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Author Topic: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer  (Read 11116 times)

Mark D Segal

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #40 on: March 21, 2018, 05:41:56 pm »



I recently obtained a 44" HP Z3200p that I use for rolled paper.  Compared to the Epson 4900, the $80 USD replaceable print heads and NO maintenance tank are great.   Unfortunately the HP's single sheet feeding procedure is cumbersome so I use the Epson for sheet up to 17".

Completely OT, but by the way, how do find the print quality of the HP Z3200 compares with the Epson 4900 in terms of colour rendition, tonal gradations, black ink shading, resolution of detail?
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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enduser

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #41 on: March 21, 2018, 09:38:43 pm »

Can you tell me where on Ebay you buy Epson inks.  Thanks.
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #42 on: March 22, 2018, 02:11:08 am »

enduser: if I can't unclog my 4900 I'll have brand new cartridges to sell :(
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #43 on: March 31, 2018, 01:22:57 pm »

Update, after more than 10 days from my previous post.

I finally received the Pizeo-Flush cleaning solution from InkjetMall in Vermont.
Had to drain all my refillable cartridges first.
I only purchased a 700ml bottle, at $65 a pop.
I chose to use 50 ml of the solution on each cartridge.
Since my problem was VLM, I only operated on the Left side bank of cartridges of the printer, that the Service Manual call "Full".
First thing I did was to run a Nozzle Check before doing anything -- VLM was completely clogged, rest was perfect.
So, at the suggestion of sportmaster, I first ran an "Ink Charge" cycle expecting cleaning solution to move through the lines.
But there was no change! The Maintenance Tank weighed the same before and after?

So, I took the refillable cartridges out and ordered an "Ink Eject" command.
That made a difference.

FYI, a Maintenance Box/T6190 weighs 239g, new.
After this first Ink Eject cycle, it weighed 292g. So, 53 g or solution was expended out of this procedure, or 53 divided by 6 ink cartridges, in other words, 8.83g per cartridge, which translates to almost 9 ml of solution? Which does not seem like much? Maybe that is part of my problem? Tthe "Pump Cap assembly" does not draw enough ink?
(Another $250 expense...or more? if I so chose to go down that path -- have mercy!)

At this point, I ordered my first Ink Charge cycle, to fill the lines with Piezo Flush.
The result? See attached JPEG (Nozzle Check 3).
LLK, VLM and LC were completely absent, OR, GR and Y were showing.

Of of the nice feature about Pizeo Flush is that it is "colored", in a vivid purple, purposely so that, it helps diagnose Nozzle checks.

At this point, I decided to run a second Ink Charge cycle, something I never attempted in the past on this printer.
The result? See attached JPEG (Nozzle Check 4).

As you can see, all the lines are "printing" except that stubborn VLM.

At this point, before running more cycles, I need to consult the "oracle" (as in the Matrix movie).
I'll send an email to John Cone at InkjetMall to see what he has to say.

It seems I'm right back when I was before ordering Piezo Flush.

Oh! Forgot to mention! I ran into a Fatal Error 1A39 right after doing the second Ink charge cycle.
I was in hot water. I read elsewhere on the Forum about someone's experience and it wasn't encouraging...
I had to shut the printer down a few times, and futs around with the gray ribbon cables.
I was a little desperate but it did work after futsing with the cables. Gracious machine :-)

Now, I reason that I ought to let the printer sit overnight with the lines being filled with the Piezo Flush cleaning solution.

If that does not help, I'll attempt a few extra Ink Eject / Ink Charge cycles.

I suspect the head is not dead and there's air somewhere in the system, perhaps the Ink Assembly?
I don't suppose I can see a huge air bubble in the line? But I find it suspicious that an Ink Eject cycle only drew 53 ml or ink?

That 1A39 error may mean that the printer is doomed anyway? I'm not about to open the printer up and check fuses and what not...

Thank you for reading my post.
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #44 on: March 31, 2018, 01:40:43 pm »

Sorry to hear you aren't out of the woods yet Roger. I'll be interested in any news after your next attempts.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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GregShapps

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #45 on: March 31, 2018, 02:24:37 pm »

Having very similar problems with my 4800 and I'm actually able to see large air gaps on my Yellow line as its the top one.   How exactly does one purge the air out of the lines?

Thanks,
Greg
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #46 on: March 31, 2018, 02:51:23 pm »

The Epson Adjustment program has an option for "Tube cleaning" but I can't experiment with it because I suspect my refillable ink cartridges are not "Epson's"; each time I try to run the option, I see the reported quality of ink left in each cartridge in ml but since the chip on my cartridge is not Epson's, the option terminates with a message "Not enough solution to perform the selected command". or something like that.

Other than that, I don't know how to purge the lines of air, other than, possibly (yikes!), to take them apart and clean them, and then re-assemble them back.

I attached a copy of the Tube Cleaning interface...
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GregShapps

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #47 on: March 31, 2018, 03:35:41 pm »

Seems kind of crazy the amount of air gaps in my yellow line.   Its never been a problem until this week.
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #48 on: March 31, 2018, 04:12:41 pm »

Thanks for taking the time to post these pictures who are always worth 1000 words.

If I had so much air in my printer's lines -- hopefully I don't? -- I'd dismantle the tubes to drain them and start over the initial priming. I don't see how that can be done otherwise. At this point, this has to be considered a "mechanical" problem.

Is your Yellow printing at all? Partially clogged?
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GregShapps

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #49 on: March 31, 2018, 05:28:03 pm »

Nothing coming out of the yellow - I am printing 17x22 sheets of process yellow C to tried and bleed the air and the bubble gaps seemed to have shifted down the tubes.

I was getting a perfect nozzle check last week and then two days ago I got a total blank yellow on the nozzle check.   I then did the Simple Green on paper towel under the print head over night and the next day the nozzle check was horrid all around with still no yellow.   

This 4800 I have had since 12/05 and its has such low mileage on it.  I would go months of not using it and it would just take a clean or two and back to normal until two days ago.
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #50 on: March 31, 2018, 06:07:45 pm »

If you drop me an email at graxx@videotron.ca I can send you the service manual...
(Mark, I hope you don't mind?)
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #51 on: March 31, 2018, 06:10:25 pm »

If you drop me an email at graxx@videotron.ca I can send you the service manual...
(Mark, I hope you don't mind?)

I couldn't care less :-)
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #52 on: March 31, 2018, 07:03:59 pm »

Greg, you wrote "Nothing coming out of the yellow".

I suspect air bubbles "moves" during an Ink Eject and In Charge cycles.
Have you ever tried these?

Would be interested in hearing others's opinions on the matter...

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GregShapps

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #53 on: March 31, 2018, 07:12:59 pm »

Roger - correct nothing is coming out of the yellow.   When I print a Processed Yellow I get a very faint light cyan and nothing else.

Here is the before and after using the Simple Green on a paper towel over night.
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #54 on: March 31, 2018, 07:20:27 pm »

Power Cleanings won't help, you need something -- ahem! -- a little stronger.
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GregShapps

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #55 on: March 31, 2018, 07:22:01 pm »

Power Cleanings won't help, you need something -- ahem! -- a little stronger.

What do you suggest?
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #56 on: March 31, 2018, 07:55:20 pm »

Scotch and soda - not the cheap local stuff - at least Glenfiddich; the alcohol for dissolving the blockages and the gas for providing the energy to evacuate it. JUST KIDDING GUYS!!! (At your expense, so sorry.)

On a serious note: Simple Green on the printhead is a bad idea. If anything, I would put a pad of distilled water underneath it to see whether it drains any remnants of that stuff.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #57 on: March 31, 2018, 08:05:45 pm »

Give the Epson Adjustment utility a try.
You may end up in the same place I am?
But at least, in your case, you know what the problem is -- me, I still don't know.

I would be ready to bet big money that, going through an Ink Eject and Ink Charge cycle on your printer is going to rid you of that yellow line pesky bubbles.

Why? Because, in the Service Manual, on page 229, they instruct the user to "Discharge ink" before disassembling the Prinhead, and last time I did an Ink Eject (Discharge Ink), I was surprised to find the tubes completely empty (as far as I could see) before accessing the PrintHead.

That's why, IMO, if you go through the procedure, chances are you'll recover your Yellow line.
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Roger_Breton

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #58 on: April 07, 2018, 05:08:21 pm »

This maybe the last chapter in the life of this 4900 printer.
This morning, when I fired it up, I was greeted with the dreaded Fata Error 1A39.

Nothing I tried worked.
At this point, I don't have whole lotta options. Whatever I do is going to cost me big bucks, replacing parts or taking it to an authorized repair center. Might as well start with a new machine. But I read that the new SureColor P printers all have stringent "protection" against third-party inks and cartridges? And apparently, the units sold in Europe don't have that extra muscles as compared to those sold to America. I guess Epson has a better relationship with Uncle Sam than Angela Merkel... It's going to be a toss-up anyway I go because sooner or later, with my relatively low printing volume, I'm run into the same situation I'm in now with my 4900.

I noticed that, for instance, on the P5000, there exists the same "Adjustment Utility" that I use with my 4900. That's a good thing, but if I can't get refillable cartridges, because of Epson's aggressive "copy protection" against third-party inks and cartridges then I'm basically (fill in the blanks).


The only "hope" for now seems to be the P800 for which there are now "circuit boards" that plug into the printer motherboard to give the user 30 serial numbers for refillable cartridge replacements -- why only "30" is beyond me (it's like the number "42" in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie...?).


At any rate, throwing money on the P800 as opposed to the P5000 for me seems to be a more sensible solution. I wish I could buy a Canon, if only to "punish" Epson, but their P1000 has an auto-head cleaning routine that, from my reading, can turn into costly operation, in terms of Maintenance cartridges and inks?
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Mark D Segal

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Re: Terminally ill Epson 4900 printer
« Reply #59 on: April 07, 2018, 05:28:33 pm »

Roger - time to replace the printer.

The solution is simple to work out:

(1) If you don't print often you don't want a P5000. That narrows the choice to P800 or Pro1000.
(2) If you want a roll holder and a straight through paper feed for very thick or unbendable media, then you need a P800.
(3) If you intend to use Piezography inks you need a P800.
(4) If you don't need those features, the Pro1000 remains a very good contender. For maximum convenience with minimum printing, the Pro1000 makes a lot of sense. User changeable printhead, lots of software for tracking printing costs, making custom media types, etc., very easy paper feeds, makes excellent print quality (but so does the P800).
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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