Canon MP500 keeps emptying tanks

[myfathersson]

Canon says this is normal, that it should slowly empty its tanks after
possibly extended periods of non-use. They say it cleans its heads
every so often and this uses a minuscule amount of ink. which will
build up over time and eventually leave the carts empty. I doubted
this.

However mine completely empties almost all tanks (except yellow which
is only virtually empty) after about a month of non-use. When I came
to use it, I found the unit turned OFF and those tanks empty!

Is this printer effectively dead? Should I (either start using it
more regularly or) stop wasting good carts in it?

 

[Frank Williams]

Canon says this is normal, that it should slowly empty its tanks after
possibly extended periods of non-use. They say it cleans its heads
every so often and this uses a minuscule amount of ink. which will
build up over time and eventually leave the carts empty. I doubted
this.

However mine completely empties almost all tanks (except yellow which
is only virtually empty) after about a month of non-use. When I came
to use it, I found the unit turned OFF and those tanks empty!

Is this printer effectively dead? Should I (either start using it
more regularly or) stop wasting good carts in it?

Yes get cheap ink tanks..

Ink jet printers should be turned on one a week.

 

[myfathersson]

Yes get cheap ink tanks..

Ink jet printers should be turned on one a week.

How do they empty their tanks when turned off? I do use cheap inks now
but it is still annoying when i print about 30 4x6s, see all tanks
almost full and then leave it for a month to find all tanks empty

 

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

How do they empty their tanks when turned off? I do use cheap inks now
but it is still annoying when i print about 30 4x6s, see all tanks
almost full and then leave it for a month to find all tanks empty

Maybe it just seeps out when the carts are resting on the pads? I
don't know the MP500 although one has certainly passed through my room
a year or more back.

Perhaps an idea to try would be to take the carts out of the printhead
holder, and put tape across the holes. If you have spare carts you
could fill those with cleaner and leave them in place in the printhead
holder to prevent ink drying in the printhead.

 

[myfathersson]

Maybe it just seeps out when the carts are resting on the pads? I
don't know the MP500 although one has certainly passed through my room
a year or more back.

Perhaps an idea to try would be to take the carts out of the printhead
holder, and put tape across the holes. If you have spare carts you
could fill those with cleaner and leave them in place in the printhead
holder to prevent ink drying in the printhead.

I'd like to try that, plus it would tell me whether the printer
empties its carts of the CLEANER! How do I get cleaner in there? Is
there any soft part of the plastic where I can syringe it in?

Or how do I check the pad presumably under where the head is to see if
it is over-full with seeped ink, as opposed to having a normal
residual amount of ink on it?

 

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

/../

/../


I'd like to try that, plus it would tell me whether the printer
empties its carts of the CLEANER! How do I get cleaner in there? Is
there any soft part of the plastic where I can syringe it in?

Well, if you have never refilled your own carts, now is the time to
learn!

You break through the top of the ink tank, under the label, where a
little ball blocks the original hole used to fill the tank. The refill
kits provide such a tool. And plugs to fill the hole again, although
on the cheap you could use any dowel to push the hole free and some
tape to seal it again---since you maybe don't intend to refill any
carts with ink right now. Yes, an injection would be useful, or a
pipette at a minimum.

Or how do I check the pad presumably under where the head is to see if
it is over-full with seeped ink, as opposed to having a normal
residual amount of ink on it?

You probably have to disassemble the printer to get there. I don't
think there is such a thing as a nomral residual amount: the cleaning
puts a lot of ink into the pad and it may be permanently wet for all I
know. In case you are not aware, the pad connects to a large block of
foam inside the printer case, which absorbs the ink more. When that is
full, you can take it out and wash it so that it can be used again
(and you can clear the "waste tank full" error message if you ever get
it).

 

[myfathersson]

Well, if you have never refilled your own carts, now is the time to
learn!

You break through the top of the ink tank, under the label, where a
little ball blocks the original hole used to fill the tank. The refill
kits provide such a tool. And plugs to fill the hole again, although
on the cheap you could use any dowel to push the hole free and some
tape to seal it again---since you maybe don't intend to refill any
carts with ink right now. Yes, an injection would be useful, or a
pipette at a minimum.


You probably have to disassemble the printer to get there. I don't
think there is such a thing as a nomral residual amount: the cleaning
puts a lot of ink into the pad and it may be permanently wet for all I
know. In case you are not aware, the pad connects to a large block of
foam inside the printer case, which absorbs the ink more. When that is
full, you can take it out and wash it so that it can be used again
(and you can clear the "waste tank full" error message if you ever get
it).

Rubbing alcohol? I have numerous pen cleaning fluids but the picolitre
nature of the droplet size, I cant imagine they wouldn't possibly
leave residue ink in the minuscule holes in the heads?