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Author Topic: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error  (Read 10191 times)

John Caldwell

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Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« on: February 11, 2013, 02:18:12 pm »

After an initial and uneventful setup and series test printing, 24 hours later the 9900 front panel is flashing Red X's for all 11 ink carts with "Ink Cartridge Error Replace Cartridge." After re-seating all carts a few times, the error persists. The software utility sees the printer, but is unable to interrogate the ink levels, unsurprisingly. Epson tech support has never seen this error, I'm told - meaning with all 11 carts flashing red. Epson says it's usually a matter of a single cart fault, and the front panel notes the offending cart.

Thoughts?

John Caldwell
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Paul2660

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2013, 02:25:38 pm »

I have had this happen one time in 2 years.  Have you powered off and back on a few times.  Power off and pull the plug out.  When it occurred on mine I was powering back up after being in service mode and doing a black ink switch.  The power off cycle fixed it somehow I guess resetting something.

Paul Caldwell
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Paul Caldwell
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2013, 04:08:08 pm »

Paul, thank you. A machine unplug had no effect in this case. Epson seems to feel that the ink cart bays are probably at fault, so they are over-nighting new bay hardware and sending the Decision One technologist to make a site visit tomorrow. I'll share the findings once we learn what's going on.

Thanks again,

John Caldwell
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2013, 10:38:43 pm »

Just for grins before D1 gets there,give each of the side covers a good whack with the side of your fist while the machine is off, and then boot it up.
I've read that the ink bays can be easily knocked out of alignment during moving if the hand holds are not used properly while lifting onto the stand, and the pins in the bays and ink cart contacts no longer line up causing this error scenerio.
We used to have an expression "get a bigger hammer", in the repair business,and no joking, sometimes a good swift kick actually works!
David
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2013, 10:45:00 pm »

John,
I just though of something.
There are two possible problems, the one I stated above indicating no carts installed or recognized, or if the carts are not pressurizing, and the ink levels are indicating empty. Did the printer indicate which?
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RustyWhitney

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2013, 12:21:50 am »

I have seen this error several times with two VLM cartridges -- one half full and a new one (both 350ml).  While I've tried tapping and cleaning contacts (on both the cartridge AND receiving socket) and reinserting cartridges without much success, the two times I've recovered (no error) came after I did the following:
     1) Removed and reinserted cartridge.  Error still appears.
     2) Powered OFF.  One time overnight because I'd given up.  Tonight after being off 2 minutes.
     3) Powered ON.  No error.
I appreciate that twice is not too convincing; however, unlike the other actions, I'm 2 for 2 with the power cycle.
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2013, 07:19:47 am »

Thanks David & Rusty. Since the error began 24 hours into my ownership, I'm going to let Epson pay for the diagnosis. As for powering the unit down, no combination I've come up with works. The front panel simply flashes all 11 inks Red-X, and permits no other front panel interactions other than power-off.
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2013, 03:24:29 pm »

Good idea, hope they solve your problem.
It's a bummer to have problems right from the start. Anxious to hear the outcome.
It could also be as simple as a loose or bad ribbon cable.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2013, 03:26:14 pm by davidh202 »
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2013, 10:17:18 pm »

 Epson seems to feel that the ink cart bays are probably at fault, so they are over-nighting new bay hardware and sending the Decision One technologist to make a site visit tomorrow.  John Caldwell
Upon re-reading this I'm hard pressed to imagine both bays going bad all of a sudden after initially working, it has to be something else. I hope you got a tech who knows what he's doing, and not just changing out parts till something fixes the problem.
Anxious to hear what transpired.  
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2013, 10:13:09 pm »

OK, the 9900 appears to now be repaired. Again this was an "11-ink failure" 24 hours into operation of a new printer that defied reseating the ink carts. Replacing all 11 inks with new carts: no change. Replacement of "Main Board", the circuit boad that receives the two ribbon cables from the ink bays, among other things I can't recount: Problem Solved. So the Main Board appears to have failed 24 hours into service.

John Caldwell
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Mike Guilbault

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2013, 11:04:36 pm »

Not a great start, but hopefully everything will go smoothly now John. I had a couple of clogs right off the bat and after cleaning I now have 5 ink cartridges (350ml) on order - ouch!  But, the few prints I've made so far have been great so hopefully keeping the production up will keep the clogs down and beautiful prints coming out. I set up a Hygrometer to monitor the humidity and I seem to be hovering around 42% pretty consistently.  Fingers crossed.

Let us know how things are developing! ;)
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Mike Guilbault

davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2013, 11:12:19 pm »

Glad your up and running again hope that's the last of it .As I said, I doubted afterward that both ink bays were at fault, and it was likely something else.
David
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2013, 07:52:00 am »

Yes, it is unnerving to have this level of failure at this time. But in reality, it's not realistic to believe that idiosyncratic hardware failures can't occur. Better they occur out of the box than later.

Let's hope this is the token Luminous-Landscape Epson 9900 Hardware Failure at 24˚ example, and we can all get back to our head clogs - I mean - our printing.

John Caldwell
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Mike Guilbault

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #13 on: February 17, 2013, 10:49:24 pm »

had your same all colour "Ink Cartridge Error Replace Cartridge" error today.  Powered off, then on and it was ok.  Had me scared there for a bit.  All, but the PK, are now flashing low so will be changing over to all new full cartridges shortly - probably next week based on what's left and what printing I have to do.
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Mike Guilbault

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #14 on: February 17, 2013, 11:29:40 pm »

I'm 3 months into my ownership of a 9900 after 5 years with the 9800. I never had the error mentioned here but through almost 15 cartridge changes my 9900 has NEVER displayed the red X ink out light. The printer simply quits printing while showing "printing" on the display. When you cancel the print job, put in the new cartridge, the 9900 decides it can indeed print the next job. Until the next cartridge is under 1% remaining -- when it quits again with no error message and no red X. I suspect that I'll need a site visit soon by a tech who can fix this bothersome quirk, especially when running large images.

To jump topic for a moment -- have any of you 9900 owners found the printer quit printing when you are using a cell phone near the usb cable? I can usually cause the printer to quit printing when I am using my new iphone 5 nearby. There are lots of usb/radio interference issues I found on the internet and have ordered a ferrite-clad usb cable to deal with the problem.
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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2013, 11:55:23 pm »

you'll be amazed at how much printing will be done on "low" until the printer stops in the middle of a print and tells you to replace a cart.

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davidh202

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2013, 12:01:32 am »

I'm 3 months into my ownership of a 9900 after 5 years with the 9800. I never had the error mentioned here but through almost 15 cartridge changes my 9900 has NEVER displayed the red X ink out light. The printer simply quits printing while showing "printing" on the display. When you cancel the print job, put in the new cartridge, the 9900 decides it can indeed print the next job. Until the next cartridge is under 1% remaining -- when it quits again with no error message and no red X. I suspect that I'll need a site visit soon by a tech who can fix this bothersome quirk, especially when running large images.
 

 Are you saying that on the printer display it never tells you which cart is empty when it stops in the middle of a print?
 how do you know which cart to replace?
 why are you cancelling the job? All you have to do is replace the empty cart and the printer will reset itself where it left off, and continue printing.

David
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2013, 06:44:14 am »

Are you saying that on the printer display it never tells you which cart is empty when it stops in the middle of a print?
 
Louoates is saying just that, I think. That there is no explicit direction of what cart is limiting, and that he has to abort the print currently in progress.

Back to my original issue: We replaced all 11 inks with new, full 150cc carts as part of our diagnostic process. Oddly, only 2 of those carts read full and the rest read about 60% full with LK only 30% full. These are the ink levels that last existed before we replaced the main board, and those levels related to the starter ink carts that were we used to prime and operate the 9900 for the first 24 hours until the printer failed.

Why would full 150cc ink carts read partially full and others full when they are all, in fact, full? Is there a reset of some kind that might reconcile this. I have already deleted and re=added the printer.

John-
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Paul2660

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2013, 08:39:08 am »

John:

Glad they got you back up, however it's interesting that the new board seemed to carry the older levels to the new carts.  The only thing I can think of is chip resetter for the 9900.  They are not as cheap as the older ones were for the 9880 series.  I have not purchased one due to this cost.  I need to get one as you can also use them to reset the older MA tanks.

Paul Caldwell
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Paul Caldwell
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John Caldwell

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Re: Epson 9900: Ink Cart Error
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2013, 08:59:21 am »

The new board carried over only 9 of the "old" ink levels, but adopted the new Full levels for Cyan and VM. The Decision One tech who conducted the service on my machine says this is a known shortcoming of the firmware, that it can't be undone, and that I'll be able to access the last drop of ink in all the carts just as I would if they were reporting (correctly) as full.

John-
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