B9180 Ink Guzzler when idle?

[Ken_5D]

Badmoose, thanks so much.

I called HP's live chat yesterday but they do not deal with Mac in
that fashion. So I will have to call them on the phone and see what
can be done.

Pradeep

This has nothing to do with the MAC.. don't mention it.. Tell them this is just usage sitting on your desk and built in test... that the problem is there with the "PC" disconneted..

Also mention you have posted this to a major internet board and gotten reccomendations from several owners. IF they have a problem ask for a supervisor and repeat that are posting to a major forum the status of this support.
------------
Ken - KM 5D
http://www.cascadephotoworks.com

 

[Ken_5D]

You definitely have a problem. What is happening is the printer is
trying to clear what it thinks are a lot of clogged nozzles when it
runs it's periodic maintenance checks. The first thing to do is run a
NEDD TAP test.

Are all your printheads reporting GOOD?

Regardess:

Put a piece of copy paper (or Advanced Glossy) in the Tray

1. Hold in the on/off button
2. Press the X button 9 times (display will increment to TAP TEST = 90)
3. Press the OK button 4 times (Display Will Increment to TAP TEST= 94)
4. Release the OK button.

Printer will run a TAP test and print out the number of clogged
nozzles. If it reports excessive clogged nozzles (say more than 100
or so) then clean the NEDD sensor.

To clean the NEDD senso open the printer top and hold in the OK
button until the printheads park to the right. Lokk on the left side
of the printer where the print heads usually rest and there is a
metal plate with a thin rectangular slot in the middle. Use a pec pad
or cotton swap and isopropyl alcohol to clean this metal plate
thouroughly.

Re-run the TAP Test and see if the number of clogged nozzles reported
returns to something reasonable.

If none of this solves your problem then you probably need to
exchange the printer. Ink usage over extended idle times should be
very minimal.

Badmoose

For reference .. My 6 month old printer has 36 "failed" total...

Where is there a reference for all these built in tests?

--
------------
Ken - KM 5D
http://www.cascadephotoworks.com

 

[rambolin]

I am at 14 (about 800 pages...)

Yes, what are all the other codes?

--
Rambolin

 

[badmoose]

To my knowledge HP hasn't published a list of Tap tests. Even if they have, you will be faced with the task of interpreting the data, a lot of which aren't exactly intuitive. This particular nozzle test is known because HP support often has people run it to help substantiate bad print heads. Often, internal diagnostics are developed to aid R&D and pre-production evaluation and after a printer is in production those diagnostics become less useful.

Badmoose

 

[jfh1945]

giving me warnings about low ink and the 'change cartridges soon' warnings. The warnings seemed to start at about the 33%-left mark on the software ink level graphic, and increase as time passes. Per the discussions about B9180 usage I participated in earlier this year, I resolved to change the cartridge when the printer finally refused to continue.

During this period I have done almost no photographic printing but have printed 100s of text pages--most typical b&W, but some with graphics. I simply used the document printing shortcut to change my defaults.

As time has passed, I have had four cartridges to watch, with varying levels indicated in the software and on the LED display. The printer did its daily checking routine, but I recall only one more extensive test and check routine.

Yesterday the printer finally refused to go further; I had to replace the LM. I did that and the printer acknowledged it. It did no further cleaning or diagnosis, and almost immediately kicked into 'Ready.'

Based on this experience--the first time I waited to change carts only after the printer stopped--and from you have said here, it does sound like the printer may have test-and-check routines based on the TYPE of printing done. That is, if one is doing photo-quality printing with the same kind or art papers, the printer handles checks differently than it does if the current settings (and history?) have been text usage.

OTOH, I can say that over a period of two months, I could detect NO significant usage froim daily maintenance routines--so it may be that your machine is "defective," or needs a firmware / software update. FWIW, my machine was made in August 06 and has the 10-22 firmware, IIRC.

Jim H.

--
cameras are almost as much fun as firearms:

A S&W M&P 340 equipped with a Crimson Trace laser sight and loaded with Federal 110-gr .38 SPL PD ammunition weighs 15.8 oz.

 

[Primus]

So after a month of back and forth with HP, I finally have a replacement printer (looked almost new). They had initially replaced the 'fair' reading LG printhead but that did not help (it too read 'fair' and when I pointed it out, the tech said it must be the priinter) so they sent me a printer. Took almost two weeks for the caps that go over the ink nozzles to prime them to arrive, but finally a week ago I managed to install the new printer.

Imagine my surprise when even in the new printer the LG printhead reads 'fair'. I've tested it for a week, just watching, not printing anything. The ink levels have dropped from 3-4% in all carts in one week!

I called HP again, and they are sending out an entire set of printheads. Hope this solves it.

Through all of this, I must say that HP support has been terrific, just that the problem hasn't been fixed.

Pradeep

 

[colourgeek]

When you first insert carts in a primed ink system a larger amount will be used in purging the lines, alignment, etc. This is normal. Your last printer sounds like it was faulty , probably the head caps were not sitting on the park station caps correctly.

The nominal full to empty cartridges cycling is more than a year on the conservative side while the printer is on , in the normal operating range without printing.

The grey print head showing fair is not a problem in itself. HP should have NEVER used this terminology , nor put the engineering characteristics in front of the users in the way they did. Any nozzles firing at a rate less than acceptable are remapped onto parallel busses ensuring positive printing at all times. When the conditions change they can and will be reset without user intervention. The indicator doesn't show anything about image quality, banding, or any other image quality defects in a direct way, and only very remotely related to the previous terms. Some have had the grey PH health at fair since the start without any problem in image quality at all. Usually the new grey PH reverts to good after 4-10 prints yet it is not a traffic light for image quality, nor life span of the heads, even though the UI makes it look this way.

I'm very surprised that HP even let this go on as they now know it was a big mistake to make the UI PH health the way they did. I suppose to save changing the documentation in 40 languages would be the only hard part to do, as changing UI strings and resource graphics wouldn't be.
--
Neil Snape photographer Paris http://www.neilsnape.com

 

[Primus]

Neil, thanks as always for your educated response. I bought this printer mainly due to your positive reviews of it and so far have been very happy with its output. However, I've spent over $2000 in ink carts in the past one year and have less than 500 prints (mostly 8x10 or smaller) to show for it.

The new (replacement) printer has newer firmware but the carts are the same as in the old one, except for the LG one which is also a replacement. It reads 'fair' and one can see significant banding on the LG patch on a test page. I haven't printed an actual photo to see if anything shows up, still waiting to solve the ink wasting problem.

What I don't understand is how come, when the printer is sitting idle, with all the installation completed, the lines all primed, there should still be a 4% drop in the level of ink in one week? At this rate, the carts should empty out in less than six months. Of course this is way better than my old printer, which was emptying the carts in six weeks!

Having said that, HP support has been excellent, with no hesitation in replacing a (supposedly) faulty part. What is lacking is perhaps an understanding of what is going wrong.

Pradeep

 

[colourgeek]

Well if it drains 4% per week then it's way too much. In theory it fires 0.05ml of ink per head for regular routine maintenance. If there is a problem , then the routine's cycling is increased and the volume can be also. If the grey head is banding on the test print then the print head must be replaced. I do get some lines on calibrations BTW, but has no influence on printing. The calibrations are run raw with no nozzle remapping.

I hate to say it but HP will have to replace the printer or at least full set of heads and a full complementary set of full carts. I can't for the life of me understand how this could happen twice. At least HP is helping, where as I'm having a terrible time with Adobe honoring their policies but that's another story.

It's best to have this elevated to a very high level at HP and they should fix you up.
--
Neil Snape photographer Paris http://www.neilsnape.com

 

[tarheelbob]

I had the same problem...after about one year my B9180 went nuts with the print head test. Drank ink so fast I sinmply turned it off and gave up.

Then I found this forum

I ran the print head test and had zero reported bad

I installed the new firmware. Very displeased that HP didn't go out of their way to make me aware of its existence...or effectiveness. But this forum pointed me in the right direction.

I cleaned the NEDD

and................

HAPPY ENDING!!!!

My printer runs fewer tests and the ink levels are remaining as static as they did when the printer was new.

Don't give up folks...it's trouble but follow the steps outlined here and you'll fix the problem (and save a few bucks on ink).

 

[andrewcooper]

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