My Canon i960 printer head is not working right

[kater1]

I have had my i960 for about 2 years. i have had problems before with it streaking when printing. I would run a cleaning cycle or clean the head with a Q tip and alcohol and all was good.

Now it is streaking again and I can not for the life of me get it to print quality agian. The PC is the worst when i do a nozzel check. Shows about 1/2 the nozzels clogged. Anyone have a better way of cleaning the head other than soaking and blowing out with canned air?

Thanks

Bill

 

[Peter]

If it's less than two years, it might still be under warranty. Don't fuss around, check that first.

No alcohol! It damages the heatplates in the nozzles.

If lots of the nozzles appear clogged, maybe the ink cart isn't making a tight seal in the head; or the ink cart's breathing hole is blocked.

 

[Lemon law]

Probably the best web site I have seen for printhead cleaning advice is the "nifty stuff forums"--Just google the name without the quotes.

 

[Zepper]

AFAIK, the Canon warranty is only 1yr in the States.

If it has been allowed to clog pretty strongly, it may take a bit of work to get the clogs out. Soaking the nozzles in warm distilled water should get them started again if that's the only problem. I wouldn't use canned air on printer nozzles... While working on the heads, be sure to tightly seal the ink tanks or you'll have clogs just waiting to happen when you put them back in.

Luckily the Canon print heads are user-replaceable if you can't get the clogs out.

.bh.

 

[SilverTrine]

Good luck after having 2 Canon printerheads croak within 1-2year timeframe and hearing so many other report the same thing happen to them I have come to the conclusion that having this happen is the norm rather than the exception. I have sworn off Canon printers for life.

 

[Zepper]

Well, SilverTrine, tell me what's cheaper: buying a new head in each cartridge like HP/Lexmark, or replacing a separate head every couple of years that costs about the same as one set of integrated-head cartridges from the other brands? It's a no-brainer over here considering I've been saving huge $$s on my passive ink tanks all along.

The print head in Canons has to be considered as a normal wear and tear replacement item like shock absorbers on a car or cutting screen(s) on an electric shaver. Keeping the head face and spittoon seal clean will extend head life greatly. Taking a q-tip with some rubbing alcohol to the inside of the tub when you change ink tanks isn't a bad idea either.

.bh.

 

[Lemon law]

Never funny when a printhead clogs--but sometimes the user is just doing certain things wrong.

But about a month ago a user came on the nifty stuff forums--with a Canon i960 with 20,000 pages of mixed output under the dam. Orginal printer and original printhead--and still going strong.--but it was time after all that to empty the waste tank.

 

[SilverTrine]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Well, SilverTrine, tell me what's cheaper: buying a new head in each cartridge like HP/Lexmark, or replacing a separate head every couple of years that costs about the same as one set of integrated-head cartridges from the other brands? It's a no-brainer over here considering I've been saving huge $$s on my passive ink tanks all along.

The print head in Canons has to be considered as a normal wear and tear replacement item like shock absorbers on a car or cutting screen(s) on an electric shaver. Keeping the head face and spittoon seal clean will extend head life greatly. Taking a q-tip with some rubbing alcohol to the inside of the tub when you change ink tanks isn't a bad idea either.

.bh.

Its a no brainer? HP's arent significantly more costly per page than Canon printers. Yet with a Canon printer because of poor design you can expect to replace the print-head every 2 years.
My S820 using Canon ink and paper with extremely light duty screwed up barely after the warranty was out.

You're right its a no-brainer, dont buy Canon junk! By HP and you wont have to replace a $100+ part every couple of years.

 

[Zepper]

Who's trying to charge you over $100. for a print head? And it was your choice to buy a 6 color printer w/ a more complicated head - the cost for it I just found is $78. at one place, but I could probably do better w/ more looking. The head for my iP3000 is only $50. (also can probably find cheaper w/ a bit of looking) and my output would probably fare well in comparison to the i960. But then, mine's going on two years with no sign of problems w/ the head - knock wood! Been verrry happy with my Canons.

.bh.

 

[Mem]

Never funny when a printhead clogs--but sometimes the user is just doing certain things wrong.

FYI have also had ink carts clog up too,replacing them fixed the clogging that was indicated by the Canon nozzle check on my printer.Sometimes it is just the ink cart rather then the printhead,at least in my experience.

 

[SilverTrine]

My ancient BJ-210 still works fine, guess the difference in the BJ-210 and the S line of printers? The BJ-210 has a built in printhead in the ink cartridge. You can fling poo, but the fact of the matter is static printheads as implemented by Canon suck. No debate, its an atrocious idea.

I cant believe I was so stupid as to buy Canon printer, I will not make that mistake again I promise. The cost per page is about the same for HP printers and for Canon printers. Yet with Canon there is the potential for a costly printhead repair cost or the hassle of messing with dirty printheads.

Who needs the hassle?

 

[Peter]

I have yet to see a clogged (perma-head) Canon that wouldn't come back to life after:

(1) Checking the seal between ink cartridge and rubber seal on printhead. There might be residue from the cartridge sealing tape or other stuff that fell in during cartridge change

(2) an "intensive cleaning cycle"

(3) taking the print head out, and cleaning the bottom

(4) letting it soak on a wet towel for a couple of hours

(5) manual radical flush, using a large diameter syringe filled with warm water, and flexible hose that fits tight over the ink inlet on the head.

 

[xgsound]

kater1: I have heard (never personaly tried) that using ammonia based windex on a q-tip works pretty well, and soaking a paper towel in windex and setting the printhead on it (caution - messy) for a few minutes can help a very clogged printhead. This will not help if it is burned out though.

I was always careful to get seperate ink cartridges and no 6 color printers since the printers were all for general purpose and produce lots of text (kids homework and such). If you produced alot of text on the S960 (a 6 ink printer)that would have shot up the ink costs and done it slower for limited benefit.

If you need a new printhead and can get it for under $100, I would get one since the printer you have can use after market (I use Swftink) ink at less than 1/2 the cost.

Silvertrine: I don't know if you've been unlucky or what . I can only say that my experience has been different. Of course, HP will work for you if you exclude Canon, and since Canon has introduced the "chipped inks" now they lose the more dramatic long term ink cost advantages you could have enjoyed with 3rd party inks.

I've been loosely following inkjet reviews, newsgroups, and forums since 1994 and the Canon BJC600 (still working !) and this is only the second time I've heard of Canon printheads prematurely failing. As to similar cost per page with OEM ink, that hasn't been true since the HP895 days, and hp's prices went up since then. If you count after market inks (the family has shifted to Swiftink) the Canon advantage was even better until the recent "chipped inks" introduction.

I am the "computer guy" for the extended family and there are currently about 6 Canon printers and none have failed. They include the BJC600, a 750, an I850, and 2 IP5000s. In all fairness, all the HPs work also, they just cost more for ink (except the HP895). Epson is a different story (head clogs) and I no longer consider Lexmark to be an actual printer at all.


Good luck to all
Jim

 

[Lemon law]

For what its worth, HP's are not trouble free either--I have a HPofficejet 520 I keep as a spare outgoing fax machine. I can get a replacement set of pricey OEM cartridges and they print just fine for 20 pages or so--then they start streaking bad--run one cleaning cycle and they just quit printing.

Now I have a Canon MP730 for me--a canon ip4000 for my wife---I refill at huge savings--and I have not experienced a moment of trouble with either canon. They run equally fine with OEM cartridges, dirt cheap third party prefilled cartridges, or with refilled cartridges.

 

[Abhi]

Originally posted by: SilverTrine

The cost per page is about the same for HP printers and for Canon printers. Y

You keep saying that.... Care to explain how?