epson c42

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robbie
  • Start date Start date
R

Robbie

I am helping a third party resolve a problem with their epson printer.

She has been having problems with cartidge replacement. The main details are
as follows.

1) Is using origional cartridges.
2) Status monitor is mis-reporting a new black cartridge as half full.
3) The printer would NOT present the catridge tray properly for changing
the old cartridge which was
definately empty, but also misreported as half full.

4) I only managed to change to the new cartidge by turning off the printer
during a moment when the tray was exposed and therefore
possible to insert a new cartridge.

5) I did try re-installing Epson Monitor.


Is there any way of resetting this so that it registers the full cartridge
or is it a printer fault.


I would be gratefull if anyone can shed some light on this problem.

Thanks, Robert Boettcher
 
Epson printers of this vintage use a chip on each cartridge which is
read by the printer via a set of 4-5 gold wires that contact the
cartridge. On occasion, one of more of these wires can become damaged,
bent or break off, or may become dirty with ink or dust. Also, the chip
on the cartridge may have pads which aren't making full contact with the
wires. The wires in the carriage cage are brittle and delicate.

If the cartridges were refilled, they need to have the chip
reprogrammed to read full before they are installed. Occasionally, the
chip is misprogrammed at the factory.

It is difficult to know where the problem lies. It could be the chip,
the wires, or even electronically within the printer.

Usually, it isn't a good idea to try to exchange the cartridges when the
printer is off. There is a cycle the printer goes through on installing
a new cartridge which allows the printer to read the level of that
cartridge from the chip. If you place one in while the printer is off,
it may write the ink level from the previous cartridge onto the new one.

Usually, Epson printers read the cartridge level on start up. Then just
before shut down the printer subtracts the amount of ink used
(approximated) and rewrites the cartridge chip for that new lesser
amount. When you replace the cartridge under normal conditions, the
printer reads the newly introduced cartridge (even if it is partially
filled) and uses that amount to start the count from again. I don't
know what the printer does if you make the change while it is off, however.

Art
 
Art,

Thank you for your detailed reply.

The ONLY reason I changed the cartridge when powered down was because it
appeared to be the ONLY way of getting the printer to present the cartidge
tray and allow changing of the cartridge.

I suspect there is some printer damage of some sort and it would be better
to just replace the printer.

THANK YOU,
Robbie
 
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