this happen with something like three cartridges now, both dye and pigment. I've fixed each problem as it arose, but in each case the solution was temporary.

I have a balance now for weighing cartridges, and I have some cartridges with windows, so I can do a thorough diagnosis if I see the problem again. Unfortunately, I have not printed a lot recently, so I haven't incurred the problem and haven't done the diagnosis.

There may be more than one cause. My impression and current hypothesis is that there is some air in the sponges because of the way the cartridges were refilled. My hypothesis is that when I finally do everything properly, if I eliminate almost all air from the cartridges (and keep it out) that should fix the problem. I'm working with the Freedom method. That requires patience, since any air in the cartridge blows bubbles through the filter, and the foam is very slow to dissipate. The tentative plan is to get one good fill with the Freedom method, and then to top fill.

Note that the HP cartridges have real sponges, probably like the sponges in the Canon patents, and unlike Canon's current sponges. So I'm not sure if all the experience that people have had with Canon is entirely applicable here. I'm not wanting to mess with the sponges in any way.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

Any updates to this? Particularly the magenta starving?

Yes, I have 199 pages since the last incident with cyan, and I just now printed 13 pages with some large images with a LOT of magenta. I've got 300 pages since the last refill, and I'm down to the last 2 g or so of colored ink in each cartridge, and getting ready to refill. I've diddled with the cartridges, but have not touched the head.

I'm tentatively going to declare victory. At the moment I don't know if vacuum (Freedom) filling is the cause or the cure for the problem. Maybe both.

 

[barfl2]

I think that with the Freedom method you have to be very careful that all the air has come out before you release the plunger and then let the vacuum put the ink in. It is quite easy to accidently press down the plunger and put air back in. I found the large black pigment carts easier to fill by this method than the smaller ones. Why I do not know, have gone back to the German method. Milking I believe mentioned one possible feed problem that the bridge of ink between the ink tank and sponge sometimes does not connect properly. Sharp tapping of the cart sometimes help overcome this problem. another possibility using freedom method and opaque carts is ink getting into the maze. I had magenta problems on my HP 5160 364 carts. I used Panos method for cleaning which is gentle.

A bit later after a good period the printer stopped printing. NO error messages. HP helpline were very good went through a set of various instructions, none of which produced anything so they then said Printhead was gone. As M/C was still under guarantee got a new head and carts. Then sold it bought a Canon because of easy refilling. But they are good printers in operation very well built.