Need Help VS 540i losing black but comes back after cleaning then gone again. HELP!

[CSOCSO]

Hey everyone. My first ever issue with my printer. The warranty was over just 2 months ago and now 1 of the black ink won't print. I keep doing test prints and the right black goes out almost completely. I do a medium or powerful cleaning and it comes back %100 then after 5-10ft of printing it goes out again. I have to print the biggest sprinter there is for tomorrow. So far wasted 20 ft of material reprinting. Now I am doing medium cleaning mid print every 10 minutes. Yep.... I would rather have a small line in the print when it stops for cleaning then keep reprinting every single panel
I have tried to swap the cartridges but same thing; only the right black goes out. And it goes out in an instant! see pics. Not sure if I could do anything tonight since its past 8:30pm and gotta babysit the printer and do medium cleaning every 10 minutes If you have an idea please help

 

[player]

How long after does it disappear?

 

[CSOCSO]

How long after does it disappear?

the sprinter is almost like 280 inches or something. first it printed 110 then went out. came back immediately after 1 powerful cleaning. printed like 70 inches. powerful clean. was all good again and printed another 70 inches or so. powerful clean and i am printing with medium cleaning every 15 minutes. the other side printed out that way. no issue with the ink on that print besides the 3 or 4 line that occours because the printer stops for cleaning and all the wasted inks.

 

[player]

Cap(s) and dampers?

 

[CSOCSO]

UPDATE: I don't want to jinx it but it looks like it was just a bunch of air in the system. After half a dozen cleaning ( 3 powerful and like 4 medium cleaning) the black never went out so far. I was able to print the top of the side which is like 200 inches if not more. Didn't do any cleaning on that print and came out all good.

UPDATE 2: nope. its out again it might be air. i dont know. can it suck false air by the cartridge?

 

[Ironhorse Signs]

Hi CSOCSO,
I had this same issue and it turned out to be a cracked head manifold. a very very tiny break and almost invisible to the eye, yet would suck air and cause half the black to drop out randomly. Dimes to doughnuts thats it.
There is also the possibility that you have a cracked Y junction where your captop tubes are joined to the pump, but less likely as that would make both sides of the color drop out and not only one side.
Cheers,
Daryl

 

[TimToad]

We just had the same thing happen after replacing a head, caps and dampers and now all the manifolds. Those little nipples on the manifolds are fragile as hell and the solvents weaken them over time.

Check your connections on the dampers to the manifolds.

 

[CSOCSO]

Hi CSOCSO,
I had this same issue and it turned out to be a cracked head manifold. a very very tiny break and almost invisible to the eye, yet would suck air and cause half the black to drop out randomly. Dimes to doughnuts thats it.
There is also the possibility that you have a cracked Y junction where your captop tubes are joined to the pump, but less likely as that would make both sides of the color drop out and not only one side.
Cheers,
Daryl

Thanks for the reply. Are you talking about the little nipples on top of the printhead?basically the nipple of the dampers?

 

[Ironhorse Signs]

Thanks for the reply. Are you talking about the little nipples on top of the printhead?basically the nipple of the dampers?

Yes, exactly. Even if you take the dampers off you still may not be able to see the tiny crack. It it a relatively easy procedure to replace the manifold, which does require you to take the head out of the machine in the same procedure you'd use if you were replacing a head.
Solventinkjet sells these as does Digiprint supplies. Shipping from Digiprint is spotty in terms of quick delivery.

 

[CSOCSO]

Yes, exactly. Even if you take the dampers off you still may not be able to see the tiny crack. It it a relatively easy procedure to replace the manifold, which does require you to take the head out of the machine in the same procedure you'd use if you were replacing a head.
Solventinkjet sells these as does Digiprint supplies. Shipping from Digiprint is spotty in terms of quick delivery.

have you mess around with it and that's why they broke or they broke by itself?