I just purchased an HP L7680 inkjet printer and a CIS system from Echostore (model K550). I have the catridges primed and reservior bottles filled, but I'm not getting good ink flow through the printer to the printheads. As I'm printing, the yellow and cyan inks fade out. When I check the carrier lines inside the printer there is voids of ink (air?). I can switch back to OEM cartridges and the problem clears up immediately. I would appreciate any advise/suggestion you could offer. I know there has to be some "trick" to it...I'm not holding my mouth right....something! Thanks!

fotodude wrote:

I just purchased an HP L7680 inkjet printer and a CIS system from Echostore (model K550). I have the catridges primed and reservior bottles filled, but I'm not getting good ink flow through the printer to the printheads. As I'm printing, the yellow and cyan inks fade out. When I check the carrier lines inside the printer there is voids of ink (air?). I can switch back to OEM cartridges and the problem clears up immediately. I would appreciate any advise/suggestion you could offer. I know there has to be some "trick" to it...I'm not holding my mouth right....something! Thanks!

That sounds an awful lot like you don't have any air venting into the reservoirs to replace ink as it's lost. You might want to check that you've installed air filters/check-valves (if they have any) and that you've opened up any covers as specified in the instructions.

Failing that you may also have primed the CIS badly and need to reprime it to purge any air out of the system. If I remember correctly the cartridges on most K550, K5400 and L7X80 printers require you to fill the cartridges in a particular way so it's worth checking that too.

Hope that gives you some clues.


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Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680

Martin, thanks for the advise. I've gone back and re-read the installation instructions and it looks like I did everything correctly. I removed the cartridges from the printer, opened the air vents on same and using a sryinge, pulled ink through from the reservoir tanks. Then, I pushed the ink back through the system in reverse. I noticed ink came out the top of the check valve type vents on the reservior. I removed this device and it is a simple air vent so it appears the ink just uses gravity flow to fill the cartridges. I don't know if that is good or bad?

But my problem is from the cartridge itself to the printhead. That is where I am getting the air in the lines (voids of ink). Is there a way to find out if ink is coming out of the end of the cartridge that feeds the printer?

fotodude wrote:

Martin, thanks for the advise. I've gone back and re-read the installation instructions and it looks like I did everything correctly. I removed the cartridges from the printer, opened the air vents on same and using a sryinge, pulled ink through from the reservoir tanks. Then, I pushed the ink back through the system in reverse. I noticed ink came out the top of the check valve type vents on the reservior. I removed this device and it is a simple air vent so it appears the ink just uses gravity flow to fill the cartridges. I don't know if that is good or bad?

What you have there is basically a mariotte bottle style arrangement that provides a regulated pressure instead of having bottles where the pressure changes as the ink gets used up or the reservoirs are moved up/down, etc...

Quote:

But my problem is from the cartridge itself to the printhead. That is where I am getting the air in the lines (voids of ink). Is there a way to find out if ink is coming out of the end of the cartridge that feeds the printer?

Ahah... I've heard tell that the system will actually suck back ink when you're done but in truth I have my doubts having seen how the system has a non-return valve in the normal cartridges themselves. However chances are you have a system which may not be providing quite enough pressure and if it's anything like the other 3rd part cartridges out there, it has no non-return valve. At a result you may be finding the ink is being drawn back which may be drawing air into the printheads (you can probably read a fair bit on the experience I've been having in this regard already ).

Anyway to answer your question, the easiest way to check if the printheads are in fact receiving any ink is to open he printer lid to get to the printheads. Press and hold the OK button for 5 seconds until the printheads slide over into position (worth waiting a couple of seconds to be sure they aren't going to move again - had it fake me out a couple of times!). Then you pull the printhead out the socket and using a syringe and a thin blunt ended needle gently poke into the middle of the rubber nipple nearest you where the printhead plugs in normally. You should then be able to draw ink (and any air in the printers own tubing) through this into your syringe.

Rinse and repeat for each colour you wish to check in this way.


I would urge caution at this point because the printheads are closed units which appear to be virtually impossible to re-prime if you hit a problem so keep this in mind and try not to repeat this too many times. As you may have guessed I'm learning a lot of this the hard way at present so I'm no expert, just a somewhat hapless monkey that figure if he hits the typewrite enough times it'll produce shakespeare!


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Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680

OK. You may be onto something here....

I took a blunt ended needle and inserted it into the point that feeds the printhead. I pulled suction with the needle and it seemed to have a lot of vacuum. If I let go of the needle rod, the suction sucked it back down. I can see a lot of air in the printer feed line for the yellow.

THEN, I removed the CIS cartridges from the printer and replaced with the yellow OEM ink catridge into the printer. Repeated the needle process, and at first there was a large amount of suction, then, I felt it give way and pulled ink through the line and into the syringe.

I took the OEM cartridge back out and put the CIS back in. Tried to pull ink through the yellow line and suction was strong and didn't release. So I would assume the actual cis printhead may be malfunctioning. Any suggestions to remedy? Can I use a needle on the end of the cartridge?

fotodude wrote:

OK. You may be onto something here....

I took a blunt ended needle and inserted it into the point that feeds the printhead. I pulled suction with the needle and it seemed to have a lot of vacuum. If I let go of the needle rod, the suction sucked it back down. I can see a lot of air in the printer feed line for the yellow.

THEN, I removed the CIS cartridges from the printer and replaced with the yellow OEM ink catridge into the printer. Repeated the needle process, and at first there was a large amount of suction, then, I felt it give way and pulled ink through the line and into the syringe.

I took the OEM cartridge back out and put the CIS back in. Tried to pull ink through the yellow line and suction was strong and didn't release. So I would assume the actual cis printhead may be malfunctioning. Any suggestions to remedy? Can I use a needle on the end of the cartridge?

I'm guessing you mean't the CIS cartridge (as bolded above) in which case it certainly sounds like there's an issue.

You can use the same syringe clearing technique on the cartridge as well but if possible I would check through the tubing, fittings, etc... to see if there's glue or some other obstruction that has blocked the flow of ink.. If it's the actual ink itself that's solidified and blocked the system that is most definitely not a good sign and I'd get a refund ASAP.

Primarily though, to retain the usabily of your system I would remove the CIS for now and use your original OEM cartridges until you identify the problem. That way you at least stand a chance of keeping it working.


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Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680

Thanks for the latest advise. I removed the CIS until I can check it further. I have to leave for evening assignment and won't get a chance to check it again until Saturday night. I'll post an update soon. Have a great weekend!

I took the sryinge and pulled inks from the black and magenta outlets of the cartridges, but was unable to draw any ink from the yellow and magenta. All I got was a strong vacuum that would pull the syringe back in. I pulled emptied the yellow and cyan cartridges of ink using the syringe from the air vents at the top and they refilled on their own from the supply lines running from the reservoirs so the obstruction has to be within the cartridges. I don't what else to do, but contact the vendor I purchased from. Will send them an email after writing this.

If you have any more ideas please let me know.

Thanks!

fotodude wrote:

I don't what else to do, but contact the vendor I purchased from. Will send them an email after writing this.

Based on what you've told us I'd be inclined to agree. It sounds like you got a crap kit...


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Printers: (Canon) MP500/830, MX700, iP4000/4200/4300/4500/5200, iX4000(A3) (Epson) C84/86, D88, CX6600, R285/800/1900 (HP) K550, K850, K5400, L7680