Much as I like stripes...
June 21, 2011 12:23 PM Subscribe
Is my Canon inkjet's print head broken?
I have a Canon Pixma MP510 printer. When I print in colour, I get wide bands across the image. When I run an alignment test, the darker cyan band is split vertically into light and dark stripes (image here). I've tried a new cyan cartridge. I've tried cleaning the print head (via the Windows tool, and by taking out the head unit and flushing it with hot water, then IPA). No improvement so far.
So what's up with it? Has the head worn out? Is there anything I can do that stands a good chance of fixing it?
I have a Canon Pixma MP510 printer. When I print in colour, I get wide bands across the image. When I run an alignment test, the darker cyan band is split vertically into light and dark stripes (image here). I've tried a new cyan cartridge. I've tried cleaning the print head (via the Windows tool, and by taking out the head unit and flushing it with hot water, then IPA). No improvement so far.
So what's up with it? Has the head worn out? Is there anything I can do that stands a good chance of fixing it?
I recently had the same issue with my Canon printer. Canon replaced the printhead with no hassles.
posted by AlliKat75 at 1:17 PM on June 21, 2011
posted by AlliKat75 at 1:17 PM on June 21, 2011
Canon is good with free head replacement. They stick you on ink costs.
posted by Splunge at 1:49 PM on June 21, 2011
posted by Splunge at 1:49 PM on June 21, 2011
If you have been using a power strip to turn off this printer instead of turning it off using the power button, stop doing that as well
I recently acquired one of those master-slave power strips that turns everything else off when it senses that the computer socket is no longer having power drawn from it, and it comes with an unexplained but emphatic warning not to run laser printers off it.
I am currently doing just that, with no issues; the laser printer I have has a real power switch, not a front-panel button that politely requests a shut down, and it makes exactly the same noises when you switch it off with its own switch as it does when the power strip turns it off.
The Canon MP210 printer also attached to that strip, however, does not. Press the power button on that, and it goes into a head-parking sequence before the lights go out. Deprive it of power from the power strip, and that doesn't happen.
Powering down an inkjet printer without letting it park itself is roughly equivalent to leaving a felt-tip pen llying around without its cap on. So I've got in the habit of making sure that if the Canon printer has been in use, I turn it off with its own button before turning off the computer.
In my experience, inkjet printers with park-on-shutdown sequences are much more common than lasers with the same requirement, and it seems to me that it's inkjets, not lasers, that the smart-power-strip manufacturers should be warning me about.
posted by flabdablet at 6:21 PM on June 21, 2011
I recently acquired one of those master-slave power strips that turns everything else off when it senses that the computer socket is no longer having power drawn from it, and it comes with an unexplained but emphatic warning not to run laser printers off it.
I am currently doing just that, with no issues; the laser printer I have has a real power switch, not a front-panel button that politely requests a shut down, and it makes exactly the same noises when you switch it off with its own switch as it does when the power strip turns it off.
The Canon MP210 printer also attached to that strip, however, does not. Press the power button on that, and it goes into a head-parking sequence before the lights go out. Deprive it of power from the power strip, and that doesn't happen.
Powering down an inkjet printer without letting it park itself is roughly equivalent to leaving a felt-tip pen llying around without its cap on. So I've got in the habit of making sure that if the Canon printer has been in use, I turn it off with its own button before turning off the computer.
In my experience, inkjet printers with park-on-shutdown sequences are much more common than lasers with the same requirement, and it seems to me that it's inkjets, not lasers, that the smart-power-strip manufacturers should be warning me about.
posted by flabdablet at 6:21 PM on June 21, 2011
Most inkjets park themselves when they aren't being actively used, don't they?
Anyway, that test pattern is more likely an electrical issue than a clog issue. Clogged nozzles are usually random-ish.
(The reason not to use those remote power thing with laser printers is because some laser printers have a fan that keeps running for a while on shutdown to cool the fuser off. (Color lasers especially) You don't want to just yank the plug on those or you will have issues.)
posted by gjc at 7:44 PM on June 21, 2011
Anyway, that test pattern is more likely an electrical issue than a clog issue. Clogged nozzles are usually random-ish.
(The reason not to use those remote power thing with laser printers is because some laser printers have a fan that keeps running for a while on shutdown to cool the fuser off. (Color lasers especially) You don't want to just yank the plug on those or you will have issues.)
posted by gjc at 7:44 PM on June 21, 2011
Response by poster: I'm in the UK, and the printer is out of warranty (it's a few years old now).
A bit of extra googling found me this forum page which covers a near-identical problem with a different Canon printer. The consensus there too is that this is an electrical issue with the print head.
I'm aware that the price of a print head is at least 2/3 that of a new printer, so I'll probably invest in a new printer and recycle the parts from the old one for some of my electronics projects.
Thanks for the responses!
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:41 AM on June 22, 2011
A bit of extra googling found me this forum page which covers a near-identical problem with a different Canon printer. The consensus there too is that this is an electrical issue with the print head.
I'm aware that the price of a print head is at least 2/3 that of a new printer, so I'll probably invest in a new printer and recycle the parts from the old one for some of my electronics projects.
Thanks for the responses!
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:41 AM on June 22, 2011
Powering down an inkjet printer without letting it park itself is roughly equivalent to leaving a felt-tip pen llying around without its cap on.
THIS times 1000. This style printhead and cartridge is notoriously bad for drying out the printheads.
Anyway, that test pattern is more likely an electrical issue than a clog issue.
This too! This style printhead tends to collect ink on the electrical contacts which eventually ruins them.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 8:11 AM on June 22, 2011
THIS times 1000. This style printhead and cartridge is notoriously bad for drying out the printheads.
Anyway, that test pattern is more likely an electrical issue than a clog issue.
This too! This style printhead tends to collect ink on the electrical contacts which eventually ruins them.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 8:11 AM on June 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
There are a few things you can do. If the printer is in warranty, call Canon. They will probably replace the printhead after jumping through hoops.
The common issues for this cartridge setup are plugged printheads and ink on the contacts. Try running deep cleaning cycles twice. Deep cleaning will cause you to lose roughly 10% of the ink in all cartridges each time. More than twice and you are wasting ink. Remove the entire printhead and clean off the contacts. Preferably use distilled water and a towel that won't create much lint, paper towels usually work. There will probably be a lot of ink on the contacts, so have extra towels handy. Dry the contacts off, but don't let it sit and dry extensively. Clean the contacts within the printer as well with a slightly damp towel. You can try cleaning off the printhead with distilled water as well. Isopropyl alcohol is not really a good choice as it can cause more damage. Stop it. Drying the printhead out completely will also kill this printhead. If you have been using a power strip to turn off this printer instead of turning it off using the power button, stop doing that as well.
If you do have to replace the printhead on your own dime, may I suggest replacing the printer entirely? I worked for a certain company who makes inkjet printers, and had particular knowledge about this type of cartridge setup. I can't say that I would personally recommend this or any other like it (any brand) to anyone. My guess is that this printer is around 1.5 years old. Any clue why I might guess that? A replacement printhead setup will probably cost at least $100 for this printer when a new printer would be $150. This design is prone to failure, wasteful on ink and the troubleshooting documents are expansive. I don't have any particular models to recommend as I haven't been following printers for a few years, but avoid any that look like this one on the inside.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 1:06 PM on June 21, 2011