HP Photosm 7550: connection between failure to print and 'no ink' indicator?

[news.rcn.com]

I have this Photosmart 7550 with three virtually full cartridges. All have
been refilled using ink from the same source. Black doesn't seem to give
problems.

I managed to reset the ink level on the colour cart using steps set out on
these boards and elsewhere and now that cart shows full and works properly.
But I cant get the ink to flow on the photo cartridge at all. Nor can I get
the ink level indicators to reset using any method. I didn't let the cart
go dry before refilling and in any event, I can put the cart in water and
get ink to flow and then put it back in the printer and still the printer
won't print from this photo cartridge.

Can the level be stopping it from printing? Or is there some method of
resetting the cartridge levels for the photo cartridge which is DIFFERENT
from the reset method on the ordinary three colour cartridge? Needless to
say no amount of cleaning or priming will get any ink to flow. Whatever I
do, the cart shows substantially (but NOT completely) empty.

Anyone got any ideas on this problem beyond the usual suspects telling me to
go off and try to throw money at it by buying new HP cartridges?

 

[news.rcn.com]

A commonly available refill ink that hasn't caused me any problems so far is
InkTec. Their ink also comes with a suction tool for cleaning out heads but
it's real messy to use, I've only tried it out once, no need for it with
normal use IMHO but it may fix your cartridges.

I've managed to get working a couple of (donated by a friend) dried out
unrefilled HP 57 and 58 cartridges that have been left laying around almost
empty for over 6 months, basically I used the water and blow method but used
almost boiling water for an hour. I then taped over top holes so only one
was being blown through at a time until each ink flowed, dabbing with
tissue. Then a partial refill just in case the cartridges weren't any good
and popped them into the printer where most jets worked OK. Left them
overnight to settle, ran one cleaning cycle and all jets worked. Kept as
spares.



Sorry, I forgot to mention that I was hoping that after this response,
someone might have some idea whether there is any known method for getting
the photo cartridge to reset, not that I was trying to re-start the prior
thread on this.

 

[measekite]

Here is another tale of woes when one uses generic ink instead of the
ink the printer was engineered for. How can anybody argue with these
facts. Of course one can just deny them.

 

[Bob Headrick]

I have this Photosmart 7550 with three virtually full cartridges. All
have been refilled using ink from the same source. Black doesn't seem
to give problems.

I managed to reset the ink level on the colour cart using steps set
out on these boards and elsewhere and now that cart shows full and
works properly. But I cant get the ink to flow on the photo cartridge
at all. [snip]
Can the level be stopping it from printing? Or is there some method of
resetting the cartridge levels for the photo cartridge which is
DIFFERENT from the reset method on the ordinary three colour
cartridge? Needless to say no amount of cleaning or priming will get
any ink to flow.

The low on ink (LOI) indicator is used only as a signal to the user
warning them it is time to have a new cartridge on hand. This printer
(like all HP printers with integrated ink supply and printheads) does
not use the LOI to prevent printing or affect printing in any way other
than the messages.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[news.rcn.com]

I have this Photosmart 7550 with three virtually full cartridges. All
have been refilled using ink from the same source. Black doesn't seem
to give problems.

I managed to reset the ink level on the colour cart using steps set
out on these boards and elsewhere and now that cart shows full and
works properly. But I cant get the ink to flow on the photo cartridge
at all. [snip]
Can the level be stopping it from printing? Or is there some method of
resetting the cartridge levels for the photo cartridge which is
DIFFERENT from the reset method on the ordinary three colour
cartridge? Needless to say no amount of cleaning or priming will get
any ink to flow.

The low on ink (LOI) indicator is used only as a signal to the user
warning them it is time to have a new cartridge on hand. This printer
(like all HP printers with integrated ink supply and printheads) does
not use the LOI to prevent printing or affect printing in any way other
than the messages.

Many thanks, Bob, though curiously it isn't giving me the low-ink messages??

 

[B. Peg]

Try this:

Leave the printer off.

Set your computer's clock back 2 years.

Start the printer and try printing.

My HP's (1220 and 960) were hesitant about printing color (both are #78
carts). I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes. Nothing doing a "Test
Print." When I set the clock back 2 years, the damn thing printed color
again - flawlessly!

Those damn time-chipped HP cartridges are to blame. I've thrown out HP
printers (one a costly 2000 series) due to HP's timed-carts.

Since I've moved to non-chipped ink carts (i.e. Canon), I've had far less
prinitng problems. Okay, none!

Of course, ymmv.

B~

 

[news.rcn.com]

Try this:

Leave the printer off.

Set your computer's clock back 2 years.

Start the printer and try printing.

My HP's (1220 and 960) were hesitant about printing color (both are #78
carts). I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes. Nothing doing a "Test
Print." When I set the clock back 2 years, the damn thing printed color
again - flawlessly!

Those damn time-chipped HP cartridges are to blame. I've thrown out HP
printers (one a costly 2000 series) due to HP's timed-carts.

Might give it a try but have had problems with Windows XP validation issues
whenever I have had cause to try taking the computer's clock back before the
last time it underwent product activation (or possibly the most recent
validation which MS is now so worried about that they do it every single
time they introduce any security patch) Has anyone done this recently?

I get your point about the date coding. It might explain why last week, for
no apparent reason, the printer started returning an error message on an old
but definitely not empty black cart which I had been using for some time,
telling me that it was not the proper cart for the printer.

Meanwhile have had some success simply blowing through the hole in the top
where the yellow ink tank is: This lets it produce about two to three more
10x8s before the yellow stops flowing again

Since I've moved to non-chipped ink carts (i.e. Canon), I've had far less
prinitng problems. Okay, none!

Therein lies the main question. Should I switch to Canon if HP are so
unreliable? Or is there a laser printer out there yet which can produce
acceptable photos? All reviews and technological advances seem to date back
to 2004 or 2005 when these things started coming into the Consumer's price
range. No one seems to have developed much since then?

And is there a site out there which identifies printers sold cheap just to
get you to buy their tiny cartridges? Is this the reason why Canon are
rarely given away free? (BUT repairers have told me that their heads seem
designed to last just through the warranty period)

 

[Bob Headrick]

Try this:

Leave the printer off.

Set your computer's clock back 2 years.

Start the printer and try printing.

My HP's (1220 and 960) were hesitant about printing color (both are
#78 carts). I soaked them in hot water for 30 minutes. Nothing doing
a "Test Print." When I set the clock back 2 years, the damn thing
printed color again - flawlessly!

Interesting, except the #78 cartridge HAS NO CONCEPT OF TIME. There is
absolutely nothing in the DeskJet 960 or 1220, or any DeskJet printer
for that matter that would cause a cartridge to stop printing based on
a date. The Professional 2000 series is a different beast, it does
enforce an expiration date on the ink to protect the separate printhead.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging