Z3200 firmware 79:04 error

[garyfcampbell]

Hi,

I'm getting the unrecoverable 79:04 error, it happened during the automatic reset when I was adding a paper preset.

From reading help columns I have:

1 - removed the network cable incase it was a bad job & restarted the printer.
2 - removed the ink and printheads & restarted the printer.
3 - installed a new formatter board in case that was the problem, it was not the problem.
4 - I took off the right side and inspected the cables going into the service station and they are all tightly seated.

The printer boots, and then displays "initializing" and the rotating hour glass icon for 30+ minutes before displaying the 79:04 error.

I do not hear the motors or carriage click on. like you usually do when restarting the printer.

If I boot in diagnostic mode and run a axil or carriage test, I never get past either "starting Nvm" or "Accessing Nvm" it just hangs.

This is the sequence from the service manual that it should have displayed:

"Starting Horsburgh."
"Starting Nvm."
"• Accessing Nvm."
"• Starting AdcManagerHorus."
"• Starting Carriage."
"• Getting Carriage PCA Rev."

I called HP and they don't want to service it.

It is an 8 year old printer, but if it is simple to fix my wife uses it for printing on fabric and I love how it can profile any paper by itself, it just makes color management easy.


1 - Any Ideas on what to try next, to figure out what is going wrong.
2 - or suggestions of good independent Z3200 onsite service 3rd party companies
3 - or would it be cheaper to buy a new Canon or Epson?

any help appreciated.

cheers,
Gary Campbell

[Mark Lindquist]

Not sure what system you are working with - Mac or Windows.

Often folks get banging around and cause some problems - not saying that's what you did, but it's possible.

Here's the thing.  This little fact trips up MANY people with 79:04 errors.

IF a cartridge is low on ink it can not fill the printhead.  So the printer throws all kinds of errors related to printheads, etc.

At the time you pulled the cartridges and printheads that could have been a problem.

So now, the printer is stuck in a bad start loop and won't initialize.

Before you begin, Pull your formatter card back out before you start anything and replace the battery.  It's a simple flat type you can get at the drug store CDN-something - just pull the formatter and get the battery and go find a replacement.  Be sure you unplug the printer.

I suggest you try to start the printer and just let it sit overnight.  It could have to do an FSCK (file system check) that can take some time.

My approach would be to shut the printer down.  Unplug the printer for an hour (to make sure it resets).

Make sure the switch is in the off position.  Plug in, then turn the switch on and walk away from it - leave it for at least 24 hours.

***************************************************************************************************************

Then, when you come back, after 24 hours, see what is going on.  If nothing, then repeat that.  Wait an hour.

Pull all ink cartridges.  Weigh a new cartridge and then weigh all the others.  You  must have at least 20-25% in each cartridge to have a shot at initializing at this point.

As the printer see if it will ask for cartridges.  If it comes up begin replacing the cartridges.  Then try replacing the printheads, especially if it requests that.  You could do a bongo test to find out if you have ink line troubles, but I'd rather you start with simple things first.

So try that again (you said you have done that).

Don't go banging around in the system diagnostic, just try this stuff first.  I know you have done most of it.

Get the battery.

-Mark

 EDITS to fix spell check

[Mark Lindquist]

After thinking about it, I think I would replace the battery in the old formatter board with the original hard drive and put that back in.
Take the new formatter and new hard drive out.

Then try as suggested.

[garyfcampbell]

Thanks Mark,

I pulled all ink and print heads.

replaced the battery in the old formatter.

it boots, spins the fan on the left side, and makes the carriage make noise, then within 10 seconds it does the 79:04.

The new formatter never turned the fan on, or tried to make the carriage noise, and would spin for 45 minutes before it did the 79:04.

I let it rest for an hour powered off and repeated the process with the same results.

I'm going to leave it on for 24 hours now and repeat the experiment tomorrow.

thanks
Gary

[Mark Lindquist]

Open up the top cover Gary, get a flash light, and follow the carriage belt carefully looking for frays all the way to the left. 

See if there is anything stuck in the belt pulley.

Also, can you move the printhead carriage on the rail?

[garyfcampbell]

hi,

The belt looks fine, I had it replaced once and know what the fraying looks like.

I cannot move the printhead carriage on the rail, the printer is still powered on after the last 79:04 error.

I tried to "UNCAP" it from behind the service station when it was powered off, but it never uncapped despite how much I turned the torkx screw.

I wound up removing the top cover to remove the printheads while the printhead carriage is docked.

Should I be able to move the printhead carriage?

[Mark Lindquist]

Turn the printer off.  Then turn the printer on and unplug it when the carriage moves to the left.  Then you should be able to move it freely,
Look at the gear on the stepper motor to the right. Looks for any thing that looks like a blockage of any kind.

Run the printhead carriage to the left, let it click, then move it to the right, let it click home.
 Close the lid and restart.

See what happens.

Could be you have a scan axis issue.  Something is preventing the carriage  from moving correctly to initialize.

[Mark Lindquist]

Hi Gary,  Haven't heard back from you, which is worrisome.  I had another thought.  Am also wondering if any of the suggestions have helped and if the printer has been getting further along in the startup cycle?

My question is, when you got the new formatter board, did you buy just the board?  Or did you get the board and the hard drive paired as one unit (Format board + disc)?

A new board must be paired with a new hard drive.  (according to literature on the subject).

If you'd like to discuss this further, PM me and we can try to suss out further what's causing the issue.

-Mark

[garyfcampbell]

Hi Mark,

I freed the printhead carriage by "UNCAP"ing it from behind the service station, it is really messy but I found a 1/4" piece of an old belt down there, but I don't think that was the problem.

Am I supposed to replace the thing that the printheads rest on at some point?

I moved the carriage around set it back

With the old formatter board with the new battery I tried again and The printer would boot, spin the fan, and try the carriage and 79:04.

I then took the new formatter board, which was paired with a disk drive, and replaced it's watch battery, and it has now booted, initialized the mechanics, and is asking me to put the ink back in.

I assume the printheads are next which I'm going to clean first.

thanks for your help

Gary

[Mark Lindquist]

Well hot dang Gary!  Yes you need to clean as much gunk and junk out of there as you can.  Anything that can tie up the carriage is a problem.  Be sure to clean the service station and around there as much as you can.
Now remember, that when you put the printheads in, the cartridges must be at least 20-25% full.  An empty cartidge will throw everything off and you'll be back in error message city again.

Definitely cleaning the printhead receivers carefully is important.  Don't be surprised if it comes up with a bad printhead. At the point that you have the printheads in, go immediately for nozzle cleaning all and then pprint a printhead diagnostic chart on glossy or semi-gloss paper.  Study that chart carefully and either continue cleaning the printheads or replace the bad ones.  For good measure, I would do a paper advance calibration.  Also, it would be good to get genuine HP OEM lubricating oil and lube up the carriage rail. Then start making prints. It should do fine now as long as you can get through installing the printheads, etc.  Be sure to keep your printer plugged in and running.

Please let me know how it goes.

-Mark

[garyfcampbell]

Well, Bad luck,

The printer initialized the cartridges(all of them new full), then all of the print heads, then it spent 40 minutes initializing the print system, then it asked for paper to align the printheads, and then it froze, unresponsive to any menu buttons.

So I powered it off and on, 3 times now, each time the
1 - the panel lights up but blank
2 - there is a single beep
3 - there is a 4 second pause, and then 8 loud beeps spaced apart.
4 - there is nothing on the panel except the white light, no boot started.

I pulled the formatter card, pull the battery, let it set for 30 minutes, put it back, same 8 beeps.

I can't find a Z3200 BIOS beep explanation

[garyfcampbell]

well now it is booting after another formatter card re-seat. in the middle of an FSCK.

[Mark Lindquist]

OK - walk away from it Gary.  Whatever you do, don't stop it during the FSCK.

Let it sit and grind as long as it needs to.

Think GOOD LUCK.

It's trying.  It may just come back.

Give it 24 hours if need be.

-Mark

[Mark Lindquist]

Well, Bad luck,

The printer initialized the cartridges(all of them new full), then all of the print heads, then it spent 40 minutes initializing the print system, then it asked for paper to align the printheads, and then it froze, unresponsive to any menu buttons.

So I powered it off and on, 3 times now, each time the
1 - the panel lights up but blank
2 - there is a single beep
3 - there is a 4 second pause, and then 8 loud beeps spaced apart.
4 - there is nothing on the panel except the white light, no boot started.

I pulled the formatter card, pull the battery, let it set for 30 minutes, put it back, same 8 beeps.

I can't find a Z3200 BIOS beep explanation

Here are my thoughts now Gary.

It is possible you have a bad front panel.  Just try and reseat the cable in the front panel.

It could be you have a bad power cable.  Try a different one.

Try a different outlet while you're at it.

The beeps are power problems indications.

It very well could be a bad front panel, I'm thinking based on your descriptions.

Try the electrical trouble shooting first and see what happens, but again, don't interrupt the FSCK.

If it dies again, then you can do the things I mentioned above.

-Mark

[garyfcampbell]

I had it plugged into a power strip, I moved it the wall receptacle and it seems much happier.

Gary

[Mark Lindquist]

So here's the thing Gary, you really should have the printer plugged into a UPS.  The power will be cleaner, there shouldn't be any transient surges or spikes, or weirdness due to brownouts of any kind.

When you say it seems much happier, does that mean we have lift-off?

Is the printer initializing, and printing?

-Mark

[garyfcampbell]

Hi,

I have finally gotten my Z3200 working.

It turned out that the refurbished formatter board was a lemon, it wouldn't run more than 3-4 hours without crashing. When I tried to upgrade the firmware from version 11 to version 16 it died a horrible death in the upgrade.

I bought a new formatter board directly from HP at https://parts.hp.com/hpparts/Default.aspx?mscssid= which solved my problem.

So I'm printing for the first time in weeks and my wife has started making poster size prints so she is happy.

Thanks to Mark Lindquist for all of his help.

cheers,
Gary