Cannon iMAGEprograf IFP5000 - does it worth to make it functional again ?

[Quercus]

Hello,

I have finaly managed to get a large format printer Cannon iMAGEprograf IFP5000
Regarding to the previous owner "it will be necessary to replace the L printhead"

The printer was offline for a month ... and when we turned on the printer today, the printer have started a head cleaning procedure
Before the head cleaning half of the inks were at 100%, 2 inks at 40% and the rest between 60 and 80% and a new maint. cartridge was installed.

After the cleaning has finished, the Y and PGY ins were drained (were on 40% before the cleaning) and the maint. cartridge was reported as full.

I have downloaded the logs using the L Printer Service tool (see atachments) but couldnt find all error codes from the log in the service manual:

Error 03810215-2589 Remaining ink low (PGY)
03810201-2581 Remaining ink low (Y)
03010000-2E25 ??
03010000-2E27 ??


Warn 01810115-1009 PGY almost empty ?
01810101-1001 Y almost empty ?
01841001-281A Remaining capacity of maintenance cartridge is insufficient to execute each cleaning
01810107-100A Ink level check ?? - which color ?
01810109-100B Ink level check ?? - which color ?
01061000-1021 ??

The following errors were visible in the service mode prior to cleaning:
03800300-2801 Unable to correct printhead R DI
03800500-280E ??
03800500-280D ??
03841001-281B ??



PRINT_INF.txt
Status_Print.txt

The main question is ... based on these errors, does it worth to invest time and more resources into this printer, or rather try to convince my coleagues to get a new LFP in the future.

Thanks in advance

[kajsa39]

These print heads have a shelf live, they last around 420 days then they give these errors, you can check how many days they have done in print head info in the menu's.

These heads are around £450 each so it's worth asking yourself is this worth it and if so fitting them with clear the codes but will use more ink to install them.

[Quercus]

These print heads have a shelf live, they last around 420 days then they give these errors, you can check how many days they have done in print head info in the menu's.

I'm dot at the printer at them moment, and when I'm connected to the printer remotely I see no detailed info about the heads.
Hovewer based on the logs, the L head was changed only once during the lifetime of the printer (6-7+ years ?) and the R head twice ... so it seems that the life of the PF-03 will be quite more than just a year and 1/4 ...

These heads are around £450 each so it's worth asking yourself is this worth it and if so fitting them with clear the codes but will use more ink to install them.

Ive checked with our supplier and at the moment I can have a new head at approx 380-390 EUR ... thats £330-£340

[yourownfree]

The first thing you need to do is install the latest firmware which can be had from the Canon website. If the machine has been sitting without use the ink in the heads might have dried. Here is a reason why the ink tanks drained. The machine goes through cleaning which is really dumping ink by passing ink through the heads into the waste. Then it does a nozzle check where it sprays ink from the head into a sensor mechanism called the head management sensor. Now first of all the machine is dumb. It cleans by opening the head jets and the purge unit sucks the ink out then it does a nozzle check, sprays ink into the head management sensor. If it does not see any one of the colors it will do another cleaning and nozzle check until it see that color, which might not even happen. it will eventually go into an error. you clear it and do it again and blast thorough more ink. I think the ink that did not go empty is the one that is not working. In which case a new head might fix the problem. If that does not then you are in trouble. depending on the machine mileage you might need to replace the carriage assy and the main controller. Here is why. If the head goes bad the ink could be dried up or it could just be bad. It could be bad enough to take out a board. I have seen a main controller be bad and not get a head error. So if a new head does not fix then I would suspect that the old head took out a board. You could try and soak the head in hot soapy water for a hour to see if that frees it up. Before I did that I would perform the move printer function. It will drain the ink in the head first, just follow the instructions the machine gives when you select move printer. The carriage will move out to remove the head when it is ready and tell you to turn machine off. Then pull the head and soak it, even up to the inlet and jet area. It should be sealed enough to not let water into the electrical of head. Doesnt matter anyway its shot at this point so what do you have to lose? When you are done soaking dry off the head and turn it over to let the water and soap run out. The soap should be gone by now anyway. refit the head and finish the moving process. It will refill the head and clean and so on. hopefully come ready. But before you do any of this update the firmware in service mode. If that doesnt work use Ltool. Usb works best. The firmware needs to be up to date.

[Quercus]

I have cleaned the heads and most of the nozzles work just fine except two colors (upper right and lower right of the nozzle check pattern)



Whad could cause the missing blocks in the nozzle check pattern ?

Is there a way to fix it or the heads are gone ?

[yourownfree]

you didn't get an error code? Could mean the heads are good. Ok here is what I want you to do. check the lines for air? Best if you do this: get the head in the position so you can remove them. You will need to pull covers for this one. You could do this two ways I guess but the manual approach works for me less ink loss. The manual approach. Remove the heads,remove the covers so you can turn the gears to open the valves to the ink tanks. one each side. The ink will drain back into the tanks. Once this is done turn on the machine without the heads. Make sure the head release parts are closed up as if the heads are in there. This approach is like a new machine and you are putting in heads and ink is still in the tanks. Might go into error thats ok. after it does then turn machine off then put heads in. Then reboot. The inks should all come up together through the tubes to the head where before you might have all of them there except for the colors you are missing. Then after this do a nozzle test again. If this doesn't fix it, with machine off and you grounded with a static strap, remove and reinsert the FFC cable. The flat ribbon cables. They go to the heads. careful or you could break the connectors. look closely as possibly some of those have a connector with a brown tightener on them. You cant just pull the cable out or insert them. The must be released very very carefully. They brown clip comes up just slightly to release. Then pull cable out then reinsert and push on the brown clamp very very carefully. These will break easily ans then what would you do? Well try these things in order. Best try the ink thing first its safer. Did you do the test from service mode or user mode? Just curious. I am surprised there was no error. Starting up in service mode it does not go through its cleaning cycle. So you wont any more ink than needed here for the test. If the ink does not rise in the tubes in service mode the start in user mode and let it go til it either comes ready or errors out. The problem is you might run out of ink. So first try service mode.

[Quercus]

you didn't get an error code? Could mean the heads are good.

Ok here is what I want you to do. check the lines for air? Best if you do this: get the head in the position so you can remove them. You will need to pull covers for this one.
You could do this two ways I guess but the manual approach works for me less ink loss. The manual approach. Remove the heads,remove the covers so you can turn the gears to open the valves to the ink tanks. one each side. The ink will drain back into the tanks. Once this is done turn on the machine without the heads. Make sure the head release parts are closed up as if the heads are in there. This approach is like a new machine and you are putting in heads and ink is still in the tanks.

Might go into error thats ok. after it does then turn machine off then put heads in. Then reboot. The inks should all come up together through the tubes to the head where before you might have all of them there except for the colors you are missing.

Done ... hovewer I had to inser a new Yellow and PGY cartridge ... otherwise it refused to refill the tubes

Then after this do a nozzle test again.

The nozzle test done in the service mode has the same missing pattern as the previous one.
When printing the test pattern, I get a Check L printhead and Check R printhead error messages.

If this doesn't fix it, with machine off and you grounded with a static strap, remove and reinsert the FFC cable. The flat ribbon cables. They go to the heads. careful or you could break the connectors. look closely as possibly some of those have a connector with a brown tightener on them. You cant just pull the cable out or insert them. The must be released very very carefully. They brown clip comes up just slightly to release. Then pull cable out then reinsert and push on the brown clamp very very carefully. These will break easily ans then what would you do? Well try these things in order. Best try the ink thing first its safer. Did you do the test from service mode or user mode? Just curious. I am surprised there was no error. Starting up in service mode it does not go through its cleaning cycle. So you wont any more ink than needed here for the test. If the ink does not rise in the tubes in service mode the start in user mode and let it go til it either comes ready or errors out. The problem is you might run out of ink. So first try service mode.

I have removed and reinserted all the FFC cables. There was no wisible marks of damage nor oxidation on the ends of the FFC cables.
Unfortunately the nozzle check result is the same.

Is there a chance that it could be still possible to fix the printer? Replacing BOTH heads is not an option with prices 300-400 EUR / head

[Quercus]

It seems that most economical will be part out the printer to cut the loss since its almost 100% that both heads are faulty.

Give me a shout if anybody wants any parts of the IPF5000.

Its located in europe, but most parts can be shipped worldwide

[yourownfree]

It is hard to tell without being there and actually looking at it. I dont think there is anything wrong with the heads as it would go into an error stating the heads were bad. You said it would fill the tubes? The whole process is fairly simple how the machine works. Try this go into the menu tell the machine you want to move it. it will dump some ink though. It then will ask you to remove the heads. then it will ask you to turn off machine. Pretend you moved it to another location. Leaving the heads outs turn on machine and do exactly what the screen says. It will ask you to insert the heads. dont do it until it ask. Also does it have the latest firmware. I would do that first before you do anything else or try anything else. It is so important to do. I would not even attempt to fix it without doing it. It is so easy to do. go download the utility from hp. run it, it will ask you what printer to do it on, then press upgrade and wait. Its that easy. Then do the move. It is in the service menu. If you do see the ink tubes full at this point notice if it is the left tank or the right tank that the inks are coming from that isnt working or inks from both tanks. If you do not get inks up the tubes then it wont print right. I am not sure if you were successful with the last try or just to much to try but if you go into the service menu and press move printer the only thing you have to do is wait on the machine. If in the menu you happen to see w-ink I think it is in initialize this will clear the waste cartridge(main-cart) count. That way you can just clean out the waste container and reuse it.If you dont reset it, chances are it will ask you to after or during the move command. It just might fix it. If it doesn't then its probably too much to explain how to service it to get it to work without me being on location. Then your choice to part out might be good idea, but how do you know what is good or bad? If you do place the heads in a baggie with a wet paper towel to keep the inks from drying out. You might sell them too. Do try the move command first.

[Quercus]

It is hard to tell without being there and actually looking at it. I dont think there is anything wrong with the heads as it would go into an error stating the heads were bad.

At this moment already bothh: "Check L printhead" and "Check R printhead" are displayed ... and any attempt to run a cleaning cycle drains approx 20% of most inks ...

You said it would fill the tubes? The whole process is fairly simple how the machine works. Try this go into the menu tell the machine you want to move it.

I laready did this

it will dump some ink though. It then will ask you to remove the heads. then it will ask you to turn off machine. Pretend you moved it to another location. Leaving the heads outs turn on machine and do exactly what the screen says. It will ask you to insert the heads. dont do it until it ask. Also does it have the latest firmware. I would do that first before you do anything else or try anything else. It is so important to do. I would not even attempt to fix it without doing it. It is so easy to do. go download the utility from hp. run it, it will ask you what printer to do it on, then press upgrade and wait. Its that easy. Then do the move. It is in the service menu. If you do see the ink tubes full at this point notice if it is the left tank or the right tank that the inks are coming from that isnt working or inks from both tanks. If you do not get inks up the tubes then it wont print right. I am not sure if you were successful with the last try or just to much to try but if you go into the service menu and press move printer the only thing you have to do is wait on the machine. If in the menu you happen to see w-ink I think it is in initialize this will clear the waste cartridge(main-cart) count. That way you can just clean out the waste container and reuse it.If you dont reset it, chances are it will ask you to after or during the move command. It just might fix it. If it doesn't then its probably too much to explain how to service it to get it to work without me being on location. Then your choice to part out might be good idea, but how do you know what is good or bad? If you do place the heads in a baggie with a wet paper towel to keep the inks from drying out. You might sell them too. Do try the move command first.

I did the move command after there was no luck with your previous recomendation.
After the move command the result wast that It refused to fill the lines because the Y and PGY inks were runing low. After finishing the steps in your previous message + the move command and refilling the lines, totaly almost 0,3 kg ink went into the MC (based on the weight difference of the MC before and after the steps).