Ever had this printer problem???

guitar333 · 10-03-2003, 03:10 PM

Ok this has happened to me twice with two different printers.

Newer Hewlett Packard Printer: All of the sudden one day it just stopped printing all colors but red and black. Thought ink was running out so bought new color ink cartridge......same problem, wont print any colors but red. Tried everything, read troubleshooting in manual and HP website, no solution. Cleaned heads reinstalled another cartridge, nothing. Called HP......nothing.

Lexmark X73 printer: Ink was running low so bought a refill kit..........now wont print yellow. Bought new Lexmark ink ($33) still wont print yellow!! Took to local computer shop, still nothing.

This is starting two **** me off. Has anyone else had this problem???

By the way different PCs also.

please share some info if you know anything about this. Thanks

Ricky327 · 10-04-2003, 09:55 PM

I get a feeling you are using a recycled cartridge.

Clean and then shake the cartridge downward as if you are trying to get the ink out of it. See if all the colour bleeds consitently out of all the designated holes. If it does then theres no block.

Now try and clean all the contact behind the cartridge and on the printer, that might be dirty contimated with inks.

Try a test print using the printer control panel, normally you hold one of the button while turning the printer on, check the manual for this. If you can see all the colour then your printer is ok, you have problem with your driver in that case

Not sure if your head and ink catridge are separate, if its seperate then I guess your head is gone. The tube or the ink pump might be faulty, the one that leads from the ink supply into the head. But I doubt that since you have many colour thats not working.

Yup for some reason yellow seems to dries up more often.

Hope that helps...let me know how it goes

ODYSSEY · 10-06-2003, 02:39 AM

HP printers are cartridge and heads. Try reinstalling/updating drivers. Also you can try cleaning the contacts on the printer side with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol. If it is a bad cartridge HP will replace it free of charge with 2-day shipping to boot.

noodles · 10-06-2003, 02:51 AM

I'm having sortof the same problem. I bought some third-party ink cartridges recently and when I tried them out, blue and yellow would print... but red would not. I sent it back to the guy I bought it from and hopefully I should get that sorted out. Printers are a pain. It costs just as much to buy the ink as it costs to buy the printer.

Ricky327 · 10-06-2003, 08:28 AM

"HP printers are cartridge and heads"

Thats not exactly true for HP...cheaper HP printer use combined head/ink cartridge. HP business inkjet 2200/2250/2600/3000 all uses separate CMYK ink and head catrdidges, not cheap when each cost 55 USD or so, you need 4 head, 4 ink

Its very unlikely for a home user to use those type of printer so yes I guess he got one of those combined cartridge.

Yup best to buy a new printer in most cases

guitar333 · 10-06-2003, 04:45 PM

i will mess with it when i get the chance, I know its not software and I have gotten "authentic" ink (same brand as printer) but the problem started before that with factory ink installed

fluffy2097 · 10-06-2003, 04:56 PM

inkjet printers suck. Inkjet ink is more valuble per ounce then gold. Me, I just had a friend pick me up a 19 year old, New in box, 9 pin dot matrix. I can pick up 3 ribbons for $20 and they will last me over a year. As I hardly ever need color for anything I got a damn good deal.

as for your problem. try to clean the heads and see if that helps. If you're using aftermarket refils that could also be your problem (lexmark printers arel actualy programmed to stop working if they detect an aftermarket ink refil).

Gutter · 10-06-2003, 06:45 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by fluffy2097

9 pin dot matrix. I can pick up 3 ribbons for $20

Have you seen the dot matrix printers they sell now at places like Office Depot? $300!! Hope a reach-around comes with that.

fluffy2097 · 10-06-2003, 09:36 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Gutter

Have you seen the dot matrix printers they sell now at places like Office Depot? $300!! Hope a reach-around comes with that.

Why buy a new one? plenty of old ones are floating around and they're far more reliable then an inkjet. old dot matrixes were damn near bulletproof. The trick was getting the paper to feed right.

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