SP-300 isn't printing yellow anymore

[Laboratory17]

I've had zero problems with this machine since I got it 6 years ago, then this.

I ran out of yellow ink, nothing unusual, then I replaced it with a MaraJet cartridge, the first one I had ever used.

My next job was a bunch of red circles, and the first row came out magenta, but then the yellow came in and they were all red after that, about 10 feet total.
Then it was yellow circles for 10 feet and they were all fine, then 10 feet of blue circles (which didn't use any yellow anyway), and then 5 feet of green circles, all came out fine.

Then I let it sit a few days, and I tried 5 more feet of green circles and they were all coming out blue. it wasn't like the red circles when the yellow came in after the first row. i did a powerful cleaning and swabbed the heads, but that didn't help.

As a test i made a file that was just a gigantic 100% yellow block and printed it at the highest resolution. Some yellow ink did come out, but it looks like less than 1% fill. Like any less and it'd just be white. It didn't print splotchy or anything either, just extremely faint.

Of course, I thought the off-brand ink cartridge might have something to do with it, so today I went and got a genuine Roland cartridge. It didn't help. Everything is exactly the same.

I did some searching and found some threads describing similar problems, but no real definite answers...Clogged line? Air bubble? More tests I can do to figure it out?


Thanks in advance

 

[ams]

Did the ink run completely 100% out? If so you have dry lines which requires you to pump back in more ink. One way of doing it is to make like a 48" X 48" square and set for 100% yellow, let it keep going until it comes out again. It may be blank for awhile but it should come back.

Clogged line I don't know how to fix but could be. Air bubble pain in the butt but simple fix.

 

[lab17]

thanks for the reply

when the yellow ran out, it did it the usual way. printing paused and the lcd showed the ink levels, with #4 flashing. i put the new cartridge in and it continued printing.

after i made my original post, i printed three more giant blocks, and it did improve a little. i'd say it's printing 2% now, but hasn't continued to improve. think it will improve if i just keep at it?

 

[ams]

After all that, it's not a dry line at all. It is clogged or an air bubble.
I would try this first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYNHhZMLAwU

 

[Laboratory17]

woooo i think that worked! it looks like we're in business!

thanks a million!





now... what caused the air bubble in the first place? wonder if it was the off-brand cartridge that may have caused the problem initially.

 

[ams]

woooo i think that worked! it looks like we're in business!

thanks a million!





now... what caused the air bubble in the first place? wonder if it was the off-brand cartridge that may have caused the problem initially.

The world may never know, however I've never used off-brand ink and have never had a single issue. I've heard some stories about problems with off-brand, you get what you pay for. It's worth $10 more to have a healthy printer.

 

[Laboratory17]

i agree, the only reason i got it was because it was what the place that'll deliver to me has. $50 for a 440 is a hell of a deal (if the cartridge actually works, that is)