Epson 9890, after Black Ink Change, on next job automatic Cleaning occurs always

[bmsorg]

Likely 7890/9900/7900 as well

Whenever I change black inks, from PK > MK or MK > PK on my 9890, the next time I run a job (can be a print, nozzle check, etc) before the job is run the printer ALWAYS runs an automatic cleaning.

From the recent print jobs, the printer typically tells me it used 17.5ml of ink! (ranges from 9.5ml-17.5ml)  Which is a huge waste, effectively using way more than the 2-3ml supposedly used and advertised to switch black inks.

Even if I run a nozzle check beforehand and everything is perfect, this automatic cleaning following a black ink change still occurs, wasting the large amount of ink.  The cleaning is unnecessary.

• I've tried turning the printer off then back on after the black ink change, cleaning still occurred on next job.
• I've run the black ink change in the printer Maintenance, cleaning still occurs on next job.
• I've double checked the settings on the printer (in Regular and Maintenance mode), anything remotely related to automatic cleaning has been turned OFF

I don't believe this used to happen a year ago, I think sometime during a recent firmware upgrade this must have begun.  Current firmware is JW129C5,1.11,8000

I'm wondering if others are having this issue, or maybe there is something I'm missing?  Or potentially a way to disable or avoid this problem.

[davidh202]

This is SOP my 9890 and 7900. Both have done this from day one(3 years). I believe this is to assure that the nozzles are fully primed before printing is resumed. The switch can sometimes cause a back suction in the head, and a nozzle check is not enough to guarantee that there is a full load of ink flowing in the channels from the dampers to the nozzles. Sometimes I get a different channel completely drop out after a switch when I have carts indicating 1% remaining, due to pressure loss .  A Cleaning draws more ink into the head as a safety feature to keep nozzles from being damaged. Let the printer do it's thing, don't try to fool it or override it , it is being done for a good reason, not to steal your sheckels  ;-)  I have never even looked at my ink usage stats for a switch or any time for that matter 

BTW if you ever do get a complete channel drop out after a switch ...turn the printer off and boot up again. This will re pressurize the system and bring it back.
David

[Paul2660]

Not sure what is happening on your printer in Service mode (some call it Maintenance mode), you should be able to swap back and forth and it will not do a nozzle check.  My 9900 will swap in Service mode and no checks are run. 

I did this for about 1 year but always seemed to run into an issue on about the 2 print after the swap.  I ended up starting to switch in reg mode and let it do the cleaning.  This works better and I can print without getting the problem of 1/2 of photo ink not showing up after about 1 or 2 prints.  (when switching in service mode this always happened) so I ended up having to clean CL2 at least once.

In normal mode, my printer will do a clean coming back from matte to PK, only.  When going to Matte from PK, it never runs a check.  As David already mentioned I believe this is actually needed since the nozzles don't seem to get properly primed in Service Mode some of the time.  I also don't believe this is "clog" it's either priming damper issue (which I suspect) or an electrical issue where somehow after the swap one half of the PK channel stops printing. 

9900, windows driver latest firmware latest (as of last year) no new firmware on Epson site.

Paul C

[Wayne Fox]

The issue is actually related to automatic nozzle checks. While the technology sounds wonderful, it has never delivered reliably, as the system detects false positives far too often.  It has improved, but to me the basic premise has some issues, I believe the system tests far few droplets of ink so it is easy for the system to not register any ink delivered, even though a nozzle check proves otherwise.  

For some reason, Epson did not disable the auto nozzle check function after switching blacks when it implemented the option to turn anc off, so even if you disable ANC, after switching blacks it will perform one, and due to the oversensitivity of that function will almost always implement a clean.  That oversensitivity is why most disable ANC in the first place.

Currently the work around is as Paul suggests, start the printer in maintenance mode, and perform the black switch there.  Do a manual nozzle check, but before doing so you may want to print a small black patch, often that's all the printer needs to get the blacks performing, not a full blown nozzle clean.

[bmsorg]

Thanks for your replies, sounds like it's best to probably let the printer do it's thing... nevertheless still a bit disappointing as the actual ink usage seems higher to change black inks than advertised.  I wonder if the oversensitivity is something that Epson will ever change in future firmware?

Thanks again!

[jmlamont]

My 7900 does the same thing. The easiest work-around I've found is to immediately run a colour-pair (PK/MK & one colour) head clean after the ink swap. This uses a small portion of the ink required for a full head cleaning, and is easier than switching into Maintenance mode etc. After the colour-pair head clean there has never been a problem immediately doing regular prints.

[Wayne Fox]

Thanks for your replies, sounds like it's best to probably let the printer do it's thing... nevertheless still a bit disappointing as the actual ink usage seems higher to change black inks than advertised.  I wonder if the oversensitivity is something that Epson will ever change in future firmware?

Thanks again!

It's pretty simple to start in maintenance  mode, only takes 30 secs or so.  Machine functionality from the computer is unchanged so you can print nozzle checks and print while in that mode. Also provides 4 different intensities of clean for pairs, usually the lightest one is enough. When you power down and back up it shouldn't trigger an auto nozzle check.

[Paul2660]

Only real downside, is the nozzle check has to be run from the computer, can't use the printer LCD.   

Paul C