Lexmark Z51 Clogs Frequently

[Bill Martin]

I've had a problem lately with my Lex Z51 which I hope someone here has seen
and surmounted. Basically I had the printer for a number of years and was
happy with it. I then put it in storage for a year and got it back out a
couple of months ago.

Since I got it out of storage it's been terrible. The cartridges were dried
up of course. I tried to clean them repeatedly and then gave up and bought
new ones. The new ones worked great when first installed, but quickly fouled
and needed cleaned again. And again. And again. And again....

The color cartridge is the problem. Before I clean it, it is thoroughly
slathered in black ink. I clean that off and run a cleaning cycle and it
works again temporarily. Looking back into the printer to the right where the
cartridges park, the whole area is sprayed all over in black ink. I don't
know if it's always been that way or if it's just all ink that leaked out
during storage, or if it's failing currently and spraying back in there for
some reason. I try to clean it as well as I can with Fantastic (works great
to clean nozzles) and towels, but it's too far back in there to really do a
good job.

Has anyone run into this before? If it doesn't improve soon I'll be buying a
new non Lexmark printer.

Thanks.

Bill

 

[Lee Babcock]

I've had a problem lately with my Lex Z51 which I hope someone here has seen
and surmounted. Basically I had the printer for a number of years and was
happy with it. I then put it in storage for a year and got it back out a
couple of months ago.

Since I got it out of storage it's been terrible. The cartridges were dried
up of course. I tried to clean them repeatedly and then gave up and bought
new ones. The new ones worked great when first installed, but quickly fouled
and needed cleaned again. And again. And again. And again....

The color cartridge is the problem. Before I clean it, it is thoroughly
slathered in black ink. I clean that off and run a cleaning cycle and it
works again temporarily. Looking back into the printer to the right where the
cartridges park, the whole area is sprayed all over in black ink. I don't
know if it's always been that way or if it's just all ink that leaked out
during storage, or if it's failing currently and spraying back in there for
some reason. I try to clean it as well as I can with Fantastic (works great
to clean nozzles) and towels, but it's too far back in there to really do a
good job.

Has anyone run into this before? If it doesn't improve soon I'll be buying a
new non Lexmark printer.

Thanks.

Bill

Bill...... I believe Fantastic contains a bit of ammonia. I wouldn't
use it to clean with. Will clean great but it is corrosive.
I have found the new Windex orange with no ammonia or TSP to be great at
cleaning inkjets without any damage.
Regards
Lee

 

[Bill Martin]

Bill...... I believe Fantastic contains a bit of ammonia. I wouldn't

use it to clean with. Will clean great but it is corrosive.
I have found the new Windex orange with no ammonia or TSP to be great at
cleaning inkjets without any damage.

Well, I found my problem -- maybe. I decided that I had nothing to lose by
tearing the thing apart to give it a thorough cleaning. (It works like new
now, but who knows how long it will last). In the process I found a broken
spring laying in the chassis. I'll see if I can find a new one somewhere.

Bill