Canon (iP-4000) Ink Status monitor

[Cinho]

I have Canon Pixma iP 4000 printer & I'm runnin low on yellow. Before it
started to print Status monitor showed that the yellow tank was full. All
other colors all completely full(according to status monitor) When I looked
at ink tanks yellow one was completely empty & in Cyan & Magenta there's
only 1 mm of ink in each. The status monitor shows that they're full!!!
Aren't there other levels in status monitor(for 1/4, 2/4, 3/4 of ink level)
or there are two levels-Completely full & Running low(& then Empty)
Ink carts are original shipped with printer.
I used to have Epson Stylus Color 300 & it had several levels of in in
status monitor under Win 98 & 95.
Is this normal that there are only 2(3 with empty) levels?
How can I check ink level (by opening upper cover) but without head cleaning
after that?
Thank You very much,
Cinho

 

[Dan G]

Canon uses an optical status monitor, and it will tell you when the tank is
empty, nothing else. It'll also stop printing when the sponge is empty.
If you want to know how much ink is in the tank, open the printer and look.
;-)

 

[Cinho]

Canon uses an optical status monitor, and it will tell you when the tank
is
empty, nothing else. It'll also stop printing when the sponge is empty.
If you want to know how much ink is in the tank, open the printer and
look.
;-)

But every time I open the printer & I see ink level, it will perform head
cleaning.

 

[zakezuke]

But every time I open the printer & I see ink level, it will perform head

cleaning.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/canon_ip4000_pg2.html

If you look at the diagram you'll note that there is a prism at the
bottom of the tank. I'll read full so long as you have more than 20%
ink left. You can continue printing as you have a bunch of ink in the
sponge. But this is your you should buy some ink now warning.

It's not a problem so long as you understand that your down to your
last two or three or so full color pages, or your last 50 or so light
use pages. Other printers give you an estimate based on how much ink
is used... and that system is part of the new canon printer.

 

[SleeperMan]

zakezuke wrote:
.... and that system is part of the new canon printer.

really? Which one? It would be nice to have this even approximate level
status. ip4000 doesn't have it yet...

 

[zakezuke]

ip4000 doesn't have it yet...

The ip4200, and I suspect the ip6600D, the Pixma 500/800, of which the
ip4200 only exists in north america presently.

The drawback is it uses chips on the tanks for the estimate effectivly
limiting you to OEM ink. This would be the new cli-8 inks.

 

[SleeperMan]

The ip4200, and I suspect the ip6600D, the Pixma 500/800, of which the
ip4200 only exists in north america presently.

The drawback is it uses chips on the tanks for the estimate effectivly
limiting you to OEM ink. This would be the new cli-8 inks.

shit...chipped carts...that's all we needed.
But, i guess even for this there will be a solution, like one for Epson