jv3 160sp heads not firing

[humpsigns]

Ok... had printer printing about 85%..Just had banding in blue. Bought 4 heads from digiprint one new head was bad that had loose part rattling inside no luck getting it replaced ,so put old head back on, thats where I was getting the banding from.But the test print color bands were jumping around from the side to side then in middle.Wiped encoder strip with 70% isopropkl alcohol and started loosing heads, then put generic encoder strip on (GRATING) and new head. The new head fire real good at first but now today just getting one side of black and one side of magenta with no cyan or yellow that never worked since new encoder.
Main board and slider has been to Mac Media checked out good.So with that said, Has anybody used generic encoder strips with good results or bad. Humpsigns

 

[artbot]

it would seem that if any color is firing properly, then the encoder strip can't be to blame. it's a universal part and can't cause a problem on a particular channel. it's just reporting to the firmware the carriage position. thus, the only issue you could have is dots or printing out of position. all encoder strips are basically the same. there's 150 lpi for 300/600 dpi heads, 180 lpi for 360/720 heads. i really doubt that one company would have an "encoder strip" advantage over the next. it's just laser printed PET. look at the encoder strip and make sure you didn't leave some kind of residue from the alcohol. i've seen it leave milky streaks. plus did you inspect the encoder inch by inch with a loop?

if the heads are a fresh install, then you might be getting some vapor lock. but that usually goes away after a good test print is achieved.

 

[humpsigns]

Iam getting plenty of ink coming from pumps to the dump bottle on all heads, could it still be an vapor lock.

 

[artbot]

well vapor lock usually require pulling a vacuum with a syringe from the waste line. the pumps just don't seem to pull the right way. the pull in short bursts. a syringe continuous. pull about 10ccs or so from the waste line and see if there's a difference. also with your test print. are the missing lines moving about , or is it the same nozzles no matter what you do?

 

[humpsigns]

right now black and magenta printing real good on one side of the head, same place on each ever time, cyan and yellow not printing at all

 

[humpsigns]

pull cyan from wast line, still no print

 

[humpsigns]

also replace battery in printer would that have anything to do with it. I get battery exchange every time I start printer and I already set the date and time

 

[artbot]

i assume you are printing CMYKx2. do a data swap between magenta and cyan. you are looking to see if the issue jumps between them. it's starting to sound like you have an exotic issue. a bad encoder sensor can cause the printer to allow the carriage to go in to motion but without the heads firing. but this is much different. you need to eliminate some possibilities with a data swap. sorry you are having such a rough time.

 

[humpsigns]

Already did data swap and have a new encoder sensor, don't have a loop but used magnifying glass to look at strip and looks like the sensor is putting a horizontal line on it. Yes running cmykx2 and was printing alright not perfect before I stated screwing around with strip

 

[artbot]

you might be able to raise the encoder to read a different/higher portion of the strip.

with the data swap, does the issue stay at the head?

 

[humpsigns]

This is what I did, I put new head in cyan slot printed great so wasn't so sure about the swap on those cables so I put new head in magenta slot and digi head in cyan slot. Magenta printed great test print and black still half print, cyan and yellow still no print.Today started printer did test print and now new head (magenta now) only printing half.Just dont get it....printed great test on new head last night...so I was thinking all of digi heads were bad

 

[humpsigns]

Think it could be the main cables from the board to the slider

 

[artbot]

i had a real hard time following the isolation sequence. i've had a bit of a rough day in jv3-land too today. so maybe it's just the hours. the heads that were replaced... i'm assuming they never gave you any half on half off issue? might you pop in an old one an see what it does (i know you already have the black one from before, so maybe that's redundant). it would be telling if it suddenly printed half, etc.

as far as the main board, i remember (maybe it was mikepro?) had a jv3 that was just undiagnosable with overspray and such. ended up being the cable, if i remember. this was about three years ago.

what makes you think it might be the cable?

 

[humpsigns]

ok just pulled ink on magenta getting ink on the other side now not 100% but better...pulled ink on black still the same

 

[SightLine]

I'm almost thinking capping or pump issues.

 

[humpsigns]

Well I was getting this crazy test print so I pull all the cables from slider and main board and reset them and it got rid of that prob. But as I was taking them out I look very close at each one and they where set tight and straight in slot. bought printer used with bad heads, dried ink and worn out,so no old heads.About the data swap I just change head from one slot to another,not too sure about swapping cables on the cyan and yellow. I know there are cables on that side you aren't suppose to switch, or the manual just has me confused

 

[artbot]

@humpsigns, please upload some pics so we can visualize the test pattern. like sightline mentioned. you may just have an ink issue. if the pattern is spotty to nearly blank on one side of the channel....or zero ink, that is the question. a pic would be telling. get some cleaning solution and clean the inside of your caps really good. ...clear of ink. now do a normal clean. pull the carriage aside. you should be able to tell if just one side of the cap is pooled with ink from the clean. also, turn off everything that can possibly make noise (pc fans, hvac, etc) pull at the waste line (yell at any partner that is helping to "be quiet!" ...at least that's what i do). you'll be able to hear the hiss of a leak.

still though a test pattern photo will make it easier to diagnose. data looks different than ink supply.

 

[humpsigns]

Do not exchange the FPC between rows A and B because of power short-circuit.So that means I can swap just like black and magenta but dont cross a & b.... maybe its the arrows on the swap diagram that is confusing me???

 

[artbot]

yeah. the one in the manual makes very little sense. here's a rendering of how it goes.

top to top, bottom to bottom in pairs. just like crossing your legs. there's no bottom to top, or splitting the heads cables across channels.

 

[humpsigns]

have the test print pic whats the trick to thumbnail it