Epson Stylus 440

Epson Stylus color 440. I know it is old, but such a good workhorse, I just hate to put it down. I left it on for at least 24 hours. Now it won't print. The head will move out and sometimes make a few strokes and then run out a blank sheet. Is there hope for recovery or getting the old horse back on its feet? Help and suggestions appreciated.

 

The print heads may have become clogged. I have an old Epson Stylus colour 760 which is still going strong but it needs some care.

Presumably you have tried cleaning the print heads via the printer software and this has not helped.

If this is correct this is what I do with my Epson 760.

1. Easy way. Get a kitchen roll tissue and fold several times so that it can sit in the black well just below the ink jets. When in situ, generously wet the tissue with distilled / de-ionised water (do not use tap or mineral water). Run the print heads over the wet paper (there may be a catch that you can see on the outer edge of the print carriage which you may need to push down). There may also be a lever on the right which raises or lowers the carriage with a + and - sign.

Do this several times and try to rub the wet tissue over the print heads.

Any ink on the small grey rollers can be removed with qtips dipped with de-ionised water, then dried with clean qtip.

2. Harder way. Remove ink wells from printer and get a small 25cc plastic syringe. get small clear tubing that fits the end of the syringe (tubing used in home aquariums is what I use).

Fit small piece of (aquarium) tubing onto syringe. At the bottom on the ink holders on the printer you will see 2 posts (one in each slot ie black and colour). Fill syringe with water and plug the other end of the tubing into post.

PRIOR to connecting syringe to printer post, make sure that you have a clean tissue folded several times and placed under the print heads. Tissue should be dry as it will collect the water (see below).

They are made of plastic so be careful but it will be (should be a nug fit). Then SLOWLY push the plunger of the syringe. If water fills the reservoir then the fit on the plastic post is not snug enough so push it on more.

Once you pump the syringe, the tissue below the print heads will get wet and and soggy and become coloured. Refill the syringe and replace the tissue.

I normally do this several time about 3-4 for each ink well.

Also if you are going to go for the harder method make sure you do the easy one before.

Leave printer to dry for 24 hrs and replace ink cartridges. Then reconnect and print test page. This is likely to be very patchy. So you may need to use the printer cleaning program 2 or maybe 3 times.

After that she should print great.

One other thing given that this printer is probably older than mine (10yrs), it would be an idea to clean and regrease the rail that the print heads run along (shiny metal one).

Clean rail thoroughly first with a tissue. The tissue will look black with the debris. Put some oil on the rail and run the print heads over it a few times and remove and clean again. When no more black can be seen on tissue, oil sparingly with Tri-Flow.

Good Luck

I need a large pick-me up after typing this. I hope I have explained everything clearly and also hope this cure your problem.

PS a good website is http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/

 

PS. You may also consider using this, the epson cleaning kit which provides the syringe, etc (on left of page $9.95)

http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/search/center?q=epson+440

Which ever cleaning method is used ie epson cleaning fluid or distilled water, read the comments by Dennis Conway (5th post) as regards the syringe pressure used (and as I stated above). FYG, I have never left the fluid in as suggested but always used light pressure to force the distilled water through the print heads.

http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/25254#8

I never bothered with the epson kit just bought syring, etc and used distilled water which always worked very well for me.

Good Luck

 

I had an Epson C40ux that I got from a nonprofit I volunteered with. After some time, I got a fatal error message and discovered it was just the ink pad at the bottom that was soaked. I cleaned it by just soaking it in water and then letting it dry.

I searched a lot in Google for cleaning methods and what I used to get the printheads clean and working well was original blue Windex! I injected a couple mls in each cartridge and printed with my Windex cartridges. The Windex dissolved and even reconstituted the ink in the old cartridges. I had intended to put new cartridges in after using the Windex ones a short while, but the printout was good enough for the minor everyday things I printed that I just left the old cartridges in and printed with the Windex!

I have a couple HP printers now and, unlike Epson, the cartridges have the printheads on them. I am going to experiment with some Windex in them too.

 

Thanks to all, looks as though the Old Geezer has his work cut out for him.

 

Well, the machine is pumping ink on the cleaning cycle, but still dies not print the test pattern. Ask to print a document, it goes through the motions but no print on page.

Seems as though I have other problems than ink pumps and nozzels.

 

Thanks to those that have offered suggestions, they have helped prove ink can be delivered, signal seems to be the problem.