Canon S800 Print Quality Problems

[Gary T]

I have a Canon S800 that is about 2 years old. Recently the print
quality (black only) has started to deteriorate. The color printing is
fine.The print gets lighter and lighter regardless of the set print
quality. The existing black cartridge was still about 1/3 full, but I
changed it out anyway (Canon cartridge). There was no improvement. I
also noticed that the printing is rather "fuzzy" around the edges. I
have tried all the cleaning and nozzle clearing operations but to no
avail. Canon tech support can offer no solutions except that it needs
to be taken to a Canon repair facility.

Having read back through previous posts, it appears that this may be
a print head problem. Several people have suggested cleaning the head
with Windex, ammonia, etc. There is a post from earlier today
requesting information on how to do this, so I'll see if there are any
responses there. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

If the "cleaning" does not solve the problem, is there any place that
a replacement print head can be purchased? I have done several
searches but have not come up with a source (including Canon).

Thanks

Gary T

 

[Ron Cohen]

The nozzles on the printhead may be wearing out and if the printhead needs
to be replaced it will probably cost more than you can get a replacement
printer for. The s820 would be a step up from the s800 and actually costs
less. You can get s820's on eBay for around $75 or less including s&h.

 

[Meghan Noecker]

The nozzles on the printhead may be wearing out and if the printhead needs
to be replaced it will probably cost more than you can get a replacement
printer for. The s820 would be a step up from the s800 and actually costs
less. You can get s820's on eBay for around $75 or less including s&h.
--

I'm the one on the other thread about cleaning the printhead. Canon
offered to sell me a new printhead, but I told them I will not waste
money on a printhead when I can buy another printer for less. I
implied I would buy something else to see if they will just go ahead
and tell me how to flush it.

I know it is not worn out since it prints text fine at all times and
it prints color for a page or two before dropping off a color.

If I don't hear back, I will go ahead and try to clean it myself. I
haven't got much to lose.

Since you recommend the s820, can you tell me if it uses the same
catridges? And does it print well on non-canon glossy paper?

 

[Ron Cohen]

Meghan,

1.- The s820 uses the same BCI-6 tanks as does the s800.

2.- You are correct that a replacement printer can be purchased for less
money than a replacement printhead. As a matter of fact, I just finished
inputting Paypal info for another s820 that I bid on and won tonight. Total
cost incl s&h was $65.00. The ink tanks alone are worth a good part of that
price. Seller was getitgotitgood. They sell a huge amount of goods and
apparently have a lot of s820's to unload. Nothing is wrong with my current
s820, but I thought I'd get a spare to either keep as a backup or give to my
daughter if she or her husband wants it.

3.- From looking at your other thread, it appears you are refilling which is
the only way to go. I print a lot and do a lot of refills. From the
description of your problem, it sounds more like a problem with ink flowing
from the tanks instead of a printhead problem. Have you tried using
different tanks that haven't yet been refilled? You can actually take out
the printhead and flush it with running water. Be sure to dry everything
completely prior to reinstalling the printhead. I've done this on both the
s820 and a BJC-3000, which uses BCI-3 tanks, and neither one was worse for
the wear. Actually the BJC-3000 was totally clogged up from about 6 months
of non use and the flushing cured the problem. Unfortunately, I'd already
bought a replacement head for $49 at Best Buy. It's still in the box and
will probably never get used. If you are planning to get a replacement
printer, there wouldn't be any harm in experimenting (assuming the ink tanks
aren't the problem). At worst you will be scrapping something that is
already failing.

4.- The s820 does a superb job on several non Canon papers. Currently, I use
Office Depot Premium High Gloss and Red River Ultra Pro Gloss and Satin.
All three are outstanding, dry immediately and are highly water resistant.
Running water doesn't damage the image or the paper. Other papers such as
Kodak, Jet Print and Royal Brites (all of which I have unfortunately a lot
of) are not at all moisture resistant and will disintegrate very quickly
when exposed to moisture. Red River is less expensive than Office Depot and
is available from http://www.redrivercatalog.com/.