The usual Problem with Epson 740i (different result)

[My father's son]

I am having what seems to be the usual problem with an Epson 740i. The waste
ink pads filled up tripping the printer to flash all lights and stop working

There is supposed to be an SST utility which clears the waste pad full
report and resets. Unfortunately it doesn't actually have this reset
facility. Everybody appears to be asking the question on their forum as to
how to get the three lights to stop flashing (on this and other Epson
printers) and SST doesn't seem to know quite this much about Epson printers
(but appears to be perfectly happy with everyone thinking that their utility
does have this feature!??) Whatever you try with their utility, all you get
is an error message telling you that there is something wrong with the
printer and the utility cannot work. Big surprise!

I cleaned the pads (boy, was that not easy!! RECOMMEND: Buy new pads or be
prepared for a VERY messy and time consuming job) and tried the reset
procedure Turn the power OFF. Press and hold the Load/Eject and Cleaning
buttons while you turn ON the power. Release both buttons when the Paper Out
LED is flashing. Press and hold the Cleaning button for at least 10 seconds.

Which did nothing (numerous times). Then I disconnected the USB cable and
tried another similar recommended procedure:

1. Turn printer off. 2. Disconnect printer from computer. 3. With printer
turned off, hold down both the Paper and the Cleaning buttons. 4. Continue
to hold the buttons and turn the printer on. 5. When the Paper light starts
to flash, release both buttons. 6. Immediately press the Cleaning button and
hold it down for at least 10 seconds (until all the lights begin to flash
and the printer will begin to reset). It did begin to reset in my case but
that wasnt followed by step 7. When the Power light is steady, the printer
should work.

Before, nothing I could do would get the printer to do anything other than
cycle through and then flash all lights. Following that procedure I am now
at last getting a different problem: The power button (step 7 of the
procedure) now doesn't work. It just turns on all three lights momentarily
(not the power light) and then those three lights go off. Printer doesn't
seem to want to turn on at all. (I did try disconnecting and reconnecting
the power)

Does anyone have any idea what to try next or is this why there is no free
technical support on Epson printers? (Do they want you to have to pay them
to tell you to EITHER pay more than the printer is worth to get it fixed OR
go and buy another printer?)

MFS

 

[My father's son]

May have found a potential solution to the problem I described.

There is an additional step which I found which assists, though I am not
sure many users will be able to avail themelves of it

While attempting to reconnect the USB cable to the printer, I accidentally
dropped it about a foot; not all the way to the ground but it did crash a
bit. WHen I righted it and tried to turn the power switch on again,
suddenly found the thing seeming to work?? It powers up and goes through
its cycle.

Havent managed to get the printer to work yet but at least the SST cleaning
utility works which is DEFINITELY an advance. Baffling

MFS

 

[David Mann]

I am having what seems to be the usual problem with an Epson 740i. The waste
ink pads filled up tripping the printer to flash all lights and stop working

There is supposed to be an SST utility which clears the waste pad full
report and resets. Unfortunately it doesn't actually have this reset
facility. Everybody appears to be asking the question on their forum as to
how to get the three lights to stop flashing (on this and other Epson
printers) and SST doesn't seem to know quite this much about Epson printers
(but appears to be perfectly happy with everyone thinking that their utility
does have this feature!??) Whatever you try with their utility, all you get
is an error message telling you that there is something wrong with the
printer and the utility cannot work. Big surprise!

I cleaned the pads (boy, was that not easy!! RECOMMEND: Buy new pads or be
prepared for a VERY messy and time consuming job) and tried the reset
procedure Turn the power OFF. Press and hold the Load/Eject and Cleaning
buttons while you turn ON the power. Release both buttons when the Paper Out
LED is flashing. Press and hold the Cleaning button for at least 10 seconds.

Which did nothing (numerous times). Then I disconnected the USB cable and
tried another similar recommended procedure:

1. Turn printer off. 2. Disconnect printer from computer. 3. With printer
turned off, hold down both the Paper and the Cleaning buttons. 4. Continue
to hold the buttons and turn the printer on. 5. When the Paper light starts
to flash, release both buttons. 6. Immediately press the Cleaning button and
hold it down for at least 10 seconds (until all the lights begin to flash
and the printer will begin to reset). It did begin to reset in my case but
that wasnt followed by step 7. When the Power light is steady, the printer
should work.

Before, nothing I could do would get the printer to do anything other than
cycle through and then flash all lights. Following that procedure I am now
at last getting a different problem: The power button (step 7 of the
procedure) now doesn't work. It just turns on all three lights momentarily
(not the power light) and then those three lights go off. Printer doesn't
seem to want to turn on at all. (I did try disconnecting and reconnecting
the power)

Does anyone have any idea what to try next or is this why there is no free
technical support on Epson printers? (Do they want you to have to pay them
to tell you to EITHER pay more than the printer is worth to get it fixed OR
go and buy another printer?)

The procedure you are using looks correct to me.. perhaps something else is
wrong.
Have you tried SSCServe from http://www.ssclg.com/download/sscserve.exe?
This lets you reset the counter - provided your printer is not actually
faulty.

David

 

[My father's son]

Have you tried SSCServe from http://www.ssclg.com/download/sscserve.exe?
This lets you reset the counter - provided your printer is not actually
faulty.

David

Yes, I had tried that procedure and it didnt work until I unplugged the USB
cord, rurned it off and on again as described and THEN dropped the printer
about a foot or so. Then the three lights stopped flashing, and the printer
started appearing to work properly.

Now everything SEEMS to be apparently properly installed (the OS recognised
the new printer and installed the software which now appears properly
configured), the counter reset (I think) and all I have wrong is that the
printer doesnt actually work. No lights flash, all I get is error found
when printing to port USB0001 which is the port which is set for the
printer, it having worked properly when my old HP 895Cse was connected to it
( yes, it did change from the HP to the Epson and now shows Epson at that
port).

MFS