Initial fill not working properly

I want to install piezoflush on all the channels of my 4900.
I launched 3 initial fill charge through the adjustment program. All carts ink level went down on the LCD display and the maintenance tank is indicating nearly full.
Since all nozzle checks still print full color instead of piezoflush, I checked the carts. They are all full! The maintenance tank is empty and not nearly full!
So it seems that the printer execute the cycles dictated by the software but without any ink going through the line. Is it a pump problem? How can I check for it?

When I make purge prints using quad rip, it prints but this is so slow to print 20 to 30 A4 for each channel.

Thank you in advance for advise.

Claude

1st thing. Make sure the vent tabs of your 4900 cartridges are out. (the little orange ones). Most people just don’t read the instructions and this is the first problem that can happen.

If the orange vent plugs are out then it’s a problem with the pump.

The pump needs to be replaced along with the damper assembly. Don’t replace one and not the other because a bad pump will kill a damper and vis versa.

Both parts:

These are the cost of a few cartridges of ink from Epson (this is the way I’ve justified it to myself when running my own print-lab in past.) It’s important to budget for replacement of both of these parts every 2 years. These are the parts on the printer that get replaced when a 4900 gets “refurbished” by Epson.

best,
Walker

The vent tabs were all out (I always read instructions!).
Can printing continue with a defective pump? If yes, I still have the possibility to flush trough purge prints using quad tone rip.
I have to stop using the printer for a few weeks, so I decided to flush everything with piezoflush. If printing can continue, I will proceed that way and then when back, decide if I continue to invest in this damned 4900 or not. Is there a potential problem to continue to print with a defective pump?
Another question: is it possible to reset the chip of the maintenance tank which is still completely empty without buying a chip resetter which seems quite expensive?

Thank you for advise.

Claude

Thanks for reading instructions. :slight_smile:

  1. Never print with missing nozzles. This will guarantee a burned-out-head (the reason why these heads die is because people try to print out clogs).
  2. I don’t suggest ever printing with a defective pump. This is equivalent to driving a car without oil because you will be printing with clogged nozzles and the pump will not be able to clean them.
  3. Maintenance tanks need maintenance tank chip resetters. We will have some on order soon but a few other people online sell them as well.

best,
Walker

If I replace pump and damper assembly, can I first replace the pump and use the new pump to empty the ink tubes before replacing the damper assy? The objective is to remove ink from the tube before removing the tube holder from the damper to avoid ink spilling.
Or do you recommend not to use the pump with the old damper at all?
Thank you for advise

Claude

You need to replace both of them at the same time. A bad damper assembly (more correctly called an “ink selector unit”) can cause a bad pump and vis-versa.

best,
Walker