I sem to be hitting the "normal" kind of problem with my R220....service required internal parts having reached end of life...I have a ciss...could you advise..I've had a search on google(wonder if downloading software update will fix problem.)
I saw somewhere that I might also have to dismantle machine.....at the end of the day I'm extremely happy with the machine re the value for money side of things and if its better to ditch it then no probs as I was amazed at the cheapness/quality of the set-up to begin with.
Hope you can help

Don't despair - your problem is that the printer thinks that its waste ink pad is full, and tries to prevent you using it any more until the absorbent pad is changed and the counter is reset. At least that is what Epson want you to do, and that would involve either getting an approved service agent to strip the printer to gain access to change the pad or do it yourself (not for the faint hearted). You could wash out the old pad (very messy!!) to avoid buying a new one.

Actually you don't have to do either, as the solution is very straightforward if you are in any way practical. Waste ink from head cleaning or priming is routed to the waste ink pad via a length of silicone tubing that is accessible through a small removable panel at the rear of the printer, adjacent to the labels.

Carefully fish out the end of the tube so that it protrudes through the hole where the panel fitted, taking care not to pull on the tube. This could be messy, so take precautions to prevent any ink splashes from getting on clothes, desk, hands etc. Connect this tube to another short length of tubing, and route this latter into a small transparent plastic bottle via a small hole in the lid. Now the waste ink will collect in the bottle rather than in your printer - but don't forget to empty it at regular intervals!!

Finally, you must reset the waste ink counter in the printer using the well known SSC service utility. This can be downloaded from the SSC website and several other sites as well, including http://www.printonadime.com/content/Software/sscserve410.zip . Unzip and run the utility, configuring it to the R220 printer. Closing the utility leaves an icon in the system tray which gives access to all the facilities, including reset of the waste ink counter.

When I did this mod to my own R220, I drilled a small hole in the removable panel and fed the tube through this so that the panel could be refitted.