Epson 9800 Print Head Printing Nothing?

[DMP]

Hello Everyone,
Recently my Epson 9800 began printing with faint white lines running every few millimeters apart in line with the print head indication a clogged head. I placed a lint free cloth saturated in an ammonia based window cleaner under the head for the night and tried the next day but no improvement. I therefore took the head out and run a cleaning solution through the spikes in order to clear any stubborn remaining ink out and again left it overnight on an ammonia based lint free cloth. I used ammonia this time as apposed to an ammonia based solution. The next day I put the printer head back together and run a test print but nothing printed at all! No error messages, nothing? The printer runs through the cycle as though it is printing but prints nothing at all? Additionally the printer has run K3 inks (pigment) all its life.

I am not very clued up from this point in fact have no idea what it can be so any advice or knowledge is more than welcome.

Thank you for any help,

Regards,

DMP : )

 

[caveman]

Did you print a nozzle check prior to all these cleanings to verify that the printhead was actually clogged? What you described as a problem could also indicate a feeding problem. After you placed the printhead back in the printer did you do any cleanings to fill the printhead with ink? Perhaps this is your problem, air instead of ink in the printing head. I would try to do a cleaning or two or maybe send a print job so ink gets pumped in the printing head.

 

[pacart]

Those print heads wear out as well, there is a meter you can see on the display. I've never had one wear out, but I suppose it is possible.

 

[trung]

Hi DMP,
We are using Epson 9880 printer and ran into the same problem as your Epson 9800. After replaced the pump cap assembly the printer is printing again.

 

[DMP]

Hi Caveman,
I forgot to add that to my original post but yes, I did that and there were parts missing from the check. Magenta and blue. Tried different tests / nozzle cleans but no good. I took the head out as a last resort. I have run a couple of prints but nothing is printing still! Have done a nozzle clean and test image to get the ink flowing but to no avail? I will take it apart one last time and have a look to see if ink is passing through the head. Thank you for your help.

 

[DMP]

I have taken the head out and checked the ink wells that feed the spikes going into the head. There is hardly any ink in them but a lot of air! I have uploaded an image, just click the link to take a look. This is odd? I do not understand why as the initial problem seemed to be a clogged head?!

http://www.darrenmorton.com/ExampleImages/9800.JPG

Any ideas = welcome

 

[caveman]

Is it possible to attach a small tube with a syringe to the ink wells (I think they are called dampers), so you can extract the air manually? Do you have the service manual? If I remember correctly there is an "initial ink filling" procedure that you could try but I'm afraid this would first empty the inking system and then refill it. Maybe the manual has other suggestions too.

 

[Toweri]

Dried beyond recovery?

Dried beyond recovery?

Is it possible to attach a small tube with a syringe to the ink wells (I think they are called dampers), so you can extract the air manually? Do you have the service manual? If I remember correctly there is an "initial ink filling" procedure that you could try but I'm afraid this would first empty the inking system and then refill it. Maybe the manual has other suggestions too.

DMP,
The Initial Ink Filling procedure (or multiple Power Cleaning cycles) are required whenever the Print Head is replaced. (Your novel cleaning procedure certainly constitutes that.) There are plenty of places where it is necessary to have all air removed and filled with ink.

However: You mention you left the Print Head detached (if I understand you correctly) overnight. What did you do to the ink feed lines? If you have left them unprotected overnight, you can be pretty sure they are clogged because of drying. The entire ink feed system does not tolerate being left out to dry to any extended time. The detached feed lines must be covered by tight plastic wrap to keep them from drying.

There are functions in Engineering menus to forcibly pump ink through the Ink Feed System in attempt to clear any blocks. But it may already be beyond that...

In order to avoid causing any more harm to your printer, I recommend contacting an authorized service provider to have a qualified engineer fix your problem.

 

[DMP]

Hello Toweri,
I agree that this should have gone to a repair specialist in the first place. I tried the Epson website but upon entering the printer details I was met with a message stating model not recognized. I entered it into the service section and filled out the details correctly but to no avail. I then checked the Epson service location but there were none within an hour of my address. Next I went online and found the printer service businesses that were within driving distance. I called them but no one would touch an Epson printer. It was explained that this is because of law suits or something and that Epson do not allow anyone apart from Epson to touch their printers even if they are out of warranty! I was told that they would only work on Epson printers that are under warranty or forget it! I tried and tried but to no avail! It seems that I am in the wrong location for Epson large format printer support. This is when I searched and found guidance of how to clean the head myself. My only other option and I was seriously considering it was to take it to the tip as rubbish. I do not want to do this because I paid a lot of money for it. I just need to repair it.

Thank you for your help here, with the ink lines I just left them exposed. I did not know they had to be sealed. I have run a couple of cleaning cycles and managed to get printing again but it is only printing in magenta and nothing else! Not sure what else to do to be honest. I do not know if the heads are blocked or if it is something else. I checked the pipes and there seems to be no dried ink around them at all it is all clear....

 

[DMP]

Hello Caveman,
Thank you for your help. I did that before I put the head back on and extracted some ink. I have managed to print again now but it is only printing in Magenta! Nothing else well perhaps a faint line or two of black but 99% magenta only. Not sure if it is the head or something else. There is no support in my area I tried everywhere before I took the head out so I have little choice but to repair it myself!

Thank you for your help.

 

[JoeatData]

Hi DMP,
We are using Epson 9880 printer and ran into the same problem as your Epson 9800. After replaced the pump cap assembly the printer is printing again.

Yes, we had the same problem with our Epson 7800.
It was the pump cap.

 

[sam512bb]

I have taken the head out and checked the ink wells that feed the spikes going into the head. There is hardly any ink in them but a lot of air! I have uploaded an image, just click the link to take a look. This is odd? I do not understand why as the initial problem seemed to be a clogged head?!

http://www.darrenmorton.com/ExampleImages/9800.JPG

Any ideas = welcome

Good day All,

I was curious... When the printer is working correctly, are the dampers completely filled with ink, or is air still in them? It would seem to me that the dampers should be completely filled with ink, as having any air in there would create non uniform printing on the respective color. I ask, as I too (like many) , have an Epson 9800 with printing problems that initially stemmed from a very, very clogged print head. I changed out the print head and ran a couple of power clean cycles and this helped, but still some colors are not printing. Upon investigation I can see that the dampers are about half filled with air...

Secondly, in regards to the print cap... I can see that it is working, as the ink levels have dropped on all ink tanks after I run a power clean...in addition to seeing the spent ink in the ink tank. This tells me that my ink lines are not plugged and also that the pump cap is extracting ink through the print head.

Anyway, I will try a couple more power cleans to see if this cures my issues, but thought I would ask about the dampers.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,

Sam

 

[Mark]

Our 9800 wasn't printing well and after multiple power and regular cleanings it stopped almost all ink from printing. Two SS cleanings (start while holding pause to access it on menu) got it printing again, but weak yello mag. So we ended up having the pump cap assembly replaced and the printer is printing again. Part was around $150