PRINTER WOES =(

[sunset]

Quick question, I hope...

My Canon has recently decided to ignore the Cyan cartridge completely.  Have done the following trying to ressurect it:

   •  multiple cleanings and printing of the 'test page'
   •  installed a new cyan cartridge
   •  removed the printhead and sat it on a folded paper towel saturated w/ alcohol.

After it sat for a couple of hours, I pressed down gently on the printhead.  Liquid, presumably alcohol, came up thru the pads where the cartridges reside including the one where cyan sits.  This indicated to me that none of them were dried up and should be allowing the ink thru.

A follow-up test print leaves the places where cyan should be, blank.  Also tried printing a page of text in cyan only--nada...

Has anyone had any experience with this printer or another Canon having the same problem?  I could purchase a new printhead for $64 but it can't be returned if it does bring resolution.  They won't take them back.  This is the first time I've ever had an issue with a printhead totally ignoring one cartridge.

Thanks, in advance, for any comments or suggestions.

Laurel

[Texas Mac Man]

Look at this link from another forum about a clogged print head. http://www.applefritter.com/node/6486 May be a solution.

Were you using Canon ink or a 3rd party ink? Do you use the printer often?

It's somewhat less likely to have Canon print head clog. I see many. many more posts about Epson printer clogs. In fact, I had to trash 2 Epson printers after clogs, the last one after using 3rd party ink to "save" a few $. Tried every suggestion I could find on the web, but none worked. I now have a Canon i960 printer & it's been flawless. I've probably printed over 2000 color pictures on it & many general printouts in color/black.

[sunset]

Thanks for your response.  Quick reply, here, cuz I have a date with the sandman ASAP...  =)  Will check your link tomorrow.

I always use dedicated ink!!  and have always used Epsons since my first Stylus Color many, many moons ago.  Have never had a clog that I couldn't 'clean' my way out of, either.

My i950 is almost 4 years old and, altho' it doesn't get used on a regular basis, it gets used often enough to keep the ink flowing.  I really don't know why this has happened but will have to deal with it some more tomorrow.  Don't want to purchase a print head and find out that it was something else altho' I have no clue what that might be.  Was actually in the middle of printing a bunch of photos when I got the message that the print head needed replacing if 2-3 cleanings didn't resolve the situation.  That's the first time I've ever seen that.

At this point, the PH is sitting on the alcohol-soaked paper towel--will have to deal with it tomorrow.  Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated, a well.

Thanks, again...

Laurel

[gunug]

I had a newer model Canon i-printer that didn't want to seat a particular cartridge.  When I finally figured this out my fix was to file off a little piece of plastic on one of the ears of the thing with my Leatherman's metal file.  I took 30 seconds to do after hours of messing with the silly thing.  I don't have an idea whether this was pandemic to these carts or not; we just have 2 of these printers and only one cart has had a problems thus far!

[sunset]

Tom and Gunug,

I did check out your link, Tom, and, as mentioned previously, tried soaking the ph by setting it on alcohol-soaked paper towel for 'hours' +.  That hasn't worked so I'll try one of the other methods mentioned on that same page, hopefully before all the ink runs out [something wonderful will happen =)].

Gunug--did use fine sandpaper and got rid of a very small amount of the plastic 'ring' on the cartridge that refuses to print--that didn't work, either.  I had an iP4000 that we passed on to our kids and now have the 4300.  No problems with either of those.

If nothing works, I may pop for another print head because the i950's ink is cheaper than the new 'chipped' ones and I've always been happy with the photos it's printed.

Thank you both for your input.

Laurel

[sunset]

Tom--just thought I'd give you an update after using the method suggested on your link to the Applefritter site.  Love that name--makes me hungry.  

Have spent the last couple of days diligently following their instructions, to no avail.  What I can't get thru my pea-brain, is how a printer can be printing lovely photos one minute and 10 minutes later, go bananas and totally ignore a cartridge.  Under the circumstances, I'm not sure a printhead replacement would make any sense.  I really think it's something else but have no clue what that might be.  Perhaps something in the circuitry???    It's giving me 7 amber lights + one green.  I've reseated the print head multiple times and all the cartridges show up in the ink status monitor.

Anyway--guess it's time to let this one go.  It's the first printer, in 20+ years of computing, that has 'died' on me.  Maybe I'll just take it out back and bury it--giving it a respectable funeral.    I think your i960 and the i950 were were similar in price and print-quality wise.  I'll miss it!

Thanks, again, for your suggestions.

Laurel