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Author Topic: HP Z3200 Unable to calibrate printheads due to scanner problem  (Read 316 times)

HCHeyerdahl

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HP Z3200 Unable to calibrate printheads due to scanner problem
« on: December 29, 2025, 10:49:18 am »

I recently got a HP Z3200 44 inch almost for free. The idea was basically to salvage the ink and printheads and use that for my Z 3200 24.

Then, of course there is the temptation to get it going!
I changed the battery on the formatter card, and it powers up.

Printing a diagnostic image shows no printing of yellow or light cyan. Trying to clean the corresponding ink heads has not been successful. I “soaked” the heads overnight in water and was able to see weak traces of yellow and light cyan, but nothing shows if I print a new diagnostic image.

Furthermore, and this is my main concern before going further, after the printheads have been reseated I get an error text message (no error code) during the printhead calibration procedure saying something like “Unable to calibrate printheads due to scanner problem”.

Searching on the net I find some indication that this error may not necessarily be due to failure with the scanner, but to the print heads inability to print yellow and light cyan. See (different printer and bottom of page) https://support.hp.com/th-en/document/ish_6880502-6896015-16

However, I have an older Z 3200 24 inch that does not print matt black, and that printer does a print head calibration without any error message. My older Z 3200 24 is without the red/orange lights on the formatter card. The 44 inch has these three lights on the formatter card and is thus a revision two if I got this correctly. Does anyone know if there is a difference in how these two versions perform the print head calibration test?
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Kyle Jackson

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Re: HP Z3200 Unable to calibrate printheads due to scanner problem
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2025, 09:21:06 am »

Hi, if you have working M-Y or LM-LC printheads from your other printer try installing those to see what happens.

It's possible those heads are low on ink (full of air). Check the weight, a full printhead is 60 grams, empty is about 45g, and anything more than a few grams below 60 should be purged/primed using one of the printhead kits you can buy online from LPS Computers or others.

The printer might also have air in the ink tubes leading to the carriage, so removing the air from those lines using the kit above can help prevent more air getting into the printheads.

Ideally you'll want to remove any air from the printer tubes, prime any printheads much below 60 grams, and then remove all heads and cartridges and reinstall them one by one when prompted by the printer after powering it up. Ink cartridges that are close to full are recommended.


If there is still a printhead cal error after getting the heads sorted out, make sure the paper isn't curled. I found my rescued Z3200PS (24" Rev B) seems to struggle with similar scan issues whereas my Z3100PS GP does not. I found I had to use "flatter" paper or reverse roll the leading edge of the roll to remove curl for it to scan properly (I was trying to use end-of-roll paper). I don't know if this is a trait of the Z3200 or what. It passed every one of the hardware tests in the service manual, and has otherwise worked fine. It just complains a lot if there is paper curl, whether the end of a roll (especially on 2-inch cores) or sometimes a freshly loaded roll (new or used). Once a roll has been in the printer for a while so the leading section is mainly flat, it seems ok.
« Last Edit: December 30, 2025, 09:25:00 am by Kyle D Jackson »
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HCHeyerdahl

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Re: HP Z3200 Unable to calibrate printheads due to scanner problem
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2025, 10:00:18 am »

Thank you for sharing your experience with the paper on rev 2 vs the older. I will check into that and see if the helps.

I am definitely going to prime the pritheads etc.

Chris
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