R340 - Reported Ink Levels horribly Out Of Whack

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom
  • Start date Start date
T

Tom

Hi,

I have an Epson R340 printer and it seems that every cartridge I pull
out to replace that the software says is empty, always has enough to
hear an audible splash of ink inside.

Is it normal for these chips to be that inefficient?

I've done some looking around and am I correct that the SK168 or the
SK168II chip resetter would be able to solve this problem by resetting
the chip so that the remaining ink can be used?

Additionally, is there something about the R340 or is it something about
Epson or printers in general that reading ink levels is this horrible?

I don't mind buying Epson cartridges when they need to be replaced, but
to replace cartridges that appear to still have apparently quite a bit
of usable ink inside to slosh around is a total waste.
 
A bit about how Epson printers determine ink levels.


As you might have noticed, the ink level chips do not directly interface
with the inside of the cartridge, so the chip doesn't actually report on
ink levels.

Instead, on an Epson cartridge, the cartridge comes to you with a known
ink level as new (at least in theory). From that point onward, ink
level is subtracted based upon the approximate ink used for different
functions, be they initial purge, head cleanings or printing itself.
None of these have absolute numbers connected to them. For instance,
although dots are "counted" during printing, the size of the dots (based
upon the variable dot size technology) may be anything from about 2
picolitres to 12 or more. So the system is not accurate to begin with.

Then take this inaccuracy to having to deal with heads that will easily
clog if left without new ink flowing in and you have a formula to making
sure there is a lot of extra ink left when the cartridges read "empty".
Using an ink resetter and using the cartridge until it empties will
save you money, but be careful about leaving a truly empty cartridge
sitting, as that can lead to clogged heads.

Art
 
A bit about how Epson printers determine ink levels.

As you might have noticed, the ink level chips do not directly
interface with the inside of the cartridge, so the chip doesn't
actually report on ink levels.
Click to expand...

I wondered how that worked, sounds like a poor design. I mean, if they
are going to send power down to the cartridge, I would hope someone
would have been smart enough to figure out a way to directly interface
the ink.
Instead, on an Epson cartridge, the cartridge comes to you with a
known ink level as new (at least in theory). From that point onward,
ink level is subtracted based upon the approximate ink used for
different functions, be they initial purge, head cleanings or printing
itself. None of these have absolute numbers connected to them. For
instance, although dots are "counted" during printing, the size of the
dots (based upon the variable dot size technology) may be anything
from about 2 picolitres to 12 or more. So the system is not accurate
to begin with.
Click to expand...

Might as well go back to counting sheets of printed paper. At least that
method allowed for pulling the cartridge out and resetting the level in
order to deplete the ink.

Although I missed the deadline, I understand that Epson was in the hot
seat with the courts over their ink levels. Not that the settlement was
anything major that would have fixed the problem.
Then take this inaccuracy to having to deal with heads that will
easily clog if left without new ink flowing in and you have a formula
to making sure there is a lot of extra ink left when the cartridges
read "empty".
Click to expand...

Let me tell you a true story. It happened about 4 months ago at a time
when I hadn't used the printer in a month or more. Because it had been
awhile I decided to check the nozzles. Of the 6 color test patterns, 2
were showing signs of broken lines.

After cleaning the heads, I ran the nozzle test a second time and
although the same colors showed broken lines, the pattern of broken
lines had shifted around.

A third and forth nozzle test with a head cleaning in between showed the
same colors with broken lines, but again the pattern had shifted. This
inconsistency continued after the fifth and sixth cleaning and nozzle
test cycle.

I decided to call Epson and ask them just how am I suppose to clean the
heads to removed the broken lines if after 5 cleanings and 6 nozzle test
patterns continue to show the same color with random lines coming up
missing.

The answer I received from Epson was to take one of the related
cartridges out of the printer. Once out, place my finger over the ink
hole and shake it a little bit. Then, put the cartridge back into the
cartridge holder in the printer and run another test pattern. Sure
enough, that cleared the nozzle and after doing the same thing to the
other cartridge, the printer was printing complete nozzle test patterns.

I had never heard of such a thing and having just run many previous
cleaning cycles that didn't work, to have this fix the problem, was
surprising. I don't have a reason for why this worked since the
cartridges do not include the print nozzles, but it worked.

I then checked the ink levels and ink levels had dropped between an
eighth to a quarter. Now I know that the recharging cycle uses ink and
keep in mind that during this whole thing I had the status monitor
showing, so when I say that all ink levels dropped between an eighth to
a quarter it was only during the recharge cycle.

The Epson tech said that the ink levels dropped to reflect a more
accurate measurement of the consumables. Yet, yesterday when I replaced
one of these cartridges it clearly had ink, enough ink, to slosh around.
Using an ink resetter and using the cartridge until it empties will
save you money, but be careful about leaving a truly empty cartridge
sitting, as that can lead to clogged heads.
Click to expand...

I mentioned the SK168(II) in my original post, do you have any
experience with either model and can recommend a site which sells them?

Also, Epson recommends that the printer be powered off when not in use,
but it seems to me that leaving the printer on, more likely than not,
the printer doesn't do as many automatic cleaning cycles. Although, I
don't use the printer on a daily basis. What do you recommend, leave on
or power off?
 
Tom said:
I wondered how that worked, sounds like a poor design. I mean, if they
are going to send power down to the cartridge, I would hope someone
would have been smart enough to figure out a way to directly interface
the ink.


Might as well go back to counting sheets of printed paper. At least that
method allowed for pulling the cartridge out and resetting the level in
order to deplete the ink.

Although I missed the deadline, I understand that Epson was in the hot
seat with the courts over their ink levels. Not that the settlement was
anything major that would have fixed the problem.


Let me tell you a true story. It happened about 4 months ago at a time
when I hadn't used the printer in a month or more. Because it had been
awhile I decided to check the nozzles. Of the 6 color test patterns, 2
were showing signs of broken lines.

After cleaning the heads, I ran the nozzle test a second time and
although the same colors showed broken lines, the pattern of broken
lines had shifted around.

A third and forth nozzle test with a head cleaning in between showed the
same colors with broken lines, but again the pattern had shifted. This
inconsistency continued after the fifth and sixth cleaning and nozzle
test cycle.

I decided to call Epson and ask them just how am I suppose to clean the
heads to removed the broken lines if after 5 cleanings and 6 nozzle test
patterns continue to show the same color with random lines coming up
missing.

The answer I received from Epson was to take one of the related
cartridges out of the printer. Once out, place my finger over the ink
hole and shake it a little bit. Then, put the cartridge back into the
cartridge holder in the printer and run another test pattern. Sure
enough, that cleared the nozzle and after doing the same thing to the
other cartridge, the printer was printing complete nozzle test patterns.

I had never heard of such a thing and having just run many previous
cleaning cycles that didn't work, to have this fix the problem, was
surprising. I don't have a reason for why this worked since the
cartridges do not include the print nozzles, but it worked.

I then checked the ink levels and ink levels had dropped between an
eighth to a quarter. Now I know that the recharging cycle uses ink and
keep in mind that during this whole thing I had the status monitor
showing, so when I say that all ink levels dropped between an eighth to
a quarter it was only during the recharge cycle.

The Epson tech said that the ink levels dropped to reflect a more
accurate measurement of the consumables. Yet, yesterday when I replaced
one of these cartridges it clearly had ink, enough ink, to slosh around.


I mentioned the SK168(II) in my original post, do you have any
experience with either model and can recommend a site which sells them?

Also, Epson recommends that the printer be powered off when not in use,
but it seems to me that leaving the printer on, more likely than not,
the printer doesn't do as many automatic cleaning cycles. Although, I
don't use the printer on a daily basis. What do you recommend, leave on
or power off?
Click to expand...
Just imagine how printing with an Epson would be so much easier if they
just made see through cartridges and a refillable designed cartridge that
was so simple a kid could refill the thing without messing up.

Well, what do you know...
http://www.inksupply.com/spongless_carts.cfm

Folks who have certain Epsons, (which happen to include the R340, R800,
R1800,R200, R220, R300, R320, R2400,C84, C86, C88, 890, 1280,and a bunch of
CX..., and several other models ) can get the benefits of being easily
refilled with these spongeless cartridges and not worry about the outrageous
cost of ink anymore. Being conservative here; it takes less than two minutes
to both refill one of these cartridges and reset the chip with a chip
resetter.
My point, for a very small outlay you can save a small fortune, stop
wondering how much ink Epson has left in the cartridge that you're about to
throw away, get to use every drop of ink that goes into the cartridge, use
decent quality ink, and do away with the waste of empty Epson cartridges
from dropping into landfills.
I've been using these cartridges for a year now and have them running on
seven C84 printers in our school and one R1800 printer with excellent
results.
I just wish this methodolgy would be applied to all the other Epsons and
every other printer maker as well.
 
I think we may begin to see a movement back to the older business model
of charging a reasonable yet profitable cost for the printer, and pay a
reasonable price for the ink cartridges. HP has already begun this with
their new Chinese market, and if they find that lower cartridge prices
can maintain their ink sales, they may just do so for other markets.

With the OE demanding all toner and ink cartridges be refillable, the
writing is beginning to appear on the walls that the 3rd party market
has a great following which is getting larger daily.

Art
 
Regarding Epson's solution to intermittent nozzle clogs that move
around. The condition your printers were manifesting was ink
starvation. It can be caused by numerous situations, but in your case
it is probably either an air lock at the ink outlet area of the
cartridge, a sticky valve, or the screens at the tip of the ink nipple
which is the part that punctures the hole in the cartridge seal, may
have been clogged or containing an air lock. Occasionally it can be due
to an air valve being clogged

My remedy is a couple of drops of Isopropyl alcohol in the ink outlet of
the cartridge and one or two more on the ink spick (ink nipple),

I'll leave it to others to discuss which chip setting devices are most
easy to use successfully.


Art
 
The answer I received from Epson was to take one of the related
cartridges out of the printer. Once out, place my finger over the ink
hole and shake it a little bit. Then, put the cartridge back into the
cartridge holder in the printer and run another test pattern. Sure
enough, that cleared the nozzle and after doing the same thing to the
other cartridge, the printer was printing complete nozzle test
patterns.

I had never heard of such a thing and having just run many previous
cleaning cycles that didn't work, to have this fix the problem, was
surprising. I don't have a reason for why this worked since the
cartridges do not include the print nozzles, but it worked.

I then checked the ink levels and ink levels had dropped between an
eighth to a quarter. Now I know that the recharging cycle uses ink
and keep in mind that during this whole thing I had the status
monitor showing, so when I say that all ink levels dropped between an
eighth to a quarter it was only during the recharge cycle.

The Epson tech said that the ink levels dropped to reflect a more
accurate measurement of the consumables. Yet, yesterday when I
replaced one of these cartridges it clearly had ink, enough ink, to
slosh around.
Click to expand...
[...]

Regarding Epson's solution to intermittent nozzle clogs that move
around. The condition your printers were manifesting was ink
starvation. It can be caused by numerous situations, but in your case
it is probably either an air lock at the ink outlet area of the
cartridge, a sticky valve, or the screens at the tip of the ink nipple
which is the part that punctures the hole in the cartridge seal, may
have been clogged or containing an air lock. Occasionally it can be
due to an air valve being clogged
Click to expand...

That makes sense. Is that something to be concerned about considering
this is a relatively new printer that was using the original inks at
that time?
My remedy is a couple of drops of Isopropyl alcohol in the ink outlet
of the cartridge and one or two more on the ink spick (ink nipple),
Click to expand...

Epson's solution to shake the cartridge, I suspect, would cause bubbles
to form inside and that can't be good either, right?

But, what really bugs me is the levels dropping in some cartridges as
much as a quarter and Epson's lame explanation that I'm seeing a more
accurate reading of the ink levels.
I mentioned the SK168(II) in my original post, do you have any
experience with either model and can recommend a site which sells
them?
Click to expand...
[...]

I'll leave it to others to discuss which chip setting devices are most
easy to use successfully.
Click to expand...

I waited a bit to reply for the others to show up, but I don't think the
others are coming.

Just to clarify, when I mentioned above about leaving the printer on, I
wasn't suggesting doing that for months of non-use. More like one or two
weeks of non-use. Otherwise, I would shut the printer off if it was
going to be longer than 14 days.
 
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