Topic: What's what... capping station on 4900. (Read 5674 times)

Mike Guilbault · « **on:** March 01, 2015, 02:21:35 pm »

I've got another major clog on my 4900... PK(MK) is almost a no show on the pattern test. I've got some Symphonic cleaning fluid, the regular and the "+" version, but I want to make sure I'm putting it in the right place.

Here's a photo of the area. There's the pad to the left with the diamond screen over it and then the 5 long channels or something on the right. Can someone tell me what's what here?

JRSmit · « **Reply #1 on:** March 01, 2015, 02:49:56 pm »

The grip is the placentas wereld it checks nozzle. The 5 rubber rectangles is the capping station.

tsjanik · « **Reply #2 on:** March 01, 2015, 09:02:21 pm »

Jan is correct, put the cleaning fluid in the rectangles. I have a 4900 and the AIS fluid as well. I spend more time clearing the head than I spend printing. I just purchased a Canon 6300,which has been unused during this cold spell in the NE of North America as has the 4900. When I started the Canon today, it cleaned itself and printed a perfect nozzle check, in contrast the Epson required treatment with the AIS fluid.

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #3 on:** March 01, 2015, 11:33:09 pm »

Good.. that's where I've been using it. Are you using the "+" version of the cleaning fluid or the regular stuff? (CF007P I believe is the solution). I've been cleaning/printing/cleaning/printing and still can't get my PK to come around. A few of the others show minor clogs, but all of a sudden the PK went blank. This happened once before and it finally came around, but wanted to check and make sure I was using it right. AIS recommend using the CF007P+ for stubborn clogs, once an hour, every hour for 12 hours. My printer is at the studio though and I'm not often there for 12 hours straight.
How are you using the fluid tsjanik?

ThomasR99 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 02, 2015, 12:02:12 am »

Hate to ask a stupid question, Mike, but have you tried turning the unit off, letting it rest a bit then re-powering it to re-pressurize the carts? How about a PK/MK switch, or putting in a newer/fuller MK cart to see if by chance the cart is the issue?

I'm sure you've heard others say that complete (or near) loss of an entire channel often isn't a clog but rather an air-bubble in the line that must be cleared, or issues with the dampers. I occasionally lose my enitre PK/MK channel when I do an ink swap, and now and again when I have a 'minor clog" (break in 1-2 lines, less than 5-25% of the line at most) and perform a cleaning. As terrifying as it is to me when that happens, I often find that powering off, swapping another cart (I have a nearly full MK and one with about 20% left) followed by a print that drives a lot of ink thru that channel the next day brings me nearly completely back, and often once it's more than 90% back a standard cleaning finishes the job. If 2-3 tries doesn't competely bring back the remainder, I refill my internal humidifier with warm water and let it sit overnight. The next day I'm usually back. Whether the humidifier trick has anything to really do with it nor not...I haven't a clue.

Sorry you're going through this, sincerely hope you're not facing a pressing deadline on any work. Good luck on getting it back.

Ray R · « **Reply #5 on:** March 02, 2015, 02:36:58 am »

Just spent a week trying to clear some stubborn nozzles in cyan and pk, ended up using windex on a cloth in the bottom of the printer (on top of a small pice of plastic to stop ink getting into the printer) changing or adding more windex every 1-2 hours. I also placed some cleaning fluid on the metal grid and then did a power clean, followed by some colour blocks on plain paper but set for glossy premimium and highest quality and finest detail. Then turned it off overnight. Perfect check in the morning.

If one of the channels is completely blank, as someone has said, it maybe the I ink has drained back. I used the utility program, which allows an ink charge to be done separately from either set of inks, based on which side of the printer they are.

I can't remember the name of the proram, but I can find it if need be.

I have also turned the auto clean to 3, and did an auto nozzle check before leaving it overnight.

Ray

tsjanik · « **Reply #6 on:** March 02, 2015, 07:11:03 am »

Mike:

I use the + solution whenever there are a lot of missing nozzles. The once every hour direction is based on using the spray bottle. I don't use the spray, but instead fill each of the rectangles in the capping station by use of the pipette and will leave it overnight if necessary. I use the less powerful cleaning solution constantly during this dry weather; so even if I'm not printing I apply the AIS fluid to the docking station at least once a week.
I did resort to the "initial fill" once when I had a complete loss of PK that wouldn't clear.

Good luck,

Tom

JRSmit · « **Reply #7 on:** March 02, 2015, 08:10:24 am »

Mind you that those rectangles have a sort of opening so the fluit will leak away and drip into the inner works.

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2015, 12:13:01 pm »

Quote from: ThomasR99 on March 02, 2015, 12:02:12 am

Hate to ask a stupid question, Mike, but have you tried turning the unit off, letting it rest a bit then re-powering it to re-pressurize the carts? How about a PK/MK switch, or putting in a newer/fuller MK cart to see if by chance the cart is the issue?

Not stupid at all Thomas, but yes, I've tried all that. I've got a new MK and PK cartridge, power on/off, switching inks, etc. (this has been going on for about a week).

How does one do the "initial fill"? I think I'm about there 'cause nothing else is working. Does the utility program that Ray is talking about do that?

tsjanik · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2015, 12:54:10 pm »

Yes, you need the program:

http://www.2manuals.com/product_info.php?products_id=1365

Be sure you have enough ink and room in the waste tank

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2015, 01:03:14 pm »

Great... it only works on Windows. I'm on a Mac.

John V. · « **Reply #11 on:** March 03, 2015, 02:44:31 am »

I was going to say, this sounds a lot like a problem I had a while ago with VLM on my 4900. Bought the service program from 2manuals, did an initial fill, and all was back to normal. 0

As far as a mac version, no idea.

All you need is access to a windows machine... just to hook the printer up and run the program...

you could probably find an old p-o-s one at a thrift store for 20 bucks lol ...or maybe craigslist

JRSmit · « **Reply #12 on:** March 03, 2015, 06:49:44 am »

Quote from: John Drew on March 03, 2015, 02:44:31 am

I was going to say, this sounds a lot like a problem I had a while ago with VLM on my 4900. Bought the service program from 2manuals, did an initial fill, and all was back to normal. 0

As far as a mac version, no idea.

All you need is access to a windows machine... just to hook the printer up and run the program...

you could probably find an old p-o-s one at a thrift store for 20 bucks lol ...or maybe craigslist

Hooking up via USB cable. Will not work over ip-network. Can use USB in parallel though. I use an old crappy windowsxp laptop just for this program.

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #13 on:** March 03, 2015, 07:43:43 am »

Going to see if I can find one today.

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #14 on:** March 04, 2015, 01:30:19 pm »

Ok.. got a Windows machine and ran the Ink Charge program but my maintenance tank filled up just as it was finishing and I won't have one until Friday now. Argh!! So I'm not sure if it actually finished or not because it stopped at about 98% finished. I ran a print test but my PK is still pretty much blank - 3 or 4 segments of lines showing but that's it, about the same as before the ink charge.
Can I run the ink charge again once I have the maintenance tank replaced? Or will that cause problems?

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2015, 11:00:45 pm »

Ok... got the new maintenance tank... I'll come back to that... and ran the Ink Charge again, this time on all channels (I only selected the one with the PK ink the first time. Ran through the procedure with no interruptions this time and my Pk is firing on all cylinders again!! My C and VM are back as well. They weren't completely clogged but are back to full capacity now too. My VLM and LC are still blocked a little so I'll run the Ink Charge again on them in the morning. Looks like I'm back in business though and couldn't be happier.

BUT NOW... the maintenance tank I had to replace was noticebly 'light' when I took it out, weighting not much more than the new 'empty' tank. After I ran the Ink Charge, I checked the tank and it was considerably heavier than the OLD one! I used the service program to check the capacity of the old tank and it reported 7ml left to full - but I know it's not anywhere near that, and in fact less than the NEW tank I just put in! For some reason the tank is reporting almost full when it's practically empty. Has anyone run into this before?

Landscapes · « **Reply #16 on:** March 06, 2015, 02:38:20 am »

I imagine that over time, the solvent (the liquid part of the ink that allows the pigments to be in a solution, water I guess, not solvent in a sense that its a chemical) will evaporate. What percentage of ink is pigment and what percentage is solvent I don't know, but I imagine the liquid part that evaporates could be at least half??? Now your numbers sound like there is something wrong for sure, but I wonder if, after a while, this new maintenance cart would end up feeling much lighter if you just let it evaporate away without the printer adding more ink to it.

jferrari · « **Reply #17 on:** March 06, 2015, 11:05:40 am »

I suspect that the absorbent media in the flushing box and the tubing leading to the waste tank will hold some quantity of ink. I would invest in a re-setter. - Jim

John V. · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2015, 11:18:35 am »

Quote from: Mike Guilbault on March 05, 2015, 11:00:45 pm

My VLM and LC are still blocked a little so I'll run the Ink Charge again on them in the morning.

I might be wrong, but I think the purpose of running an Ink Charge is to purge trapped air out of the system, as compared to actually unblocking anything, so it might not be worth it. Unless you have a great ink connection, in which case... please do share

Mike Guilbault · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2015, 03:40:11 pm »

I took the 'faulty' ink tank back to my supplier and they're replacing it for me at no charge. So that's taken care of.

John... I wish I saw your comment this morning. I ran the Ink Charge and now my Yellow and LLK are totally gone!! I ran a head clean, shut down/restart, and then ran a print and they're both still gone... and the VLM and LC are still showing signs of blockage. Now I'm too low on LC and VLM to even run a cleaning cycle so will have to wait for the new cartridges to come in next week to continue. Just when you thought you were winning... BAM... kick me again while I'm still down!!

Luckily I have my 9900 as a 'backup'. It's a shame though to run the 9900 for printing 5x7s and 8x10s.

Author Topic: What's what... capping station on 4900. (Read 5674 times)