Help reqd please Epson R1800

[Rob]

Epson R1800

I have an error problem.

Switch printer ON it tells me that two cartridges are low.

Then the top two buttons, Paper and Cartridge start flashing fast and
the power button green light goes out and the two top buttons keep flashing.

I have switched the printer off at the mains had a look for foreign
objects in the printer and cleared the print spool files.

Its an error message but what needs to be done?

Thanks.

 

[Jan Alter]

Epson R1800

I have an error problem.

Switch printer ON it tells me that two cartridges are low.

Then the top two buttons, Paper and Cartridge start flashing fast and the
power button green light goes out and the two top buttons keep flashing.

I have switched the printer off at the mains had a look for foreign
objects in the printer and cleared the print spool files.

Its an error message but what needs to be done?

Thanks.

On previous models from Epson that I've used there were button combinations
that could be used to reset the printer to defaults. As an example one
combination was to hold the paper+ink droplet buttons in while turning on
the power button. When the lights all flashed red one would push the droplet
button and the electronics would be reset.
I am not saying to try that on your printer, but you might consider
looking for display error codes for that printer, or even getting hold of
the shop manual for download if no one else has a definitive answer. It may
give you the answer. I'd like to know that answer myself since I have a
R1800.


-
Jan Alter
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I have the error codes for the R800 which are probably the same as for
the R1800.

There are several similar error codes which have the power button off
and the cartridge and paper LEDs flashing.

The most likely is a fatal error. In that case, the paper and cartridge
LEDs flash very quickly, like once every .1 seconds.

This is the most likely case. It is a result of the carriage not
positioning correctly, or a sensor not recognizing it where it should
be. A common cause is the bushing oil having dried out and the head
carraige becoming irregular in movement. The most common cause is dried
lubricant and the fix is to clean the guide rail(s) the head is running
on. Clean the rails with some isopropyl alcohol and a clean link-free
rag. Then if the lubricant appears to be oil, just place a few drops on
the guide bar (well spread out on the complete bar. Also place a drop on
either side of the carriage where the bushing and bar meet.

If the guide(s) appears to have a thicker lubricant and it is white, it
is probably lightweight lithium grease, which y9u may have to buy at an
auto or hardware store. and again just a small quantity after removing
the old grease.

Another cause may be if the head position calibration stripe gets
damaged or stained, more about this if the other fix doesn't work.


Cutter position error has a slower blink of those two LEDs (.2 sec on,
..2 second off, .2 seconds on, and then .4 secs off, and repeated).

Check to make sure the cutter is positioned correctly when starting up
the printer. If not, you may need to gently give it a slight push.


Maintenance request (usually means the waste ink protection number has
been reached) The two LEDs blink alternately opposite one another, each
at .5 sec on, .5 sec off.

This is an indication that waste ink pads are filling up. You can either
get the appropriate setting software that runs on most PCs now, direct
from Epson's website for download (at least in the US) you have to
register and indicate printer type and S/N.


Another option is to download the Russian originated SSC utility at:

http://www.ssclg.com/epsone.shtml

It is free, but make sure it covers your printer, and only do so if you
have determined the cause is the maintenance request and not one of the
above mentioned possibilities. This reset can lead to waste ink leakage
out of the bottom of the printer, since it is a warning of saturation of
the waste ink pads. In reality, inmost cases the pads can tolerate at
least two cycles of waste ink protection numbers.

If you are still stuck contact me via email at:

e-printerhelp(at)mvps(dot)org

(at) = @
(dot) = .

Art


If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[Rob]

Thanks for the infomation.

Prior to this happening I had a screen message that the photo paper was
the incorrect side.

I gave up and the printer has been sitting there not being used.

So its of to check and lubricate the rails.and see if I can clean the
sensors ( I did download the manual but that did not give me the error
messages(blinking lights) but what you suggest may work. maybe that the
calibration strip is stained.

Ill start to probe the problem now that I have a starting point.

r

 

[Rob]

I too am encountering the two blinking red "lights of death."

I can't find any kind of paper jam which is what the Print Driver tells
me the problem is. ("Delete all print jobs and turn the printer off.
Remove any foreign objects from inside the printer. After a few minutes,
turn the printer back on.") Doing as it advises produces no change.

This all started when I tried to clean the heads by putting a few drops
of head cleaning solution on the pads that the print head parks on.
(Previously, head cleaning with the Printer Maintenance Utility didn't
get the job done. In fact, nozzle check got worse.)

By the way, the Epson Waste Pad Counter resetter reports pads not full
so there is no need to reset.

Anyone have any thoughts. Thanks, Paul

Happened to me after I put some paper in backwards.

what the manual said and what happened to me differed.

Think there is a sensor in there somewhere which became disorientated
and showed incorrect fault.

I downloaded the manual off the net.

Cleaned the sensor.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Hi Paul,

It would help me tremendously if you could indicate which two LEDs are
flashing (power, paper or ink) and how they are flashing, since the
codes are based up the sequence (are they flashing at the same time, or
opposite one another) and the speed of the flashing (there are several
speeds). Below is the chart from Epson's R800 (likely the same as the
R1800) service manual.

• Blink : 0.5sec on + 0.5sec off repetition
• Blink 2 : 0.2sec on + 0.2sec off + 0.2sec on + 0.4sec off repetition
• Fast Blink : 0.1sec on + 0.1sec off repetition
• Blink alternately 1 : 0.5sec on + 0.5sec off repetition
• Blink alternately 2 : 0.5sec off + 0.5sec on repetition

If you can give me a better description of which two LEDs are blicking
and the blink pattern each is manifesting I can better help you to
determine what to be looking for.

Art


If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/