The possible end to my iP4500.. !

[The Hat]

My Auld iP4500 is in trouble, I went to print a CD on it today and it wouldn’t take in a pre-test sheet of a nozzle print properly, it refused to feed on the two occasions I tried, I forced the issue by hand and this is the result I got. (Second go on the bottom)

She hasn’t been on for more than six months so I expected some print issues but not the paper feeder, I did clean the rollers before the second print but I could clearly hear it struggling to feed the sheet, it didn’t sound good.

So maybe this is the end of this great printer, well for paper and photo prints only, but I will continue to use it for CD’s as long as it will continue, I suppose I shouldn’t complain she has done 54k prints over the years..

P.S. I taught the print head would just die on me, but I didn’t expect her legs to go first.. Ironically I Fecked out the bottom cassette feeder tray years ago..
click to enlarge, You can see I had two goes at it.. (Mis-feed)

 

[PeterBJ]

I have an iP4500 with a defective printhead, no PGBK and lower half of the first cyan stripe missing. I could send you some spares if they are not too big and heavy. Here is a simplified service manual with a parts catalog in one file to help identify parts.

 

[stratman]

I have an iP4500 with a defective printhead

Sounds like a certain someone's functioning print head with a banjaxed paper transport mechanism would resolve your issue.

 

[Artur5]

Just a question, @The Hat. I expect that the waste ink counter of your IP4500 reached full long before those 54K pages and you had to reset it. Did you disassemble the machine to clean the pads or are you keeping the printer on a 'safety tray ?

 

[The Hat]

Did you disassemble the machine to clean the pads or are you keeping the printer on a 'safety tray ?

@arthur5, yes she reached the waste full condition many years ago, and I lifted out the chassis and washed the waste ink pads and put them back in damp, no more complaints since, except for the latest feed problem.

I have an iP4500 with a defective printhead, no PGBK and lower half of the first cyan stripe missing. I could send you some spares if they are not too big and heavy

Thank you very much for the kind gesture @PeterBJ, but I’ll try and see if I can get her back working again tomorrow, and I’ll get back to you, I might even send you the Feckin print head if I balls up the feeder..

 

[The Hat]

I could send you some spares if they are not too big and heavy

I had a chance today to have a look at the printer, and a bit of a clean and dusting got it working again, the only thing I can figure, it just needed to be used more and maybe was suffering from Arthritis.. I ran 20 sheets as a test and she’s fine now..

Thanks again @PeterBJ for your spare parts offer, beside I didn’t fancy messing around with the feed rollers, because there’s all sorts of springs in there and I am bound to lose one or two, even worse not know where they even came from..

 

[PeterBJ]

Congratulations with getting the good old printer going again

HP recommends cleaning paper dust off rubber rollers using a rag moistened with warm not hot water. They warn against using alcohols and strong solvents that might ruin the rollers.

I have successfully used a special rubber roller restorer for printers and copiers, the AF Platenclene. There are more brands of rubber roller restorers available.

 

[The Hat]

HP recommends cleaning paper dust off rubber rollers using a rag moistened with warm not hot water. They warn against using alcohols and strong solvents that might ruin the rollers.

Guess what I used… Alcohol with a bit of water added, seemed to work ok !...

 

[PeterBJ]

And back in the days of audio and video tape recorders isopropyl alcohol was used for cleaning the heads and rubber roller. The recorders were never damaged by the alcohol.