After running a lot of cleaning fluid through the cyan head over a couple of days (power pairs and cyan pages), the clog remains.
Possibly, before dismantling the printer, I should provide a history of this clog so that you might suggest the most likely problems that need to be addressed.
The clog occurred after refilling a few cartridges, cyan included. After 2 head cleanings, I ran a nozzle check and voila!
Also, I downloaded QTR, but I can’t find the inkseparation8.tif.
I read thru your other posts, and see that you asked about how to best charge individual lines, but this is the first I’ve heard of your clogging issue. I am unsure if you’re saying you ran two head cleanings, and voila- the missing nozzles appeared, or you had missing nozzles, did two head cleaning cycles, and voila- the nozzle check was good again> please clarify.
Please provide details about your situation so I can better understand what’s going on, and how to best resolve it.
Was the cyan printing well prior to refilling the carts?
Generally, how often does this printer get used, vs. how long does it sit unused?
Are any nozzles printing in the C position of your nozzle check, or if the entire position blank? If some nozzles are printing, about how many nozzles, or what percentage of the position is missing?
What are the humidity and temperature levels in your printing environment?
Have you already tried cleaning the printer’s capping station, wiper blade and bottom of the print head?
Have you done any power clean cycles?
Are you printing from Mac or PC?
Please let me know so I can help you get back to happily printing.
Best regards~ Dana
The nozzle check was perfect before refilling the inks.
I’ll answer your other questions in point form.
Was the cyan printing well prior to refilling the carts?
A) Yes
Generally, how often does this printer get used, vs. how long does it sit unused?
A) I haven’t been very productive lately.
Weekly, I run a head cleaning and agitate the cartridges (and my reserve inks) and print a 24x36 poster.
Are any nozzles printing in the C position of your nozzle check, or if the entire position blank? If some nozzles are printing, about how many nozzles, or what percentage of the position is missing?
A) Consistently, 3-4 lines are blank (always the same two about 3/5 of the way down the cyan pattern).
All other colours are perfect.
UPDATE Sept 28: After printing cyan sheets until the cleaner was flushed from the line, I ran a nozzle check, much worse, now about 50% gone, oh dear!
UPDATE 2, Sept 28: Ran 2, paired power cleanings, now only about 30% of C missing. Subsequent normal paired cleanse, no improvement.
UPDATE 3, Oct 2: Now down to about 20% missing on C
What are the humidity and temperature levels in your printing environment?
A) Temp about 65-75, but for a few hot summer days, humidity not controlled (heated by radiators)
Have you already tried cleaning the printer’s capping station, wiper blade and bottom of the print head?
A) no
Have you done any power clean cycles?
A) Yes, many paired power cleans to charges the cyan with cleaner, then more power cleans and prints of cyan pages.
By the way, I still can’t locate that inkseparation8.tif.
Are you printing from Mac or PC?
A) PC
Also, I went to 2manuals.com and downloaded the 7900 Service Manual (mistake eh?), returned to to get the “Epson 7900 Field Repair Guide,” none to be found. Any other sources? Do you know of a video for capping station, head etc. maintenance on a “pro” printer?
Sorry for not responding quicker, we have been working with an artist in our studio all week, so I haven’t been on my computer as much as usual.
Thanks for providing the additional information, this is very helpful.
Based on your report, it looks like more C nozzles are printing after installing PiezoFlush and doing cleaning cycles, though is still missing several nozzles. I recommend you clean the printer’s capping station, flushing box, wiper blade and bottom of the print head. We don’t currently have a video or detailed instructions specific to this printer model, but do have general instructions for cleaning/maintaining printers here: http://www.inkjetmall.com/tech/content.php?133-Printer-Cleaning-and-Preventative-Maintenance, plus I have worked with another customer regarding cleaning this series printer, and included photos that may be helpful, which you can read/see here: http://www.inkjetmall.com/tech/showthread.php?318-Epson-9890-Light-Cyan-problem&p=1568#post1568
The 7900/9900 Service Manual does include information for replacing and adjusting parts such as wiper, dampers (“Ink Selector Unit”), etc…
Please let me know if you have any questions, your results, or if there’s anything else I can help you with.
Best regards~ Dana
On October 12th I had an almost perfect nozzle check, only one line of C missing, but since then things has worsened. Soon, I noted that K was a clean 50% gone and then other nozzles joined in (VM, LK and LLK). No improvement has been noted after following all your cleaning methods, super service cleans etc.
My printer tech, not Epson, hasn’t been in yet.
What to do?
1: Repair ~ maybe $1600
2: Buy New 7900 $2700, but no guarantee that it will last a year and no warranty if I use the good (Cone) inks
3: Buy used 7890 or 9890
4: Switch to a reliable printer brand, but which one and is there good 3rd-party ink available. Why do you not support other Canon, Hp etc?
5: Quit printing
Are you saying that when you started this thread on 9/26 after you had missing nozzles and already installed PiezoFlush, that on 10/12 you had a nearly perfect nozzle check with only one individual C nozzle missing, but it got worse again- or the C is improved, but you are now having troubles with another position (you mentioned K above)? Did you clean the capping station, wiper blade, flushing box and bottom of the print head? If so- what were your results after cleaning? About how old is your printer, and has it ever had any new parts installed?
I reviewed your order history and see you started buying ConeColor inks from us in July 2012, and have bought a set of 1000ml, 110ml, 700ml + most recently 350ml set of ink bottles since last Summer. I only see one cartridge listed on your order history, so am curious what cartridges you’re using.
After several years of constant use, our 7900 is just showing signs of needing the dampers replaced, so I am preparing to do this repair myself (and will take photos to document the process). The ink selector unit costs about $175, and contains all the dampers to connect the ink lines to the print head. I quickly read thru the process in the repair manual, and will be ordering the part very soon. What I will do, and suggest others do- is to replace the selector unit, and flush the print head once it’s accessible and the dampers are disconnected, then connect the new dampers/selector unit. The wiper blade should be replaced at the same time, and I am looking into the cost/process incolved in replacing the flushing box, wiper blade, capping station assembly.
Please let me know, so I can try to help you past this.
Best regards~ Dana
Sad to say, but after consulting with a couple printing buddies, I am very probably getting an HP z3200 44 inch, as it seems much more reasonable to maintain and will provide the wider format that will be great with my recent 500mp-plus images.
As for the 7900, I will load it with Piezoflush carts (I have 2 sets), prime the lines, clean and let it soak. If it works it will be sold, if not, if goes over the balcony railing (might video the act :().
Thank you for all your assistance and your great product. Also, please thank Cathy for her great help yesterday ,and in the past, and Wells for his continuing support.
Sad to say, but after consulting with a couple printing buddies, I am very probably getting an HP z3200 44 inch, as it seems much more reasonable to maintain and will provide the wider format that will be great with my recent 500mp-plus images.
As for the 7900, I will load it with Piezoflush carts (I have 2 sets), prime the lines, clean and let it soak. If it works it will be sold, if not, if goes over the balcony railing (might video tie act :().
Thank you for all your assistance and your great product. Also, please thank Cathy for her help yesterday and in the past, and Wells for his continuing support.
Keep me posted with your 7900- I’ve been working on ours today (after several years of great results with ConeColor inks), and took many pictures of what I was doing (I’m happy to share).
You are very welcome, thanks for the praise and appreciation! We are always here, just let us know what we can do to help
Hi Dana,
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