Epson Stylus Color 640

  • Thread starter Thread starter ALBERT C. GOOD JR.
  • Start date Start date
A

ALBERT C. GOOD JR.

Hi
I am new at this but could someone give me some information on how fis to
the subject printer problem.

The problem seems to have began when I accidentally clicked the print button
on Office 97 instead of the save button.

When this happened I quickly click the stop button on the progress meter and
aborted the print.

However after that the printer; paper, ink, and power lights came on and
have been flashing since then. When I try to print anything including the
test patterns the message comes up that there is a problem sending to the
device connected to Ipt1.

The printer has approximately 50 sheets of a good grade of paper and newly
filled ink cartridges and is not jammed. The printer had been working fine
until this point.

I have tried powering down completely and uninstalled and reinstalled the
drivers but the problem still exists.

My Christmas cards where to be printed this weekend but at this point I
really wish that I had brought my Dot-Matrix printer along.

Help
(e-mail address removed)
 
Is the print spooler stuck in stop or pause mode? You may have to delete
any jobs left in it.
Are there any self-test modes that work without a cable plugged into the
printer? Key combinations on the printer?
 
As far as I can see the blinkin lights are the test mode.
Just tried your recomendation but no success.

I have rebooted and checked the pause mode and as far as the computer is
telling me it is not in pause mode.

Also have uninstalled and reinstalled the driver after dumping outstanding
print jobs.
 
ALBERT said:
As far as I can see the blinkin lights are the test mode.
Just tried your recomendation but no success.

I have rebooted and checked the pause mode and as far as the computer is
telling me it is not in pause mode.

Also have uninstalled and reinstalled the driver after dumping outstanding
print jobs.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you reached the limit for your ink sponges. A flag gets set
after a certain amount of usage which requires you to replace your
sponges (only if you really want to) and to reset the service flag ( you
have to). There's a button pushing sequence which many people have
trouble with. I suggest you just down load this free utility and to
clear the flag.
http://ssclg.com/epsone.shtml
 
ALBERT said:
As far as I can see the blinkin lights are the test mode.
Just tried your recomendation but no success.

I have rebooted and checked the pause mode and as far as the computer is
telling me it is not in pause mode.

Also have uninstalled and reinstalled the driver after dumping outstanding
print jobs.
Click to expand...
If you don't want to try the button pushing thing first I found this
post that Art Entlich posted awhile back (thanks Art, nice job).

"EPSON 440 and 640 PRINTERS:


To set the printer into EEPROM management mode:


With the printer and computer OFF, disconnect the printer from the
computer at the printer.


With printer OFF hold down Load/Eject+Cleaning buttons, while holding
them, press the ON SWITCH


This Enters the EEPROM Reset mode. (The Load/Eject LED blinks for a few
seconds.)


To Reset the EEPROM:


While the Load/Eject LED is blinking (for about 2 seconds), press down
the Cleaning switch for 10 seconds.


After 10 seconds, both Bk and CMY ink LEDs come ON simultaneously.


Confirming the both LEDs are ON, release the Cleaning switch. The
printer automatically starts initialization operation to reset the
specified addresses in the EEPROM.


Once your printer has completed the initialization process, turn it off
via the power button.


With both printer and computer OFF reattach the printer cable to the
printer.


When you next need to turn it on, it should function normally."
 
This is starting to make sense.

However the printer only has a:

paper eject button which sets the head in the position to replace the
cartridges,
a button with three ink drops over it and,
a off / on button
There is no black ink button that I can see any where on the printer.

Am I correct in presuming that the button with the ink drops over it is the
CMY button?

:)
 
ALBERT said:
This is starting to make sense.

However the printer only has a:

paper eject button which sets the head in the position to replace the
cartridges,
a button with three ink drops over it and,
Click to expand...

The button with the three ink drops is the Cleaning Button.
a off / on button
There is no black ink button that I can see any where on the printer.
Click to expand...

That is correct. There is however an LED which indicates when the Black
cartridge is empty or low. LED is Light Emitting Diode not a button.
Am I correct in presuming that the button with the ink drops over it is the
CMY button?
Click to expand...

No, as stated earlier, that is the Cleaning Button. There is no CMY
button. There is however also a LED that indicates when the color
cartridge is empty or low. The colors happen to be Cyan, Magenta, and
Yellow, or CMY for short.

If this is still not clear as to which buttons and LEDs are which I
suggest you check page 116 of the manual. If you don't have the manual
handy you can download here
http://files.support.epson.com/pdf/sc640_/sc640_u1.pdf
 
I have a feeling this was coincidence, and you have just hit the magic
number on your Epson printer and it has reached the protection number,
telling you the waste ink pads require replacing. If this is the first
time this has happened, and you have owned the printer from new, that
means you've had this printer from a good number of years, since the 640
is an old printer in the Epson line up.

There is always a slight risk that the ink pads could be filled and
might leak. As I stated it is unlikely with a printer this old, because
the majority of the dye ink is water and glycol and both do evaporate
over time. However, for your own safety, you may choose to place the
printer on a tray, or on some absorbent pads or paper with a plastic
liner under it, to make sure it will not damage your furniture.

Here are the basic instructions to reset the EPROM in your printer:


EPSON 440 and 640 PRINTERS:

To set the printer into EEPROM management mode:

With the printer and computer OFF, disconnect the printer from the
computer at the printer.

With printer OFF hold down Load/Eject+Cleaning buttons, while holding
them, press the ON SWITCH

This Enters the EEPROM Reset mode. (The Load/Eject LED blinks for a few
seconds.)

To Reset the EEPROM:

While the Load/Eject LED is blinking (for about 2 seconds), press down
the Cleaning switch and hold for 10 seconds.

After 10 seconds, both Bk and CMY ink LEDs come ON simultaneously.

Confirming that both LEDs are ON, release the Cleaning switch. The
printer automatically starts initialization operation to reset the
specified addresses in the EEPROM.

Once your printer has completed the initialization process, turn it off
via the power button.

With both printer and computer OFF reattach the printer cable to the
printer.

When you next need to turn it on, it should function normally.

Art
 
There is a very slight ambiguity in the instructions below that may be
what is confusing you. I have added some details that hopefully will
allow you to step through it.

Art

Maybe this will help:
loads the paper... it also will eject a loaded paper) and the Cleaning
button (that's teh one with the ink drops above it), and while holding
those two buttons down, press the ON SWITCH2 seconds), press down the Cleaning button (again, the one with the ink
drops above it) for 10 seconds.switch. The printer automatically starts initialization operation to
reset the
specified addresses in the EEPROM.
 
I tried top down load the uti;lity as suggested, it seems to have installed
butwhen I try to start it usng te desktop icon or when I reboot nothng seems
to be happening.

I tried to use a email link that was provided and also to contact the online
help again nothing was happening.

Albert
(e-mail address removed)
 
I look after several Epson 640s and get this quite a lot with one of them -
all lights on and flashing.
Is there a grinding noise when you switch it on? It might just be stuck.
Switch it off and slide the ink cartridge carrier left a right a few times -
leave it pushed fully to the right and switch back on again.
This always clears mine.
 
No grinding noise.
However I have been noticing that the head carriage does not return fully to
the parked position.
With a little nudging it can be persuaded to return to the parked position
and at that time there is a kind of ratcheting wound for the approximately
one and a half inch that it take to contact the stops in its resting
position.

Since the carriage is pulled along by a toothed belt, I checked to be
certain that was not slipping but it seems to be tightly gripping the
carriage.

The only way that I have been able to get the carriage to move completely
from right to left and then back is if the power is interrupted (Ie; plug
pulled, when that carriage has done so during the start up cycle. However
even when that carriage is manually pushed to the parked position it still
displays the blinking lights.
 
My only caveat is: do not force the head if it seems difficult to move.
The head has a locking tab when it is parked which if not moved can be
broken off. If a person can figure out where it is, it can be manually
moved down out of the way. It is usually a white tab slightly under the
head.

Art
 
Hi ALbert,

As I mentioned to you in private email, your carriage guide bar (the
chrome one the carriage rides along) may require cleaning and
relubrication. All Epson printers are very sensitive about free
movement of the carriage to avoid mis-stepping with the stepper motor
and the toothed belt. In actual fact, the toothed belt is designed to
allow a clutched (spring loaded) gear on one side to slip if the stepper
motor gets out of sequence. That is the grinding sound some people
occasionally here, as the printer resets the stepper motor and belt
positions.

Art
 
Hi Art

I checked the guide that the head follows and found that it has a film of
light lubricate on it but it seemed otherwise clean.

The oil has a Grey substance mixed in with it.

The head does have a slight tendency to stick as the head is moved manually
form right to left and back again
after the machine has started it start up routine and the plug has been
pulled while the head is in the middle of its travel.

The is a "L" shaped white tab that protrudes from the lower track that the
head assembly rides on. This tab seems to be undamaged. But with plug
pulled and the head in the middle of its travel, it does not depress when
light finger pressure is applied. It also seems to be attached one way or
another to the tray that holds the pad.

Also this tab is located to the left of the heads parked position and that
makes me wonder if it is the same tab that you talked about in your email.

Also I have questions about the "pad". It is hard almost as hard as a
abrasive scrubber. As I remember the place where the pad is located had a
soft foam surface about 3 months ago when the printer was streaking and
installing full cartridges didn't seem to help. At that time I had wiped
the surface of this part with a wet foam tipped swab. That seemed to cure
the streaking problem.

If I where to replace this part where would I get the replacement part?

Thanks
Al.
 
Hi Albert,

I would still clean that bar and replace the lubricant.

That grey substance is actually worn metal from the bearings. If the
head carriage sticks even slightly it can cause this flashing light problem.

Did you attempt the EPROM resetting procedure I posted? Did it not help?

I am trying to recall now if the head lock tab moves forward or backward
relative to the printer front and back. The tab needs to be lowered
below the surface of the sheet metal to fully release the head carriage.

Yes, it is connected to the wiping pad.

The cleaning station "sponge" is indeed stiff and abrasive. That's
quite normal. It is mainly there to hold some moisture. It very porous
in most cases, unless it gets blocked with old ink.

On very rare occasion the oil pad that normally feeds the lubrication to
the carriage bearings becomes lodged between the carriage and the chrome
plated carriage guide (the rod the carriage rides on). This oil
pad is sort of centered in the carriage at the top where it would
contact that rod I just mentioned. It is sometime accessible with the
cartridges removed.

Anyway, typically the two causes of blinking lights on the 640 are need
to reset the protection numbers (indication the waste ink pads are
"full") or the carriage is not moving correctly. Other than that, I'm
stumped.

Art
 
Hi Art
As soon as I can get my hands on some sewing machine I will try the cleaning
and get back to you.

Thanks Albert
 
Art

I tried your advice.

Cleaned the guide bar with alcohol soaked surgical gauze pad.
After it dried I applied Singer sewing machine oil directly to the point
where the guide bar enters the bearing. Then slid the head back and forth
and applied a few more drops to the guide-bar itself.

After turning it on the head seemed to park better and further to the right
than usual. However the blinking lights where still blinking.

Next I ran the SSServ program and attempted to reset the EPROMS and that
seemed to go ok except when I attempted to read the condition of the EPROMS.
at this point I got a error message.

But...you probably guessed it the blinking lights are still blinking.

Attempts at printing met with the same lack of success that I a error
message saying that it was not possible to feed the printer at LPT1.

Next I will attempt to use the manual reset procedure against the
possibility that the EPROM resetting program is a bust.

If after that it fails to behave, I will leave it on and use it for a hi
tech Christmas Tree.

Yours
Albert
 
Good luck and keep me informed.

I'm assuming the printer does its Christmas Tree lighting ceremony even
when it is not connected to the computer, is that correct? If so, I
don't think the LPT1 condition is indicative of anything. If you cannot
get the printer to print a test page with the printer disconnected form
the computer, the problem is within the printer itself.

Art
 
Dear Art

Finally got the inkaholic to work.

First I had oiled the guide bar as you and some other had suggested. Still
the lights blinked.

This morning I went through reset procedure manually and on the second try
the blinking thing recycled and after considerable head cleaning it was
giving me good printing.

For some reason that program that I down loaded was not working properly.
But it had some nice features, such as a through head cleaning routine and
the ability to clean black or other color combinations.

Also when it did a test pattern, it would print a pattern along the upper
border and stop.

Calling up another test pattern would advance the paper a inch or so and
then print the next pattern until it reached the end of the page.

This is a feature that is bound to be a paper saver.

I now want to thank you and all the others who helped me sort through this
problem. It certainly ws a educational experience, and will equip me to fix
other problems with the drunk.

Yours
Albert
 
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