Question HP L25500 - trouble shooting why i lost full cyan cart. Can someone sell me their last 10% of cyan c

[Doug Allan]

hey all,
I may post the longer story, to see who may know more trouble shooting tips or feedback, but I have a tech coming next week, & I just bought a full cyan cartridge, but I'm thinking having a partial on hand (1/4 cartridge or less) would be worth trying to buy at pro-rated price, plus priority mail flat rate postage + some gas $

...all I know is I had a seemingly uneventful head strike, on 3651, just like the other several each year I've seen with no adverse consequences, except after this head strike, I re-positioned the vinyl, sent the job, and suddenly there was cyan ink everywhere! ...since I had an international flight to catch the next day, and weeks of my life booked elsewhere, I couldn't even begin to think about scheduling repairs etc...

I almost pulled the trigger on an HP 310 series, but my finances (after that trip) are such that I have to at least explore fixing this thing.

I was even able to get a test print after the thing sat 5 months, turned off, with none of the ink even cleaned, except off a few pinch rollers so I could load media. I don't know if there is cause for any optimism, but I bought some cyan & a C/LC printhead (just in case, even though they both look fine) and found a tech who can take an initial look a week from today.

I'd hate to have to insert $100+ new cartridge just to be able to run a test, & then have the entire cartridge spew into the machine somehow. Guess I should note the 'tech" I mentioned has worked on roland & maybe some solvent printers, so he knows a thing or two... and he is ion this island, where I'm at least only committing $100 to his first look. Hopefully he would know how to protect against losing another cartridge full of ink, but he liked my idea of trying to buy one from someone who is almost due to change one anyway & willing to help me out.

Anyone reading here who might consider this? I guess it would have to go down fairly soon to allow a few days in transit. Maybe UPS blue wouldn't push my costs as high as a full cartridge, plus peace of mind & perhaps saving more spillage, so if someone is open to this, you can email me direct at: sales@islandsign.com

thanks

 

[papabud]

the heads on these printers are a changable consumable item. they are not known to have a long life span.
its possible you broke on and it dumped all of its ink.
its also possible you cracked an ink supply line. i would double check your ink lines for any kind of damage. also check your carriage for damage. replace the heads. and see what it does.

 

[Doug Allan]

Thanks bud

I sent a dm to ask if you have any tips on how to check ink supply line...

 

[SignMeUpExpress]

Thanks bud

I sent a dm to ask if you have any tips on how to check ink supply line...

get a wide gauge syringe, and follow these steps.
turn it off, hold down power,. cancel, and up arrow for a few seconds after turning on, that puts it in maintenance mode.
Go to Diagnostic test>4. Ink System Menu>4.3 Broken Bag Recovery Menu>4.4.2 Refill Ink Tubes, and press OK.
Pick the color you're having trouble with, and follow the directions.
It'll pressurize the line, and if you can suck out ink, then your ink supply line is ok.
(see page 151 in the service manual, if you have it)

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Doug, how did you get on- did you fix or solve the problem?
(We have a 25500, and a spare one for parts, and I've got through afew problems with help... and there are three manuals you can download, if you search Google for the user manual, an 700 page tech service manual, and another tips and problems one that's about 30 pages.)

At the moment the 25500 has invented its own issues, and I picked up a L260 for a price cheaper than the 20 ink carts that came with it, so I'm planning to get that going before I solve the issues with the 25500 which are peculiar at the moment. The error message doesnlt exist in the book...
but a friend in Malta has helped me a lot.

 

[Doug Allan]

Hi Ian,
Been quite a while since we last chatted. Thanks for taking the time to post.

I found a somewhat qualified tech, and after a nominal investment, the diagnosis was "not worth fixing", which I didn't resist or dispute.

I don't believe it was unfixable, but I agree that it might have taken a lot of resources and still with no warranty, a new issue could arise the next day, so I was fine disposing of the machine, after snagging the inks, spindle, and printhead carriage with the main board.

If I (or someone I know) ever buy(s) an HP printer, I believe the old board can result in a decent price break.

So, I pitched it in the landfill, & found a guy to loan me an L26500... pretty unbelievable luck, for this small island!

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Thanks for the reply, Doug.
'Not worth fixing' is relative to a lot of things.
I was given a 25500 that the previous owners were quoted $5k repair bill for.
A tech bloke told me he'd steer me through repairing it myself, if I had two days spare, and $400 for parts...
At the moment I use it however, as a donor machne for parts, boards etc!