Canon print head drops ink but does not print

[Guest]

Hi, I have a Canon BJC-4300 and it won't print.

The print head is moving on paper and the cartridge is new but there is
no ink on paper.

Following an advice from this newsgroup I pressed the print head
downwards on a tissue and there is black dot on the tissue. That means
the print head is not clogged/dried, right? Then following the advice
I cleaned the electrical circuits between the cartridge and cradle,
with alcohol. Does not help.

So what could be wrong? The printer is moving head, ink is flowing
from head, circuits are clean, why no ink on paper????

Thank you,

Mark

 

[Cari]

If you really want to keep using this ancient printer, get a new print head.
At least they are still relatively 'cheap', though a new USB printer would
be a much better idea.

 

[Guest]

get a new print head
yea I know - I was trying to see if I could fix what I have now

new USB printer would

be a much better idea

No, because throwing something away that could still be made to work,
with reasonable effort, is _always_ a bad idea. For many reasons.
Think globally, the "big picture".

 

[zakezuke]

Hi, I have a Canon BJC-4300 and it won't print.

..
So what could be wrong? The printer is moving head, ink is flowing
from head, circuits are clean, why no ink on paper????

Don't discount Cari's advice. The last canon printers that took the
bci-24 tanks were the ip1500 and ip2000 which while technicaly not made
anymore can still be found for the $50 to $80 price range. A
replacement black and color head BC-21e with ink will run you $50ish
There are better models that offer more ink per tanks and lower cost
per page, but assuming you have a supply of bci-24 inktanks you can buy
a printer that will use it.

But if you want to troubleshoot your printer you "could" buy a bc-20
black cartridge. They run about $35 and contain 60ml of black ink IIRC
and their own printhead. If you only print black this isn't a bad
deal.

The Canon printheads, like lightbulbs, are prone to burn out after a
while. It's the nature of the technology.

 

[Anna Daptor]

yea I know - I was trying to see if I could fix what I have now

be a much better idea

No, because throwing something away that could still be made to work,
with reasonable effort, is _always_ a bad idea. For many reasons.
Think globally, the "big picture".

Tell that to Canon, Epson, HP etc. marketing divisions.

 

[Guest]

Thank you, but of course it would cost me less to just buy a new better
printer, the exact point I was making was, I don't want to throw the
old one for global reasons, not for my own pocketbook.

 

[Guest]

Yes, your point is an excellent one. The marketeers don't understand
such things. The fundamental reason why the Earth is declining, global
warming, destruction of environment, really, most of the troubles we
have, can be traced to one thing in the root: overconsumption, buying
things one does not really need.

 

[zakezuke]

Thank you, but of course it would cost me less to just buy a new better

printer, the exact point I was making was, I don't want to throw the
old one for global reasons, not for my own pocketbook

Hey, I'm all for that, just generally speaking one doesn't buy the
model that takes the 10ml tanks of mostly plastic and foam. Well
unless they refill them. Lasers are often a better choice as far as a
lack of waste, but still the old HP businessjet 1100 series would be on
top of my list as far as printers to buy as far low cost on the
used/surplus circuit. Huge cartridges and used OEM ones desired among
refillers. There are newer models... my info is rather dated.

I would agree with your other responce fully that the consumer inkjets
are designed to be disposable. Some are worse than others. But if
your printer is beyond repair... keep in mind that there is always the
business class of inkjets that are often designed to be serviced, or at
the very least designed to work above and beyond 18,000 pages.

 

[measekite]

HOW OLD A FART ARE YOU

Hey, I'm all for that, just generally speaking one doesn't buy the
model that takes the 10ml tanks of mostly plastic and foam. Well
unless they refill them. Lasers are often a better choice as far as a
lack of waste, but still the old HP businessjet 1100 series would be on
top of my list as far as printers to buy as far low cost on the
used/surplus circuit. Huge cartridges and used OEM ones desired among
refillers. There are newer models... my info is rather dated.

I would agree with your other responce fully that the consumer inkjets
are designed to be disposable. Some are worse than others. But if
your printer is beyond repair... keep in mind that there is always the
business class of inkjets that are often designed to be serviced, or at
the very least designed to work above and beyond 18,000 pages.