Clogged Epson Stylus Color 860

[aprestn5]

Any suggestions on the best way to thoroughly clean this printer?

I'm assuming the print head nozzles are clogged, because nothing
is getting printed, though the printer is going through all the
motions. I've tried repeated cleaning and test cycles. I took
out the existing cartridges, and tried someone's suggestion from
this newsgroup to fill a couple of empty cartridges with Windex
to loosen up the dried ink in the heads from the inside, and
another suggestion of putting some Windex on the cleaning pad
- nothing has worked.

 

[Brian]

Any chance the printer is still under warranty? My C82 is the 4th one I've
received due to clogging. If you have a warranty, call them up ASAP before
it's gone!

As for your own repairs, what seems to be said works best is running the
windex/cleaning cartridges

 

[Just Allan]

Any suggestions on the best way to thoroughly clean this printer?

I'm assuming the print head nozzles are clogged, because nothing
is getting printed, though the printer is going through all the
motions. I've tried repeated cleaning and test cycles. I took
out the existing cartridges, and tried someone's suggestion from
this newsgroup to fill a couple of empty cartridges with Windex
to loosen up the dried ink in the heads from the inside, and
another suggestion of putting some Windex on the cleaning pad
- nothing has worked.

Did the windex have ammomia in it? (Get one that does, if not and try
again.) Best solution I found to my clogging epson was to disconnect
it and buy a Canon. : )

Allan.

 

[aprestn5]

Did the windex have ammomia in it? (Get one that does, if not and try
again.)
Yes.

Best solution I found to my clogging epson was to disconnect
it and buy a Canon. : )

Not a valid option here. As I've told the local Canon sales rep, I won't
even consider buying a Canon printer until they produce drivers I can use.

Al.

 

[aprestn5]

Any chance the printer is still under warranty? My C82 is the 4th one I've
received due to clogging. If you have a warranty, call them up ASAP before
it's gone!

No, I bought it used.

As for your own repairs, what seems to be said works best is running the
windex/cleaning cartridges

Guess I'll keep trying that approach - the real problem seems to be getting
at whatever dried ink is on the apparently inaccessible nozzles of the
print head itself - none of the fluid (either ink or windex) seems to be
getting through from the cartridges to said nozzles. I'm beginning to get
the idea I might need to disassemble the entire head carriage assembly....

Al

 

[WeInk.com Technical Support]

I've bought 8 different Canon models of printers and MP
this year and have not had a single driver problem,
whatsoever.

What platform are you on?


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[puss]

Any suggestions on the best way to thoroughly clean this printer?

I'm assuming the print head nozzles are clogged, because nothing
is getting printed, though the printer is going through all the
motions. I've tried repeated cleaning and test cycles. I took
out the existing cartridges, and tried someone's suggestion from
this newsgroup to fill a couple of empty cartridges with Windex
to loosen up the dried ink in the heads from the inside, and
another suggestion of putting some Windex on the cleaning pad
- nothing has worked.

You can remove the pint head and soak it in 1/16" of Windex, DO NOT COVER THE
PRINT HEAD, for about a hour, then do it again, then soak it in some warm
water twice for 1 hour each, then wipe it try with some face tissues,..

The print head capping station does need to be completely cleaned, remove all
the ink soaked paper dust etc..

The Other problem is air locks..

 

[puss]

Did the windex have ammomia in it? (Get one that does, if not and try
again.) Best solution I found to my clogging epson was to disconnect
it and buy a Canon. : )

Allan.

Utter CRAP the Epson is a far better printer and does not suffer from Head
Rot like the Cannon..



ONLY IDIOTS HAVE PROBLEM WITN EPSONS..

 

[aprestn5]

I've bought 8 different Canon models of printers and MP
this year and have not had a single driver problem,
whatsoever.

What platform are you on?

Linux Mandrake 9.2 (2.4x kernel). What Linux drivers exist for Canon
printers are third party, designed for older printers, and very limited.
Canon does not provide Linux drivers for their printers.

Al

 

[aprestn5]

You can remove the pint head and soak it in 1/16" of Windex, DO NOT COVER
THE
PRINT HEAD, for about a hour, then do it again, then soak it in some warm
water twice for 1 hour each, then wipe it try with some face tissues,..

I haven't yet figured out how to the remove the print head short of taking
apart the whole carriage assembly. I'm not talking about the cartridges
themselves, but the black plastic cartridge holder that has the actual
print heads and the hollow pins that carry the ink from the cartridges
through to the heads.

The print head capping station does need to be completely cleaned, remove
all the ink soaked paper dust etc..

Which part are you referring to as the capping station?

The Other problem is air locks..

And what's the procedure to deal with air locks?

Al

 

[puss]

I haven't yet figured out how to the remove the print head short of taking
apart the whole carriage assembly. I'm not talking about the cartridges
themselves, but the black plastic cartridge holder that has the actual
print heads and the hollow pins that carry the ink from the cartridges
through to the heads.

If you have never done any servicing then leave well alown, these is some info
on the web for a 740.

Which part are you referring to as the capping station?

Seems that you know little about Epson Printers, take it to a service center
and get it cleaned.

And what's the procedure to deal with air locks?

Lots of Cleaning cycles.

 

[Rob]

Utter CRAP the Epson is a far better printer and does not suffer from Head
Rot like the Cannon..



ONLY IDIOTS HAVE PROBLEM WITN EPSONS..

Nonsense.

 

[Just Allan]

Guess I'll keep trying that approach - the real problem seems to be getting
at whatever dried ink is on the apparently inaccessible nozzles of the
print head itself - none of the fluid (either ink or windex) seems to be
getting through from the cartridges to said nozzles. I'm beginning to get
the idea I might need to disassemble the entire head carriage assembly....

Another thing I used to do is, under the printhead - the soft patch
that the heads park over - I used to soak this with isopropyl alcohol,
allow the heads to return to position and leave them there a day (or
more). You could try this with the ammonia windex. There are some
people who just can't get them unclogged and either canabalise another
printer, or, give up. : (

I've heard some people have trouble with the drivers - it seems to be
those with networks!? (Maybe not, tho'.)

Allan.

 

[Just Allan]

Utter CRAP the Epson is a far better printer and does not suffer from Head
Rot like the Cannon..

ONLY IDIOTS HAVE PROBLEM WITN EPSONS..

Pity you're such an emotional loudmouth. It destroys any credibility
your other posts may have had. There are multiple people here who
have used both brands. Most who switch from Canon to epson come back
here and say they regret it. Most who switch the other way, rejoice
they did because it's like a huge weight lifted from their shoulders.
You don't realise how much you hated the whirrrr, whirrrr, whirrrr,
beeeep, beeeep, beeeep, churn, churn, churn - until it's no longer
there.

My epson printed great photos - when it worked. My Canon i965 prints
just as great - but without the head clogs, noise, wasted ink... and
(gasp!) I can even turn my Canon off without fear that it won't print
the next time I power it up.

Yes they work fine for many people - but it's not dependant on your
intelligence level (as is obvious by your moronic outbursts). It's
totally a matter of luck of the draw.

Allan.

 

[Just Allan]

Nonsense.

That's a good summary too. : )

 

[puss]

Pity you're such an emotional loudmouth. It destroys any credibility
your other posts may have had. There are multiple people here who
have used both brands. Most who switch from Canon to epson come back
here and say they regret it. Most who switch the other way, rejoice
they did because it's like a huge weight lifted from their shoulders.
You don't realise how much you hated the whirrrr, whirrrr, whirrrr,
beeeep, beeeep, beeeep, churn, churn, churn - until it's no longer
there.

My epson printed great photos - when it worked. My Canon i965 prints
just as great - but without the head clogs, noise, wasted ink... and
(gasp!) I can even turn my Canon off without fear that it won't print
the next time I power it up.

Yes they work fine for many people - but it's not dependant on your
intelligence level (as is obvious by your moronic outbursts). It's
totally a matter of luck of the draw.

Allan.

BOLLOCKS..

 

[aprestn5]

You can remove the pint head and soak it in 1/16" of Windex, DO NOT COVER
THE
PRINT HEAD, for about a hour, then do it again, then soak it in some warm
water twice for 1 hour each, then wipe it try with some face tissues,..

The print head capping station does need to be completely cleaned, remove
all the ink soaked paper dust etc..

Another question arises here - is the print head capping station supposed to
have a couple of springs or some such to help push it up against the head?
Mine isn't making full contact with the head, ergo no vacuum on the nozzles
during the cleaning cycle.

Al Preston

 

[puss]

Another question arises here - is the print head capping station supposed to
have a couple of springs or some such to help push it up against the head?
Mine isn't making full contact with the head, ergo no vacuum on the nozzles
during the cleaning cycle.

Al Preston

Seems like its clogged up with ink, I am trying to think if the Capping thing
is on a Ramp that gets push up but the Print head returning to its home
position..


The Use a Tube type vacuumed pump to clean the head nozzles, or they did on a
740 I cleaned up..

 

[puss]

Another question arises here - is the print head capping station supposed to
have a couple of springs or some such to help push it up against the head?
Mine isn't making full contact with the head, ergo no vacuum on the nozzles
during the cleaning cycle.

Al Preston

I have some Epson Manuals and will have a look, is it for a 860..?


If the manual it not that big I could e-mail it to you.

 

[aprestn5]

Seems like its clogged up with ink, I am trying to think if the Capping
thing is on a Ramp that gets push up but the Print head returning to its
home position..

Something like that. It occurred to me tonight to have a look at my wife's
Epson 777 to see if it used a similar setup. Guess what... it looks like
the same or very similar parts were used, and there *are* two springs
pushing up the capping cup - on my 680 the springs are missing. My guess is
that without the springs, the cap on mine isn't sealing against the heads,
hence no ink (or cleaning solution) is being pulled through the head during
cleaning, nor is the head sealed when at rest, which is probably why the
thing got so badly clogged in the first place. I think I've found the root
of the problem.

Now to find a couple of replacement springs and try the whole cleaning
process again.......

The Use a Tube type vacuumed pump to clean the head nozzles, or they did
on a 740 I cleaned up..

From the reading I've been doing, that's common to most Epson inkjets.

Al Preston