Canon i960 flashing 5 times

[Dennis Gordon]

My trusty i960 of 3 years stopped working the other day, shortlyafter I
replaced some cartridges. It's giving me the 5 blink amber alert, which is
print head problems. I removed and reseated the print head a dozen times;
cleaned it several times. I've managed to print one page (looked great...
cleanest the printer has ever been). But the light has come back. I presume
that the print head is damaged, although it shows no signs of it. I'm
currently shopping around for a replacement, seeing that the cost of a new
print head is so high (people asking $60 on Ebay for used ones). Is there
anything else I can try before I abandon this otherwise great printer?

 

[Burt]

My trusty i960 of 3 years stopped working the other day, shortlyafter I
replaced some cartridges. It's giving me the 5 blink amber alert, which is
print head problems. I removed and reseated the print head a dozen times;
cleaned it several times. I've managed to print one page (looked great...
cleanest the printer has ever been). But the light has come back. I
presume that the print head is damaged, although it shows no signs of it.
I'm currently shopping around for a replacement, seeing that the cost of a
new print head is so high (people asking $60 on Ebay for used ones). Is
there anything else I can try before I abandon this otherwise great
printer?

try this link for a new, factory sealed printhead. I bought one a few
months ago. I think it is a good price for a new, sealed unit.
http://www.inkcessories.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=49

 

[Dennis Gordon]

Thanks for the link. The price is better than from Canon for a new head, but
at $77.95 I'm still thinking it might be time for a whole new unit. I've
been eyeing the MP500 as well as the discontinued MP780. In the meantime I
can print wireless to my son's i560 until I make up my mind...

 

[measekite]

If you have been using generic ink that may be the problem on why the
printhead is clogged.

 

[Dennis Gordon]

Yep, I've been using generic. Are you suggesting that the head can be
unclogged? I presumed that there may be electronic damage, but I could give
it another good cleaning if that might help...

 

[Tony]

Dennis
Be assured that the problem you have is not a head clog, it is a printhead
failure and cannot be fixed other than replacing the printhead. There is no
evidence that compatible ink damages printheads. Canon printheads are thermal
and eventually fail, this appears to have happened to your printer
unfortunately.
Tony

 

[measekite]

I guess you need to bite the bullet and either get a new printhead (not
from ebay) and a new set of Canon OEM ink carts or look to see if an
IP5200 is on sale. This happens once in a while. While somewhat slower
on photos you can usually find an IP4200 on sale for around $80.00.
This is cheaper than a new printhead and a set of carts for your old
printer. Canon's new ink has been touted to be improved with reduced
fading.

I have not experience any fading in over 18 months using BCI6 Canon
ink. Some say that the results of the new CLI ink is better but from
the IP4200 I used I saw no noticeable difference but I did not do any
comparison tests using the same images.

Not to be nasty I hope you will not use Canon ink. At least you know
what you are getting.

 

[Dennis Gordon]

Yeah, it's a goner. I shouldn't be that surprised though. I've seen enough
printers die over the years. It puzzles me how a $175 printer can have a
print head that costs $80 to replace. It's almost like they want to
encourage you to just buy a new printer. Nah, I'm just being paranoid. I
don't mind shelling out the cash for the new printer, but I hate having to
discard what is otherwise a functional machine because of the high cost of
one part.

I have several unused printers at work, an i850 and an s900, that I can use
while I do a search for something new. Thanks for the input...

 

[Dennis Gordon]

Just a quick follow up... I found an i860 in the office that I bought
several years ago and was discarded after we got our Minolta BizHub color
copier. It's been lying on the floor unprotected for 2 years. Took it home;
replaced the black cartridges, ran a few cleaning cycles and nozzle checks,
and it's working great. I'd expected it to be really clogged after all this
time sitting with the ink in it. Hope it stays that way...

 

[me]

Just a quick follow up... I found an i860 in the office that I bought
several years ago and was discarded after we got our Minolta BizHub color
copier.

I take it your bizhub is a little older than the one sitting about three
feet to my left (c250). Pretty decent machines. Do you have a glossy
paper that you can suggest for use with it at all?

 

[Dennis Gordon]

I believe it's the C350, although I'm not next to it now, so I could be
wrong. The only glossy paper I've used with it is a semi-gloss stock we get
from our toner supply co. It's a house brand; not very heavy. I load it
through the manual feed tray. Haven't used it for a while, though. I find
the plain paper color proofs to be excellent for our needs (newspaper ad
proofs mainly; the rest of the company uses it as a high-speed copier)

 

[Olin K. McDaniel]

Dennis
Be assured that the problem you have is not a head clog, it is a printhead
failure and cannot be fixed other than replacing the printhead. There is no
evidence that compatible ink damages printheads. Canon printheads are thermal
and eventually fail, this appears to have happened to your printer
unfortunately.
Tony

I totally agree with Tony. My i950 failed after 2 1/2 years of
excellent service, the entire time of which I was refilling. I
printed several thousand 8X10 color photographs over this time, but it
eventually simply wore out. I put forth a lot of struggle trying to
clean and unplug the print head, before I accepted the fact it had
finally failed. So I found a new sealed factory printhead for less
than $80, bought it, and have been delighted with the resumption of
excellent photo printing. As far as that dumbass Messycrap, just
ignore him/her/it - he can't accept valid hard and fast data from
people who can prove him stupidly fixated, or a shill for the
industry.

Again, refer to my comment above re this jerk.

Strongly suggest you avoid a used one, look for a new one, still
sealed in original factory package. It's better to keep with a unit
that you know, and can be made to work as originally, than to go our
an buy a new printer. Especially one from Canon - they've gotten so
hung up on mass market, small format printers and are now doing much
to mess up the refill practitioners - I really don't want one of their
new offerings!!!!

Olin McDaniel

 

[measekite]

I totally agree with Tony. My i950 failed after 2 1/2 years of
excellent service, the entire time of which I was refilling.

That is why it failed. I am surprised that it went that long.

I
printed several thousand 8X10 color photographs over this time, but it
eventually simply wore out.

I would expect them to fade in about a year.

I put forth a lot of struggle trying to
clean and unplug the print head, before I accepted the fact it had
finally failed.

snip

 

[Irwin Peckinloomer]

That is why it failed. I am surprised that it went that long.

snip

Your use of OEM Canon ink is the cause of your crappy outlook on life.
If you refilled your cartridges you would be better looking, your hair
would not fall out, and women would like you. You would be so happily
involved with life that you wouldn't have time to waste on your inane
comments to this newsgroup. Your income would double, dogs would like
you, etc.
My comments make more sense than yours do.

 

[Dennis Gordon]

As I mentioned below, I brought home an abandoned i860 that I bought
refurbed a coupla years back off of Ebay and has been virtually unused since
then. It wouldn't print when I got it, and Canon support graciously sent me
a new print head, even though I'd bought it used. So it's practically good
as new and working great. I'll use this for a while and hope I can come
across a better price on the i960 head, unlikely as that may be. I certainly
woudn't buy a used head. One guy was selling one for $50 stating that the
red nozzle didn't work. Why would anyone want that?

 

[measekite]

Beware of Ebay for many reasons.

As I mentioned below, I brought home an abandoned i860 that I bought
refurbed a coupla years back off of Ebay and has been virtually unused since
then. It wouldn't print when I got it, and Canon support graciously sent me
a new print head, even though I'd bought it used. So it's practically good
as new and working great. I'll use this for a while and hope I can come
across a better price on the i960 head, unlikely as that may be. I certainly
woudn't buy a used head. One guy was selling one for $50 stating that the
red nozzle didn't work. Why would anyone want that?