Epson 7800 Suddenly Has Bad Nozzle Check...Again

General
1

While I was working on color correction for a festival print in April my Epson 7800 was printing fine, until it suddenly wasn’t. It went from perfect nozzle check patterns to almost no nozzle check pattern instantly. I approached it as a clogged print head problem for weeks, and then suspected that wasn’t the problem. I replaced the air pressure pump assembly in the back of the machine. Bingo! Printed great again right away! For about 2 weeks. Then it did the same thing again. I got up one morning, printed a nozzle check that looked fine, printed a couple of prints just fine, and then it suddenly printed almost no ink. Did another nozzle check, which was almost nonexistent. I have soaked the head a couple of times on a paper towel with cleaning solution, and in the meantime, nozzle checks have improved to 5 colors looking O.K. and 3 only half printing with the same pattern missing every time. I’ve read that such an identical pattern indicates a compromised print head. The missing pattern is the same on each nozzle check. I don’t see how the print head could have been compromised so suddenly, from one print to the next. The air pressure pump assembly must still be working (I replaced with a used part, so that’s iffy) because 5 of the colors check out O.K. Only Black, Cyan, and Light black are missing chunks. What should I be looking into next? Should I replace the Vacuum Pump? Should I persist in treating it as a clogged print head? Is it time to wave the dead chicken over it? If this sounds familiar to anyone, I would really appreciate some input! Thanks! ~ New Orleans Artist MOUSIE

2

THis indicates full dampers and maybe bad head.

-Walker

3

Thank you… I’ll try replacing the dampers and cross my fingers about the print head. I’ve been using this machine for 17 years and I’ve never replaced the dampers!~ MOUSIE