Epson 7880 not printing

Open Discussion
1

I have an Epson 7880. We use a continuous refillable ink system. All black photo matte ink. It began printing very light and with heavy stripping. Got wose quick and now prints very little. Have done the usual power clean, head cleaning, clean the capping station and wiper. Still no better. Nozzle checks print very little. I mean very little. Have done quite a few power cleans and no ink is going into the maintenance tank. Any suggestions on what could be the issue? Could this be a capping station and flushing box gone bad? What else do I need to check?

2

If it went while you were printing than the dampers are full and you need to replace them and clean your whole system with piezoflush to get back to baseline.

Walker

3

It could also be your pressure pump. It’s conplicated really when this happens.

W

4

TIs there a way to do a test to determine if the capping station needs to be replaced?

5

Sadly there isn’t really a way. That being said, we’ve kept x880s going on their original head for over a decade simply by replacing the dampers every 2 yrs. So if you have not replaced your damper in the last 2 yrs than you know it’s time.

compassmicro.com has the dampers.

best,
Walker

6

We took the head out and cleaned it completely. Put it all back together. Every nozzle printed which hasn’t happened in weeks. Go to print a file and nothing. Not a speck. This is so frustrating. We have been trying to figure this out for over a week. We can’t run out and get a new printer everyone this happens. I already have another 7880 sitting because of similar issues. So if I change the dampers you think that will help this situation? What will be the next step?

7

Ok. So when you say “every nozzle printed” you mean when you did a nozzle check after putting the head back in and doing a cleaning? And then you immediately did a print and nothing came out?

This indicates back-pressure created by a failure of your pressure pump. The first minutes after a cleaning everything is ok (like good enough to do a nozzle check) but right after you let it sit for a bit and do an actual print by that time air has gotten up through the nozzles in your printer because there is a vacuum sucking the ink backwards (back pressure).

Failed pressure pump. Replace your dampers too though.

-Walker

8

So when you say pressure pump, that is the capping station station assembly?

9

Nope. It’s the pressure pump assembly. Call compass micro, they’ll know the part. It pressurizes the ink cartridges.

best,
Walker

10

UPDATE
Handy Hubby took the printer apart. Cleaned the pump assembly (yes it does come apart, might not be advisable but it can be done) cleaned it and re-assembled. Wasn’t the issue. The issue was actually a clogged tube to the maintenance tank. Which I kept saying. Ink should have been getting to maintenance tank. So, cleaned those tubes with cleaner. Works better than ever. All nozzles printing like a dream. Even had to turn the amount of ink down. After 2 weeks of being shut down that was the issue. A simple fix. We actually have 2 of these printers. We retired one a year ago due to the same issue. Took it apart. Same thing. We now have 2 functioning 7880’s and not a part changed but cleaning the tubes and throughly cleaning everything else. Maybe this will help someone else’s

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11

my 9890 left maintenancr tank is not getting any ink,already done multuple clean ink innit fill twice,my test print show 3 channel are blown,do you think this mey be also possible issue?

12

Our prints began getting streaky and lighter and lighter, until there was no print. We did auto cleans, nozzle checks, cleaned heads, cleaned capping station and wiper. No change. Even through countless nozzle checks and auto cleaning cycles there was not one drop pf ink going to maintenance tank. We searched forums and called countless repair centers. To be told it was the capping station and then the pump assembly. Which were reasonable conclusions. Something just wasn’t setting right. Especially since we had 2 printers, same issue. I would check the tubes going to your maintenance tank for clogs. Run cleaner through them and see if that helps. Hopefully you are having the same problem and this will resolve the issue. Let me know…

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13

The left tank never really gets ink in it because it just is a reservoir for the ink pad during full bleed printing. That is unrelated to head failure or some other mechanical issue with your printer.

Best,
Walker