9900 Ink cartridge leak/rupture

[StarkRaven]

I guess this is a new one, since I can't really find anything comparable on the forum. This is in regards to an Epson 9900 printer, going on 3 years old, out of warranty (of course!)

Last night, I opened up the RH ink cover to replace my LK cartridge, and was shocked at the mess inside. Evidently, the LLK cartridge (not the one I was replacing) had ruptured or exploded. Both it and the adjoining green cartridge were covered in ink, and the ink was pooling at the bottom of their slots.

I guess that this explains the occasional smudging of black ink in the upper LH corners of way too many canvas prints. (Odd, the smudging is always on canvas; never on 300 gsm heavyweight paper. What's that about?)

Unfortunately, my studio isn't air-conditioned. We've been in the '90s for months. Additionally - for what it's worth - we're at 5,000 feet. Of course, an extensive search on the Internet for info hasn't been successful. Struck zero on Epson's site, aside from finding the unhelpful information that "leaking cartridges may cause smudging" (duh) and being advised "not to remove the labels" from the cartridges.

Has anyone ever had or heard of this happening? Insights?

[Farmer]

Never had a cartridge "explode" like that - they're not under that much pressure.  Even leaking cartridges is extremely rare and generally results from some external damage (typically during shipping - you wouldn't necessarily be aware even from looking at the packaging).

How old is the cartridge?  Where did you get it from?  Also, whilst the printer may be out of warranty, the cartridge may not be (depends on where you live and how old it is).  I would definitely recommend contacting Epson for assistance.

ink inside the printer cartridge bay is unlikely to have anything to do with smugding on your prints - there's really no way for it to travel from leaking inside the bay to getting onto the prints.

If you smudging is always on canvas, it's likely to be canvas dust or fibres causing it or the canvas itself sitting up at the edge and catching the head.