Ack! InkjetMall cart. leaked in 3800

InkjetMall Customer Support Printer Maintenance & Cartridges
,
1

Hi Dana–We just bought a set of refillable carts for our 3800 printers, for use with PiezoFlush only, at this point. It was difficult to get the printer to recognize the carts 7,8, and 9, but I followed all remedial instructions and finally it did, but not before removing those last three carts many times. I started a power-clean to push the PF through the lines and head, expecting to do two more of these for a full flush, waiting a few minutes between them, as suggested. When I came back to the printer, I saw the “error 1404” warning, searched the forum, opened the printer and found the Light Cyan cart completely empty, with PF wet on the outside, in the cart channel, and in many of the adjacent channels. All the other carts were nearly full, as I’d just filled them. So I guess we need a replacement Light Cyan cart! I hope the 70 ML of PF won’t do harm to the printer’s insides. Do you have any advice about this? We will need a replacement cart ASAP, as our term will begin soon.

After looking at this more closely, I now think I caused the cart failure, in part. It had a side label that was not attached very well, which may have started the whole issue. When I took the cart out the first time, it appeared to have caught on something when first inserted, peeling back the corner just under the word “Pull” on the side. I took a knife and cut off the corner part that had begun to peel away, not realizing that the label may be the only protection (?) for the membrane. In the process, I put a slit in the membrane! Oy. That has to be why the cart leaked.

Two other things to note: In our order, a single one of the nine syringes came packaged apart from the eight others. It was not the offset type like all the others–not an issue itself, but it seemed to lack a priming tip as well. So, if we transition to using IJM inks in the future, we’ll be short one priming tip. We did receive nine needles.

I also noted that a few of the carts are really reluctant to release from the printer. I’m not certain but fear that the removable chip holder on the top is sometimes not held down really tightly by the three little hooks, and can project the tiniest bit above the rest of the cart. Perhaps that’s enough to catch on something as you try and withdraw the cart. To minimize the problem, I’m putting the chips back onto the cart by tucking that end down first and then rocking the other end and side down until the hooks click in. It seems to help.

Please let me know when a new LC cart can be mailed to us, and thanks as always for the incredible customer care you provide.

2

Hi Jonathan~

I’m sorry to hear your cartridge leaked, and suspect your diagnosis is correct, if the membrane was accidentally cut when you trimmed back the label (as you discovered, this membrane is crucial to the function of the cartridge, and if punctured will destroy the cartridge). We will send you a replacement LC cartridge for goodwill :slight_smile:

The 3800 cartridge kit comes with 8 syringes, blunt needles and priming tips (two packages of 4). The same syringe/needle/priming tip can be used with both black inks.
I see you also purchased a single syringe with blunt tip needle, which doesn’t include a priming tip, so that matches what you received.

Sometimes, when unlocking the cartridges from the 3800/3880 printer, the carts don’t pop out. In this case, gently holding or tapping the cartridge locking lever down while pulling the cartridge out will make it slide right out. The chips should always be flat/flush on the cartridge for good connection with the printer’s chip sensor, and to avoid catching on anything inside the printer.

Please let me know if you have further questions or there’s anything else I can help you with.
Best regards~ Dana :slight_smile:

3

I just processed the replacement cartridge order, and it will hopefully go out today via USPS Priority Mail. If you need it faster, you can pay for expedited shipping if you’d like.

Best regards~ Dana :slight_smile:

4

[QUOTE=Dana-IJM;3099]I just processed the replacement cartridge order, and it will hopefully go out today via USPS Priority Mail. If you need it faster, you can pay for expedited shipping if you’d like.

Best regards~ Dana :)[/QUOTE]

Well, as I said: superb customer service. Thank you, and USPS Priority should be fine.

5

You are very welcome, we’re always here and happy to help our customers :slight_smile:

All the best~ Dana

6

I hope this post gets on the forum—I tried updating yesterday, but somehow my entry does not appear in this thread…

After damaging an InkJetMall refillable cart for our 3800 printers, I filled and installed the new #7 (LC) cartridge with Piezo-Flow, and inserted it in our 3800 #1. The printer refused to recognize the cart, as well as #'s 8 (LM) and 9 (Y). MANY attempts produce the same result. I even followed the instructions for re-setting the printer—unlock all 9 carts, slide out waste ink tank, turn off printer for more than 3 minutes, turn printer on, slide in the tank, close its door, insert carts in numerical order, close cart bay door. Didn’t help, tried multiple times.

I was worried that a leaking LC cart had spread PF inside the printer last week, possibly affecting the electronics or other critical parts. So I removed carts 7,8, and 9, and replaced them with Original Equipment Manufacturer’s (Epson) carts. Bingo, all carts were accepted, so did a few nozzle checks, then a test print to confirm. Because 6 of the 9 carts are flush carts, the print was kind of pink-y, but otherwise fine. The printer seems to work well, disproving the possibility that 3800 #1 was damaged by the leak.

Then, I took the entire set of IJM carts to our 3800 #2. Once again, carts 7,8, and 9 were not recognized. While I was lifting the bottom edge of the installed carts, as the instructions direct, I noticed that when lifting the yellow / #9 cart, ALL the carts were suddenly recognized. Firm upward pressure is required—as soon as I reduced the pressure, all the cart positions flashed, unrecognized. So I cut a piece of some firm foam packing material and stuffed it under cart 9. All carts were then recognized, and I successfully ran a power cleaning to push PF into the lines and head. Waited a few minutes, as Dana suggests, to avoid over-taxing the head, and then repeated. When the 2nd cleaning was completed, I ran a manual nozzle check, and found that some ink still remains in the head, though diluted. Did another power-cleaning, and retested: all remnants of color gone. Success! Then, changed from Photo to Matte black ink, and repeated the series of three power-cleans to flush the Matte channel.

I then took the set of IJM flush-carts to 3800 #1 and finally had success here the same way: I had to wedge something underneath the Y cart to hold it tight against its contacts. Only that cart required this treatment—in two different 3800’s— so I’m wondering if it may be defective.

The lesson here seems to be that a single cart that is not seating well against its chip-reading contacts may cause all the others to not be recognized.

Dana, I hope you see this. I’m puzzled why my posts seem not always to make it to the forum.