Help me bring this HPZ3100 back to life!

[aslowdodge]

I have a HPz3100 printer that has sat turned off for a few years. Don't know if it is all clogged up or what.

So far I get the expired ink cartridge message but also I get the message that 4 of the ink cartridges need to be reseated. I pull them and reinstall and the LED shows all cartridges in place. I hit ok and it goes back to expired ink cartridge message. I hit ok and acknowlege the message there is no warranty for using expired ink and it loops me back to the message the same 4 ink cartridges need to be reseated. This repeats over and over.

My 3 questions are
1. What do I do about this?
2. Where the cartridges seat and the ink nozzle touches a round receptor, would it be a good ide to take a q tip and distilled water and soak those points for a few minutes then gently wipe them in case ink has dried there?
3. Any ideas of a process to get this printer up and running?

[John Nollendorfs]

Could be you have some oxidation on the contact points? HP recommends carefully wiping contact points on the heads and inside the seats with a coffee filter.

If that doesn't work, then start replacing the print heads.

[aslowdodge]

Could be you have some oxidation on the contact points? HP recommends carefully wiping contact points on the heads and inside the seats with a coffee filter.

If that doesn't work, then start replacing the print heads.

Are you referring to the contact points for where the ink cartridge slides into the printer? I can see where there is a contact point from where the ink cartridge goes into a little round port where the ink flows out of the cartridge.At that point I believe the ink flows through some lines into the head which moves. I have not yet looked at the printheads as I am still addressing the cartridge issue.
Or are there other contact points with the ink may clog up?

[Ernst Dinkla]

Are you referring to the contact points for where the ink cartridge slides into the printer? I can see where there is a contact point from where the ink cartridge goes into a little round port where the ink flows out of the cartridge.At that point I believe the ink flows through some lines into the head which moves. I have not yet looked at the printheads as I am still addressing the cartridge issue.
Or are there other contact points with the ink may clog up?

John must have intended the cartridge chip contacts. You could clean them on the carts and in the cartridge slots. Be careful with the last.

Is the Z3100 a printer you have used and then kept idle or one you bought secondhand and do not know the real history off?

What is the weight of the cartridges that give the error, less than 50 grams on the 130 ML type? Do you hear any pumping activity on the carts before that last message appears?

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
July 2013, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[aslowdodge]

It is a printer I have always owned. I printed a few canvases and then it just sat. All the cartridges are newly installed a few weeks ago, but expired.
On 6 of them I put new chips on them and reset the chips. On the others they are all new but expired too. I am getting 6 brand new in date cartridges today to replace the ones that keep saying to reseat them.
I was just wondering if it made sense to clean the areas where the ink flows from the cartridge into the printer.

[Ernst Dinkla]

On 6 of them I put new chips on them and reset the chips. On the others they are all new but expired too.

Is that not crucial information if you describe cartridge recognition issues with your printer?

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
July 2013, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[aslowdodge]

Which is why I mentioned it. On the rechipped cartridges they are not indicating errors.

[aslowdodge]

I am getting re seating messages, even on brand new ink cartridges. Any ideas on this?

[Ernst Dinkla]

Which is why I mentioned it. On the rechipped cartridges they are not indicating errors.

If you had done that in the first message I would have written right away that many third party chip solutions indicate you should have all the cartridges rechipped and not a mix of OEM cart chips and third party chips in a printer, whether 8 or 12 depending on the Z model. If you only got the Z2100 cartridge chips for 8 cartridges and can not use the Cyan one because the Z3100 has no Cyan aboard I can imagine there is something not working in your setup. 7 or 6 done where 12 should be replaced. Without any intention to change to other inks I tried a Chinese solution of chip data interception, it did work properly for less than a month, after that all kinds of errors. Whether anything like that causes it for you is hard to say but it would have been my 90% bet in my first reply if that information had been in the first message.



--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
July 2013, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Ian99]

Ernst,  +1

Thousands of people including myself are deeply appreciative of your assistance with printer problems. Please don’t get too pissed off as we might need you in the future.

Ian

[aslowdodge]

First of all thank you for your help.

Second I'm sorry I did not mention that earlier but I did not believe it could be one of the issues but in hindsight it was which is why mentioned later on in another post. I did not leave that point out as a matter of embarrassment as I believe many people would think that is a rational thing to do to rechip the cartridge as you yourself have tried at one time.
I did indeed get the seven chip kit, but was told it was meant for the Z3100, not Z2100. When I asked about the missing five chips for the other inks they said they did not have those yet as it was still in the testing phase as they were unstable. So the missing five chips I used new ink packs for. Your information on your chip experience was very helpful as I now know what to expect when they start acting weird in a month or two.

Many people have said they are able to print fine with expired inks. Based on those statements I had replaced all the original ink cartridges with those that I bought off of eBay that were expired, but we're still factory sealed in the packs. Those are the ink cartridges that I had re chipped. I did this thinking that the date was not so much of an issue as I believe my original ink cartridges had dried out over a long period of time.

I am ordering all new inks to replace the chip reprogrammed inks that I was using so will be starting with all new inks across  the board.

Sorry to have upset you.

[kaelaria]

I TOTALLY agree Ernst!  I'm at the point on multiple topics where I just lie and say 'I don't know' because I know how it's going to go and what a waste of my time it usually is.

[aslowdodge]

I TOTALLY agree Ernst!  I'm at the point on multiple topics where I just lie and say 'I don't know' because I know how it's going to go and what a waste of my time it usually is.

So I made a mistake in not posting some info. I apologized already. I didn't come on here to intentionally waste people's time but seeking help.

But I am curious why you even bother to post a lie.
You said you know where it is going to go and it's a waste of your time-why post at all when you can just not respond at all on the thread. Seems rather silly at that point.

[chez]

I TOTALLY agree Ernst!  I'm at the point on multiple topics where I just lie and say 'I don't know' because I know how it's going to go and what a waste of my time it usually is.

Seems to me that you just wasted time telling everyone what a waste of time it is replying to queries. In other words, sounds like you got time to waste. Nicely done.

[Ernst Dinkla]

To stop this thread going in a direction I did not intend, I removed a part from my message. It would be nice if others did the same so the content stays on topic with the subject line.

--
Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
July 2013, 500+ inkjet media white spectral plots.

[Mark Lindquist]

In addition to all new inks (only HP brand) I would suggest all new HP heads, as well.  You're going to need to go through a lot of head cleanings to run the inks through the lines if they are clogged, and to force clogs out elsewhere.  Just go for new inks and new heads and start head cleaning and see how it goes.  If your printer has been in a relatively high humidity environment you might get lucky.  But really, the only hope you have is with all new heads and ink carts.

[William Chitham]

If you are not in a great hurry it might be worth just leaving the thing switched on for a couple of weeks, once you have solved the cartridge seating problem. I have a z3100 that has sat unused for about 10 months; when I started it up it was only firing on about half the heads and they were pretty gappy but the automatic self cleaning cycles have had a miraculous effect and it is now producing more or less perfect nozzle checks.

[aslowdodge]

Thanks for the help guys. I should have the rest of the new cartridges next week. I'll try printing a test, then try a few head cleanings.
Are there any lines that run from where the ink cartridge plugs in to the actual heads themselves that I may have to disconnect and flush?

[Mark Lindquist]

Thanks for the help guys. I should have the rest of the new cartridges next week. I'll try printing a test, then try a few head cleanings.
Are there any lines that run from where the ink cartridge plugs in to the actual heads themselves that I may have to disconnect and flush?

Yeah, not so much.  A really big deal and it would require starter carts.  Just do the head and cart replacements and you might be good to go.  If you're thinking about running it with the same heads, better start ordering new ones now, LOL.

[aslowdodge]

Just a follow up;
So after this printer sat for about 3 years it appears it is back to life. I did replace all the ink cartridges and all the heads ( with expired but new heads) and all appears well so I hope to be printing this week. Right now the diagnostic print looks pretty good and I made one print and all looks well.
Thank you to all that tried to help me on this thread.

BTW I also had a IPF5100 that went on the fritz that I posted about. It is up and running again. The left print head had to be replaced but the printer wouldn't allow me to change the head. I would up starting up the printer in the service mode and when I saw the head move to where I could reach simply pulled the plug out of the wall. I pulled the bad head out and then restarted normally. It then told me to replace the head and I was able to replace it the normal way.