"The Yellow" strikes again

[stratman]

I only can say that I also had issues who could not be explained or solved by the forum consensus.

Forum consensus is hard earned anecdotal evidence that is as close to the scientific method as we are going to get. While there will always be alternative methods of resolving issues - and YMMV - the forum consensus is a methodological progression in its approach to resolving issues that have produced success and have been repeatable. This, and that they are relatively non-destructive, are reason why the methods have become consensus and are recommended as baseline approaches to problem solving.

I reviewed your thread on your problem. Some of this applies to the OP of this thread and is why I am I am posting here instead on your thread. While I noted you did try flushing cartridge(s), I don't see you tried a NEW cartridge. It may be the sponge(s) have separated or there is a "Gello" type effect of ink in the sponge. If your issue continued despite a NEW cartridge then you can be certain the cartridge is not involved. I do not see you tried this.

The FUNNEL shaped ink defect is fairly pathognomonic for ink starvation due to poor flow of ink in the sponge. It is unlikely an electrical malfunction would cause a cascade of loss of ink from the center to the outside of the ink loss area, especially if the ink loss can resolve and return as it has for you. Instead, an electrical malfunction will typically be an all or nothing event and typically be a straight line event. However, poor ink flow within the sponge would cause a loss of ink in the center of the sponge first where ink must travel further to saturate, and then the poor ink flow will gradually affect further out from the center. I also do not think a flow issue inside the print head would cause this funnel shaped defect that rapidly blooms to involve nearly the entire Cyan channel in your nozzle check unless some chunk of clotted ink was the cause, and then I would have to wonder how there is relatively constant and uniform ink deposited in the periphery.

At this point, because ink flow DOES return for a brief time in your nozzle checks, I continue to recommend you try a NEW cartridge, preferably OEM, and if that does not work then soak the print head using the instructions I linked in your thread and try again with the NEW cartridge. If you think this an effect of "Gello" then soak the print head for a few days first in Windex with Ammonium D to help dissolve the Gello, flush with water and consider a second soaking in liquid dish was soap like Dawn or Fairy for a few days.

 

[floK]

Forum consensus is hard earned anecdotal evidence that is as close to the scientific method as we are going to get.

Far from me to question the expertise of the gurus of this forum, in what concerns the treatment side.
I feel, however, that some misunderstandings may appear on the diagnostic side. Either because we sometimes fail to explain our problems very well, or because those who try to help us cannot read very carefully what we write, but only diagonally (which is perfectly understandable, as their activity here is pro bono and they try to help a lot of users).
Thus, it often happens that we receive not a specific solution, but a general template of treatment, that implies to try one by one all the "known as good" (by forum consensus) procedures, until one of them will, eventually, solve the problem...

For example:

It may be the sponge(s) have separated or there is a "Gello" type effect of ink in the sponge. If your issue continued despite a NEW cartridge then you can be certain the cartridge is not involved. I do not see you tried this.

Of course, these are very accurate general tips.
But... I was hoping that, from my description, some of these causes could have been eliminated...
I mean, it's unlikely (my apologies if I'm mistaken, sincerely) that in a cartridge that was working perfectly before my vacation (and refilled last time a month before) to occur a spontaneous sponge separation, during the three weeks of non-use. Especially that the cartridge is relatively new (bought OEM and refilled only once) and it was no dried at my return, as the blow-drip test and the fact it was half full have confirmed.
And for the same reasons and a few others (the inks used, no multiple refills, etc) I have doubts that the "yellow gello" could have had conditions to occur (even though I mentioned it as a possibility). In fact, I could not see any change in the viscosity or color of the yellow ink (if I well understood the usual symptoms) that would confirm this hypothesis.

However, I decided to follow your instructions.
Yesterday I spent several hours to flush the cartridge with Windex solution and, then, to recondition it with Pharmacist's formula (as adviced by The Hat), with zero results.
And in order to be sure, today I spent other 3 hours and 20 USD to find and buy a new yellow cartridge, also with zero results.
What to say, maybe the effort was worth it, at least I have now the confirmation that the problem is NOT from the cartridge.

Well, now I just sank the printhead (to up over the inlets) in slightly warm water (about 60 C) with few drops of Fairy dishwashing liquid and I will leave it so until tomorrow. Let's see if this could produce the miracle where stronger solutions as the ammonia and the isopropyl alcohol couldn't. Though I don't understand how...

 

[floK]

Are you now presenting more data not previously provided with your original post?
[...]
You mentioned using the German method for refilling.
[...]
You threw a lot of info at the forum at one time and omitted some data we rely on for diagnosing. Then you continued your own path for some time which delayed diagnosing.
[...]
Which cartridge?
Where you ended your original thread, your Yellow was functioning properly according to you and your images. It was Cyan that showed ink starvation. Why did you buy a new Yellow if it was working?

Dear me! I have to admit that I was extremely surprised by the quoted statements until I understood the confusion. You answered to my post as if I were Palombian, not the OP

 

[stratman]

You answered to my post as if I were Palombian, not the OP

Opps! Yes I did. Deleted to prevent further confusion. Thanks for the correction.

 

[floK]

Well, some of the things you wrote were valid for me too. I understand your point now, thank you!

 

[floK]

Well, after 40 hours of soaking the printhead in "warm water and a squirt of fairy liquid" (@The Hat - post #2), the result is also ZERO - not any trace of yellow ink.

I summarize here all the attempts I've made:

1. Soaked the printhead for 4 hours in a solution of 50% Windex-like glass cleaner (with 5% ammonia) and 50% demineralized water. Result: the yellow ink appeared in the nozzle check pattern, but with a white strip of 3-4 mm width in the middle, on the whole length. Also, some lines (about 20%) were missing in the pigment black pattern. All the other colors were ok.

2. Soaked the printhead for 8 hours in a solution of 50% isopropyl alcohol and 50% demineralized water. Result: the pigment black has repaired, but the yellow completely disappeared.

3. Flushed the cartridge (@stratman - post #3) using Windex solution (over the night), then pharmacist's formula. Result: nothing (no trace of yellow).

4. Soaked the printhead for 40 hours in warm water (about 60 C, reheated for three times in this interval) with few drops of Fairy dishwashing soap.
Result: nothing.

Yet, there is something I've noticed and maybe worth to be mentioned:
after all these procedures, the inlet filter of the printhead that corresponds to the yellow cartridge still remained slightly yellowish, while the other dye inks inlets are perfectly white.

So, do you think there are any other solutions that I could try?

And... just in case... is there any way to test if the malfunction is on the electric side (burnt nozzles)?

 

[PeterBJ]

A stamp test can show if yellow is present at the nozzles but not printed due to an electronic defect. See this post.

 

[The Hat]

Yet, there is something I've noticed and maybe worth to be mentioned:
after all these procedures, the inlet filter of the printhead that corresponds to the yellow cartridge still remained slightly yellowish, while the other dye inks inlets are perfectly white.

There is another thing you could try, hold the print head upside down under a tap of running water and let the water run for a few minutes, there is no need for it to run fast, then shake dry the head and spray the ink inlets with window cleaner, giving them a good squirt, then repeat with the running water process.

It’s possible that you may have accumulated dried yellow ink on just the inlet...

 

[floK]

A stamp test can show if yellow is present at the nozzles but not printed due to an electronic defect. See this post.

But the stamp test won't be relevant if the inlet is clogged (as I still suspect), is it?
I was thinking about the self-diagnosis feature of the printer software...

There is another thing you could try, hold the print head upside down under a tap of running water and let the water run for a few minutes, there is no need for it to run fast, then shake dry the head and spray the ink inlets with window cleaner, giving them a good squirt, then repeat with the running water process.

It’s possible that you may have accumulated dried yellow ink on just the inlet...

Thanks, I'll try, though I've already done this a few times, in order to remove the excess ink before soaking the printhead. But maybe not for enough time.

 

[PeterBJ]

But the stamp test won't be relevant if the inlet is clogged (as I still suspect), is it?
I was thinking about the self-diagnosis feature of the printer software...

If yellow is present in the stamp but doesn't print this indicates an electronic defect in the print head and/or the logic board. If no yellow is present in the stamp test this indicates a blockage in the yellow ink system. It doesn't rule out that an electronic defect could also be present.

Not all electronic defects cause error messages. A defective print head or logic board causing for instance missing pigment black printing doesn't always give an error message.