Printer - no yellow!

[Set Square]

I have an HP DeskJet 890C printer which suddenly stopped dispensing any
yellow ink. Fitting a new colour ink cartridge, and using all the
software-based 'cleaning' tools makes no difference. The other colours, and
black are ok.

Anyone any idea what the root cause may be, and how to diagnose and fix it?
I suspect that it's an electronic problem rather than a physical/mechanical
one.

TIA.

 

[Dave D]

I have an HP DeskJet 890C printer which suddenly stopped dispensing any
yellow ink. Fitting a new colour ink cartridge, and using all the
software-based 'cleaning' tools makes no difference. The other colours,
and
black are ok.

Anyone any idea what the root cause may be, and how to diagnose and fix
it?
I suspect that it's an electronic problem rather than a
physical/mechanical
one.

TIA.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Check for cracks in the ribbon cable to the print head, and check the
contacts which mate with the cartridge are clean.

Dave

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Check for cracks in the ribbon cable to the print head, and check the
contacts which mate with the cartridge are clean.

Thanks. The ribbon cable is a possibility. What's the best way to check it?
[I have already well and truly cleaned all the contacts].

 

[Tony Marsillo]

Was the new cartridge laying around for a while? Even sealed in the package
they will go bad. Yellow seems to be the first color to go. What was the
expiration date on the new cartridge?

Tony Marsillo
Nutmeg Repair

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Was the new cartridge laying around for a while? Even sealed in the
package they will go bad. Yellow seems to be the first color to go.
What was the expiration date on the new cartridge?

Tony Marsillo
Nutmeg Repair

Technically, it's slightly out of date - having an expiry date of May 2005.
But you can get yellow ink out - and out of the old one, for that matter -
by blowing on the vent hole.

 

[Dave D]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Check for cracks in the ribbon cable to the print head, and check the
contacts which mate with the cartridge are clean.

Thanks. The ribbon cable is a possibility. What's the best way to check
it?
[I have already well and truly cleaned all the contacts].

It's a pain, but the only way I can think of is to remove the ribbon cable
from the connector on the logic board and painstakingly check each trace for
continuity from that end to the contacts on the cartridge holder. Often
though a cracked ribbon cable will be visible through a decent magnifying
glass and a soft, diffused light behind the ribbon.

Have fun!

Dave

 

[Dave D]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Technically, it's slightly out of date - having an expiry date of May
2005.
But you can get yellow ink out - and out of the old one, for that matter -
by blowing on the vent hole.

It just occurred to me- have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the
drivers? I've had corrupted drivers cause all manner of weird and wonderful
symptoms with printers.

Dave

 

[Tony Marsillo]

I went through the exact situation as you with an HP722 printer. Before you
take the printer apart buy a new cartridge and try it, make sure it is
within the expiration date. I use to keep a spare cartridge, but they do not
have a shelf life after the expiration date. Some places will exchange you
cartridge if you have the receipt. Staples will do that, and HP will send
you another cartridge if you complain.

Tony

 

[Tony Marsillo]

Also check this link for more info:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp...bbddea8d970bd8f?sa=X&oi=groupsr&start=0&num=3

Tony

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

It just occurred to me- have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling
the drivers? I've had corrupted drivers cause all manner of weird and
wonderful symptoms with printers.

Dave

No, but I've tried the printer on more than one computer - so that sounds
unlikely!

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

Also check this link for more info:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp...bbddea8d970bd8f?sa=X&oi=groupsr&start=0&num=3

Tony

That's interesting! I do have yet another unopened cartridge which I *think*
is still in date (it's not readily to hand, but I'll dig it out). There's
little to be lost by trying that one - except that will prevent me from
selling it on Ebay!

I have to say that I'm not overly optimistic. The printer stopped printing
yellow in the *middle* of a document - and the cartridge in use at the time
is definitely not empty of yellow ink. A brand new - albeit out of
shelf-life - cartridge behaved exactly the same. It seems too much of a
co-incidence to me, and I still suspect that an electronic component has
failed.

Incidentally, someone suggested checking the ribbon cable. As far as I can
see, this is non-removeable and is soldered to a PCB at each end, making it
extremely difficult to check for continuity.

 

[James Sweet]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,


That's interesting! I do have yet another unopened cartridge which I *think*
is still in date (it's not readily to hand, but I'll dig it out). There's
little to be lost by trying that one - except that will prevent me from
selling it on Ebay!

I have to say that I'm not overly optimistic. The printer stopped printing
yellow in the *middle* of a document - and the cartridge in use at the time
is definitely not empty of yellow ink. A brand new - albeit out of
shelf-life - cartridge behaved exactly the same. It seems too much of a
co-incidence to me, and I still suspect that an electronic component has
failed.

Incidentally, someone suggested checking the ribbon cable. As far as I can
see, this is non-removeable and is soldered to a PCB at each end, making it
extremely difficult to check for continuity.

It's probably a problem on the printhead driver board. If there's
nothing obvious I would just get a new printer, those things cost about
the same price as a set of ink cartridges these days.

 

[GregS]

It's probably a problem on the printhead driver board. If there's
nothing obvious I would just get a new printer, those things cost about
the same price as a set of ink cartridges these days.

My Canon has very inexpensive cartridges. Thats why I bought it. Five separate
ones in my home printer, and four in the multifunction at work. Same cartridges.

Unfortunately I have also have a problem. AT first it told me I was running low
on black ink. I replaced the cartridge. Shortly after, the print was very funny.
Every fourth line was missing or garbled. I started a cleaning process.
Shortly after, no black ink has been seen comming out of this printer.
I cleaned and cleaned. I really think there is an electrical problem now,
but how it relates to all this, I'm not sure.
So I'm getting some sort of deal from Canon. I suppose an authorized fix
is going to cost a bit, so thats probably why I might just buy a new one,
at Canon's discount. I wonder how much that could be? Didn't hear from them yet


greg

 

[Set Square]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

It's probably a problem on the printhead driver board. If there's
nothing obvious I would just get a new printer, those things cost
about the same price as a set of ink cartridges these days.

We have already replaced the printer - but I'd still like to get the old one
working as a spare.

 

[Dave D]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,


We have already replaced the printer - but I'd still like to get the old
one
working as a spare.

Personally if there's nothing obvious wrong I'd just use it to print text
with the black cartridge. If it needs new parts then the repair is unlikely
to be economical or even feasable.

Dave