Low ink message on Canon ipf6400-what percentage remaining is "low"?

[dgillilan]

Hi, I did replace my Right printhead, and maintenance cart as prompted, and now I am  getting the "low ink" message "be ready to replace" on two carts(130ml) on my canon ipf 6400 printer.  Can someone tell me about what approximate percentage remaining is "low ink" ? I am trying to tell if it means 1 percent of 130ml left, or 10 %, or maybe 20 %, so I can better plan on when to buy two replacement carts,
Thank you, Debra

[Geraldo Garcia]

On the IPF 8400 when this message pops the cart is actually empty, the ink remaining is on the sub tank. As far as I know the 6400 is the same.
My advice is to take the cart out and weight it on a scale (I use a digital kitchen scale) against another empty cart.

[tr4driver]

Hi, I did replace my Right printhead, and maintenance cart as prompted, and now I am  getting the "low ink" message "be ready to replace" on two carts(130ml) on my canon ipf 6400 printer.  Can someone tell me about what approximate percentage remaining is "low ink" ? I am trying to tell if it means 1 percent of 130ml left, or 10 %, or maybe 20 %, so I can better plan on when to buy two replacement carts,
Thank you, Debra

Debra,

I can't really answer your question, but I will say that if you got through the printhead replacement process with only a "low ink" message, you were lucky.  I recently replaced the right printhead on my ipf 8400, and was not so luck.  I had one cartridge showing low prior to starting the process, so I had a replacement on hand as well as a replacement maintenance cartridge (which was showing 20% remaining).  I started the process, and during the process I had the cartridge showing low and another that was not showing low run out!  I also had to replace the maintenance cartridge.  After receiving a replacement, I started the process again, and made it through, but after it was done, I had three cartridges showing low and my maintenance cartridge showing only 40% remaining!  I ordered replacement cartridges for the three showing low.

That was all about three weeks ago.  I've printed several large prints since then and have not yet had to replace the low cartridges.  What this tells me is that the printhead replacement process goes through A LOT of ink!  I talked to Canon about it, and they tried to tell me that not a lot of ink is consumed during the process; however, that has not been my experience.  I'm dreading the next printhead replacement.  I suspect I went through a couple hundred dollars worth of ink in addition to the cost of the printhead!

Kurt

[dgillilan]

Kurt,
Thanks, and yes, I had two or three inks which did not show as "low" and which came up as "low" as a result of the printhead replacement procedure.   And my new maintenance cartridge that should have started with 100% capacity as I inserted it prior to the printhead replacement, showed at the end of the printhead replacement as 60 % capacity left in the maintenance cart.
I am hoping that my left printhead holds on a few more months to break up the expenses a bit, and the ink usuage involved in a head replacement.
Debra