Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: tsjanik on May 20, 2014, 09:11:24 am
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I had some troublesome clogs in a 4900, which eventually cleared with the help of a cleaning solution from AIS. I have been successfully printing for two months, when overnight I lost LLK completely - no nozzles at all in the check. This seems unlikely to be a simple clog. Anyone have advice, thoughts or similar experience?
Thanks,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
Sorry for your trouble....it is not a new story..in my struggles with this I have had more success with performing an initial ink charge than a power clean. Either the nozzle is clogged or the ink supply to the nozzle (lines, pumps, etc) has been somehow disrupted.
To perform an initial ink charge you need to use a third party program (epson does not make the function available on the maintenance menu to the best of my knowledge)..the program is called "the adjustment program" and is available from www.2manuals.com.
Whenever I have a total dropout that will not be resolved with a power clean, I perform the ink charge function and the printer is back in business..
Hope this helps..
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Many times what are termed nozzle “clogs” are the result of no ink to the nozzle. I think this is more common of a problem than actual physical clogs.
If you lose an entire channel, and a single channel power clean doesn’t bring most of it back, it is more likely a problem with the damper, not the head.
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Thanks for the replies fellows. I may try the ink fill method first, it seems the easier. George, when using the initial fill command, where does the existing ink in the lines go - out the print head? Seems it could be very messy.
Wayne, how difficult is it to change the dampers? Can a so-so mechanic handle it?
Thanks again,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
I am pretty sure that the excess ink get drained in the maintenance tank.
Regards,
George
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Not sure ... my partner at my store has gotten pretty good at repairing epsons, and I know he's replaced dampers on several machines, including 4900's. I'll ask him tomorrow how involved and challenging it is.
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Thanks Wayne. George, I guess I should have realized the ink would go to the maintenance tank. I'd better get a new one, mine is nearly full from all the cleanings :(.
Tom
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George and Wayne,
I downloaded the service program and used a CL2 clean before trying the fill command and that was enough to restore LLK ;D . This begs the question of why Epson doesn't have these commands available. Thanks all.
George when you use the initial fill method, is that command in the same portion of the program used to clear the ink lines?
Tom
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Stop...... did you try a power clean ? If so OK move on...but it sounds like your head pulled air back in when you were done printing. It is really not that uncommon with these printers. Its not a clog it is an air lock......a power clean does not fire the head so you can't burn it out......it creates a suction and pulls the air out till ink comes. One or two of these cleans and I think you will be fine....
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Peter,
I tried two cleans and a power clean to no effect. The CL2 clean in the service program worked however. I didn't need to use the initial fill, but may someday, hence my question to George.
Tom
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George and Wayne,
I downloaded the service program and used a CL2 clean before trying the fill command and that was enough to restore LLK ;D . This begs the question of why Epson doesn't have these commands available. Thanks all.
George when you use the initial fill method, is that command in the same portion of the program used to clear the ink lines?
Tom
Using alternate cleans is pretty common knowledge by entering service mode, but I guess it’s been a while since anyone really mentioned it. I almost always clean using one of the alternates in service mode. I think epson doesn’t mention it because there are so many other things you can do while in service mode to mess the printer up, and most users just want an option. The default clean uses the most ink and is the most aggressive other than a power clean, and with the 4900 I think you can do a channel power clean from the normal options. The other cleans are less aggressive and use less ink, often enough to get the head working.
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Hi Tom,
Sorry for the delay in responding..I have not been back to the site for a bit..
The "initial ink charge" function is on the same general area of the adjustment program under the same "individual adjustments" section...if I remember it correctly, it is under ink/supply subcategory.
I have used the CL2, CL3 cleanings before also with success and am glad to hear that they worked for you. The Epson 4900 Maintenance mode does not have an extra deep cleaning function in it that I can find...it may have been there with an earlier version of firmware. I do not see it now.
My process to keep the 4900 running is this:
1) keep a cigar humidifier inside the printer well with the printer covered (particularly helpful during winter)..I try to keep the humidity at 50%
2) when I get a simple clog - run power clean for affected channel/pair.. works sometimes..if not go to step 3
3) when I get a bad clog - run power clean..if not work run adjustment program CL2; if not work then CL3 for channel/pair. If still not wok, run initial ink charge for cartridge bank (you can select 1/2 of the cartridges at a time.
Between this and printing some real prints a couple of times a week, I have been able to prevent the major problems that I had with the printer six months ago when I considered scrapping it. because my head clogs were really bad and I had no confidence that I could manage the printer in the future without serious clogging issues.
Regards,
George
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Thank you for pointing me in the right direction George. I might add treatment with cleaning solutions to your list of preventative/remedial measures to keep a x900 operating. I used solutions from AIS to clear my previous clogs, but I suspect many others are effective at dissolving particulates clogging the head. It is disappointing that Epson does not supply information on some of the methods to unclog their printers. At the very least, they could have a users forum for which they could disclaim any responsibility/liability.
Best,
Tom
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To perform an initial ink charge you need to use a third party program (epson does not make the function available on the maintenance menu to the best of my knowledge)..the program is called "the adjustment program" and is available from www.2manuals.com.
Whenever I have a total dropout that will not be resolved with a power clean, I perform the ink charge function and the printer is back in business..
Hope this helps..
I have a 3 1/2 year-old lightly-used Epson 4900, and have had to do head cleanings often. This time I went way too long without printing, and had to do several cleanings and waits overnight. Then, all the inks were OK but the PhotoBlack, which showed only a few working nozzles no matter how many cleanings I tried.
I switched to the Matte Black, which seemed to work OK, and then switched back. Now the PK is completely blocked, and various combinations of cleaning didn't help. I went on WWW.2manuals.com but couldn't figure out how to get "the adjustment program," despite a search on Epson 4900. What I did find said Win XP only, and I'm running Win 7 64bit.
Could you clarify for me how to get the program?
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This should take you to the right page. Works with Windows 7:
http://www.2manuals.com/product_info.php?products_id=1365
Good Luck.
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This should take you to the right page. Works with Windows 7:
http://www.2manuals.com/product_info.php?products_id=1365
Good Luck.
Great! Many thanks. I'll let you know how it goes. Can I get by without the service manual?
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What is the easiest way to use this adjustment program with a Mac?
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I downloaded the Adjustment Program and Service Manual for the 4900, and after some struggle was able to get the program to run in XP-Compatible mode on my Win7 machine. However, I keep getting a message saying
that my printer is either not on or not ready. I have already disconnected my laser printer. The 4900 is connected through the network connection, going into my Fios router. The computer and the Epson Remote Panel have no problem communicating with the printer, nor does Qimage. Some questions:
1) Do I have to get a superlong USB cable instead of the network connection?
2) Do I have to put the printer into Serviceman Mode or Maintenance Mode instead of the usual way of turning on the printer?
3) Is there something else that I am missing?
Many thanks, and happy New Year to y'all.
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Try using the usb; I had no problem with communication with no need for service mode. Likely you don't need the service manual, but your printer is a 4900 and it may be useful >:(
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Well, I found a USB extension cord long enough to let me plug in from the computer, and I tried the Service Adjsutment program. Doing a CL3 cleaning didn't help, so I tried the ink initialization routine. After a few minutes it stopped and I got "Not Enough Space In Maintenance Tank," or something to that effect. Arrgh!
But I printed a nozzle check, and low and behold! The PK ink showed many of the nozzles working, so I sent off to Amazon for a replacement maintenance tank. I believe things should work out OK after that. Thanks.
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Hello Walter,
I have been down the road...I ended up having the ink pump assembly replaced on my printer..it cost approx $500 but was well worth it.. The printer is rock solid now. If I don't print for a week or so, one head cleaning gets the nozzles in perfect condition.
The symptom that led me to this conclusion was that when I had bad clogs and the power cleaning of the adjustment program would not work but the initial ink load function would work, it pointed me in that direction.
Hope this helps..
Happy New Year to all!
Regards,
George
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Good news Walter. The only good thing about these clogs is the relief felt when cleared :D
George why does use of INIT FILL make you suspect the pump?
Tom
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Hello, I have a 3 year old Epson 4900 that is also giving me a serious headache. I've been trying to unclog the PK head - it is pretty well completely clogged. I hadn't used the printer for about 2 months and when fired up I had a completely clogged cyan head. Ran a cleaning cycle with no avail, so tried a cloth soaked in Windex and lo and behold that worked!. Noticed the PK head was lightly clogged so I ran a PK cleaning cycle and after that cycle it is now completely clogged. ran power cleanings (waiting 24hrs between each) and tried printing a full test print after each clean - but nothing works.
Just downloaded the service program and ran a CL2 on the PK channel, but still no luck. will try a CL3 clean tomorrow -if that doesn't work any ideas? No extended warranty. Tried Epson tech support - after they had me perform a power clean they want to change the print head - $425 just to get the tech out and $1500 for the head.
Hope everyone had a good New Years Eve.
Regards,
John
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John:
Since you have the service program, you can try the initial fill. It worked for me, see:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=95756.0
and here:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=95942.20
Make sure you have a near empty or extra waste tank and enough ink in the affected set.
Good luck,
Tom
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I tried the initial fill on a defective Epson 7900. It didn't work. Maybe John will have better luck. But consider this -- the initial fill will eat up hundreds of dollars of ink, or at least that is the case with a 7900. So think about it carefully before you do it.
John, I summarized my issues with the 7900 in the thread that compares the three manufacturers of printers. The labor cost for a repair technician to walk in the door is $300 to $400. The minimum cost of a repair for the 7900 would have been around $650, if that works. (That would be the replacement of the cap pump assembly that worked for George.) And because the repair guys don't even know what is wrong, they just throw new parts at your machine, charging you each time, until one of them might fix the problem.
That is a lot to spend on a printer that sells for about $2000. When a repair is equal to 25% to 50% of the price of new printer, it might be wise to get a new printer with all new parts. I decided to cut my losses and get rid of the 7900 and buy a Canon and make use of the rebate. The rebate expired yesterday, but there will always be another one that will be offered.
Just bear in mind -- the more cleanings you do, especially the initial fill, the more money you thrown down a dark hole in search of the elusive fix. I decided to get a brand new printer instead.
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Well I went ahead and tried the CL3 program - and lo and behold my PK head is back! (Well, most of it anyway - it's about 99% there. Unbelievable.
I am now printing and I cannot for the life of me see any issues. There are now 3 nozzles clogged. I've run about 15 test prints (I have 4 I use - all found from this forum) and am now printing prints from my trip to NC last summer. Can't see any defects and the colors are amazing. I do love this printer when it works.
I have to say thanks to everyone here - you guys really are amazing. if I hadn't found out about the service program from this forum (best $29.99 I've probably ever spent) the printer would have been sold for a song on Kijiji and I would have been looking at a 3880 (after about a year or so) to fill my printing itch.
By the way, the service program worked well with Win 8.1.
I know the future is unknown with this printer but for know I'm printing all the shots I've been wanting to do for the past while.
Best Regards,
John
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Hi Tom,
Happy New Year...sorry for the delay in responding.
The reason I went down that path of INIT FILL pointing to pump problem was the following:
1) If power cleans did not clear up the issue, then something else was causing the ink to not flow through the print heads
2) If INIT FILL was solving the issue and the printer was printing without clogs right after the INIT FILL was executed, then ink supply could be the culprit, not clogged heads
3) If after a few days of sitting, the printer showed no lines printing AND a simple power clean was not fixing the problem BUT and INIT FILL was, then it was definitely an ink supply issue.
This led me to the conclusion that the ink pump could be the issue. I discussed it with my local Epson reseller/service person who is pretty good and practical. I decided to take the risk and invest in the new pump..the difference, as I stated before, is night and day...
My guess, and only a guess, is that the original pump was not producing enough pressure to pressurize the ink head and keep it pressurized...
Best,
George
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Well, I got my new maintenance tank after having done half of an Ink Initial Refill that stopped when the first tank was filled. Since many of the nozzles in the offending head (PK) were now OK in printing a nozzle check, I did a CL2 cleaning of it and the 3 others that were less than 100% clear. No change, so I tried a CL3 cleaning. The PK head now was completely clean, as was one of the others. The 4th showed only a very few nozzles clogged so, rather than spend a huge amount of ink on redoing the Initial Refill I decided to print a couple of files to see what would happen.
I chose images that would use as many of the inks as possible, and they seemed OK. I examined them under bright light with a magnifying glass and could see no problems. So the half of the Initial Refill plus the CL3 got my 4900 back for me. This time I will print at least a letter-size print every couple of days to keep things working, but I now have the Adjustment Program as a tool.
Incidentally, the Adjustment Program would not work with the LAN connection, but only with the USB connection, so if somebody here plans to use the Adjustment Program, make sure you have a USB cable or extension that will reach your printer.