Printer Problem

following-Him · Aug 8, 2007

We have a Canon SmartBase MP360S printer- copier-scanner and for some reason it does not want to print on the black cartridge. We have changed the black cartridge even tho' the low ink warning didn't come up and it is still printing very faint. Rob has put it on deep clean and has checked the printer settings and that hasn't made any difference either. I had to do some photo-copying on colour because the black wouldn't work and would be grateful for any help and advise.

Many thanks

followinghim

exscentric · Aug 8, 2007

Don't know the printer but some usual items to check. Am assuming you've tried rebooting.

1. Pull the black cartridge, inspect the contacts both on cartridge and printer. Wipe them down with a soft cloth and try it again. While it is out take a kleenex and dampen it and hold it where the ink comes out for a minute or so and wipe carefully in the direction the cartridge moves and try it.

2. If that doesn't do it then you might try reinstalling the printer software in case it has developed a glitch.

Other than that I'd guess there is a problem with the wiring in the printer.

You might pull the cable from printer to computer out and reinsert it.

James_Newman · Aug 8, 2007

Is the printhead part of the cartridge on that model? It sounds like it might need to be replaced.

kubel · Aug 8, 2007

Bad news:

Your model has a separate print head (not integrated into cartridges), so if it's kaputt, it will be costly and a pain to replace. The model number you need is "QY6-0054-000" (double check with Cannon to make sure). A replacement will cost you about $50-$120, a good chunk of the cost of a new printer.

Good news:

If you are lucky, the problem might just be dried ink (or wet ink with dust) stuck on the print head. My brother has this problem on his printer (we live in a very dusty house).

Canon Printer Tips

Unclogging The Printhead - Three Methods

Canon printers have a semi-permanent printhead. It's the 'holder' that the ink cartridges (tanks) fit into. It can be removed fairly easily. Over time, it can and does become clogged, mainly from letting the printer set without use. You need to print both black and color at least once per week in order to prevent clogging and keep the ink flowing.

Normally you can clear up minor clogs and streaking by running the cleaning cycle found in your printer's software utility. For quick access to your printer's utility (drivers): In your browser's address bar type: control panel\printers and hit 'enter' on your keyboard. This will bring up a page with your installed printer's icon. Place your mouse cursor over the printer icon and 'right-click' on it. When the dropdown menu shows, click on 'properties'. This will bring up the printer utility. Look for the 'maintenance' tab and follow the cleaning prompts.

If the cleaning cycles don't do the trick in clearing up poor and incomplete output, don't give up and assume you'll need to buy a new print head (they often cost more than a new printer!). You can try the following as it will cause no harm: (we and many others have succesfully done this)

Remove the ink tanks from the printhead (tank holder) and seal them in a ziplock plactic bag. Set them aside, preferrably propped upright. Next remove the print head, it snaps out. Use the kitchen or other sink and turn the water on so that it is running slowly and that it is warm. Hold the print head, bottom facing down, and cup your hand under the running water so that the water fills it up and flows into the the print head. This will flush the ink out of the printhead. You'll need to turn the print head over, bottom side up, and flush it that way as well. You'll see when there is no more ink being flushed out.

You WILL need to do a final flush/rinse with some distilled, or purified water. This ensures that any risidual minerals or impurities of the tap water are flushed out of the print head. Set the print head on a paper towel to dry, drying time will vary. TIP: To expedite the drying process, shake the printhead vigorously as there is a fair amount of water retained after rinsing!

Place the printhead (tank holder) back in the printer and reinsert the inks tanks. The printer should automatically do a print head alignment. If it doesn't, manually perform a "Printhead Alignment" through the printer's utility. Next, run the "printhead cleaning" cycle and print a nozzle check.

Here's another, similar method:

Open the lid of the printer and when the print head moves to the left, remove the cartridges (tanks). You should then be able to easily remove the print head. It has the circuitry on it and on the bottom are the outlet nozzles.

Get a small, shallow pan and lay a couple of paper towels in the bottom. Heat up (via microwave) enough purified/bottled water to cover the paper towels. Set the print head on the towels. You should see ink 'bleeding' out. Move the print head to several different spots (about a minute each spot). This will dissolve the ink clogs. Remove the print head and gently dab it dry on fresh paper towels.

Place the print head back in the printer and insert the ink tanks.Run a print head alignment and a regular cleaning followed by nozzle check and test print(s). That should do it. If not, repeat the above procedure(s).

If the above two methods don't quite do the trick, try this:

Remove the ink tanks and printhead (cartridge holder) from the printer as instructed above. Get a small bowl, dish or pan, large enough to accommodate the printhead. Lay down a layer or two of paper towels in the bottom of the container to protect the printhead circuitry from contact damage.

Make up a 50/50 mixture of ammonia and distilled water, about a pint will do. Heat the mixture up in the microwave for about a minute or so, not boiling. Slowly pour over the paper towels so that you have approximately 1/2 inch mixture total. Set the printhead (cartridge holder) into the container and pour some of the remaining mixture over the top, just enough to wet it good. Let it soak for several hours (3-4) or overnight. You can move it slightly to a different spot every hour or so.

Remove the printhead and rinse thoroughly with distilled water. Shake it dry, set it on folded paper towels to air dry. Reinsert the printhead and ink tanks. The printer should do an automatic "Printhead Alignment", if not manually do so and run a cleaning cycle or two followed by printing a nozzle check pattern to check your progress. Repeat as necessary.
Click to expand...

Use at your own risk.

James_Newman · Aug 8, 2007

That sounds like quite a chore! You might try just swabbing the bottom of the printhead with a q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol before you try the full wash-rinse-and-repeat.

Don · Aug 8, 2007

Please forgive me if I'm insulting you...but have you checked the printer settings to make sure you're not on "draft print"?

Checked both the printer and the software settings?

following-Him · Sep 6, 2007

Update:

We have reinstalled the printer on the computer and have bought new cartidges. We followed Kubel's advise on cleaning and used 2 of his methods and it still doesn't work.

Rob phoned the service people and they want to charge us £89.00 to come and look at it and the parts will be extra so I think we are probably looking at a new printer.

We don't know what make of printer to go for now. Epsom seem good but their cartidges are expensive. We really want a printer/copier/scanner.

My uni course starts again in a couple of weeks or so and I really need to be sorted with a printer that works by then.

Thank you to you all for your help and advise. It is much appreciated.

Blessings

following-Him

exscentric · Sep 6, 2007

You might have a bad set of cartridges. I've run into two bad ones in a row. When buying cartridges look for an expiration date. Some manufacturers use them. If they are old they can have problems. Take the new one back for a refund.

Buy in large stores that have a good turnover in cartridges.

All in one printers are selling for $50.00 or less here in the US. I bought a nice Hewlet Packard for less than a black and color cartridge for our old printer.

following-Him · Sep 19, 2007

Thank you to all of you who tried to help us with our printer problem. Unfortunately, repairing it was just far too expensive. We now have a brand new printer, a Canon Pixma MP160 for less than half the price of repairing the old one. The old one went to a specialist computer recycling place.

The new one is great and much faster and we are really pleased with it so far, but we haven't tried out all the facilities yet.

Blessings

following-Him

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