Releasing Epson 9900 carriage

[JohnHeerema]

I've got an orange clog on my Epson 9900 that is proving to be resistant to head cleaning, so I'd like to apply distilled water to a lintless cloth, and try to soak off any ink that might be adhering to the head surface. I've done the usual things: pair cleanings interspersed with rests and making orange prints, but the bottom third of the head still won't print orange.

The thing is, I can't seem to find the carriage release for the head assembly, so that I can move it off the capping station. Does anyone know how to release the carriage safely?

Thanks!

[John R Smith]

My 2400 goes through a start-up routine which includes sending the head all the way along the carriage and back again. If your 9900 does this, then you can do as I do and -

Switch the printer on with the covers up so you can see the print head. Stand (or kneel) by the mains switch. Wait till the print head moves of the capping station and kill the power at the mains switch.

Now you can play with it all you like. When you have finished, power up again and it will sort itself out.

John

[JohnHeerema]

Thanks John,

This had occurred to me too, but I confess that I was hoping for a slightly less drastic alternative!
For a while yesterday, the printer was on, and the head was free to move, but I don't know what I did...

[davidh202]

 Carriage Release (Auto)
Note: Releasing the Carriage Mechanism is a delicate operation. It is extremely easy to damage the
Print Head if a mistake is made.
Auto Carriage Release Method
1. Enter Self Testing mode: Down, Right, and OK buttons, and turn on the Printer.
2. Navigate to SELF TESTING\Mecha Adjustment\IM Sensor Gap
3. Press the Right Arrow to display the [Enter] Start.
4. Press the OK button to release the Carriage.

there is also a manual method which requires removing the side cover
Full Manual can be found here
Carriage release is in the Referance list in the left index.

http://www.americaninkjetsystems.com/epson_mimaki_roland_printer_rep/pro79_fg.pdf
and you should read the disclaimers
and everything else they say on their main page about clogs and what to do
http://www.americaninkjetsystems.com/Unclogging_print_head_nozzles.html
http://www.americaninkjetsystems.com/epson_mimaki_roland_printer_rep.html

LOTS of very informative advice.

[JohnHeerema]

Thank you so much for a most informative tour through my printer!

This was all very helpful and interesting indeed.

[artbot]

if you want to make a diy aqueous printer cleaning solution, mix the distilled water with a little surfactant (my favorite is bissel hard floor cleaner.  ...a non-foaming surfactant).  straight distilled water has too high a dyne to get under and in between the particles.  also, warm the solution a bit. 

[JohnHeerema]

Thanks!

[davidh202]

Alan,
does keeping  the capping station whetted with any 'cleaning solution' as recommended by American Inkjet Systems thin the ink of the initial first swipes of the print head as it starts printing?  Is it necessary to do a head cleaning each time before commencing a print session to clear the ink in the head of any solution that might be thinning it?
Do you endorse regular 'continuous' use of a capping station whetting solution to attempt to keep the heads from drying?

David

[artbot]

i haven't read their protocol.  but for a really preventative habit, that is what i have done for years.  my mimaki jv4 160sp (running triangle solvent ink) is a beast to maintain.  it will clog up in three hours without it's cleaning cycles running.

every night when i'm done working, i swab cleaning solution around the edges of the caps and clean off the wiper.  the wiper is responsible for a lot of clogging.  latent ink will sit on the wiper edge.  then your printer will do a cleaning cycle, wiping dry ink particles across the head platen.  or causing obstructions that don't allow the head to be properly wiped. i don't know the exact science behind the caps staying wet.   but uncleaned caps accumulate ink, get sticky, start to leak air etc.  as far as will this contaminate or lessen the density of your print start up, it doesn't mine.  doing a head soak will.  but that is for when you've got a nasty clog.  just wetting the caps edge will not leach up into your print head.

also, my printer has two cleaning cycles.  one quick one that happens every two hours.  takes about 5 seconds.  it spits a tiny amount of ink into the caps (called the flash) then the pumps turn three times clearing them of clogs.  the other cycle is long and happens twice a day.  in that cycle the pumps actually pull ink through the heads (wastes tons of ink over a month). 

with the epson you may be thinking that the pumps are pulling ink, but actually it's just spitting, then pulling. 

[davidh202]

Thank You Alan!