HP PHOTOSMART 8250 replaced/cleaned cartridges does not print yellow and test page smears black.

[coolman]

My HP PHOTOSMART 8250 Q3470A worked flawlessly for years but now won't print yellow even on test and after cleanings and replacing cartridge.  Excess black ink now smudges left area of test page; happened more than once.

I've always used HP Inks and cartridges.

Lately, when starting to print there has been, at times, a loud noise from inside the roller area, as if something either was grunding or something slipped, but it always printed colots well ... until now. Noise is very brief.

I'm looking for a clear statement of what the problem might be, and a solution.  

Also, in the Tampa Bay Florida area -- any services centers to recommend for service?

[HardBeatZ]

Hello coolman,

Before we look at servicing the product there are a few things we can take a look at some you may have already done, but the other steps may help resolve the issue.

The first thing I would look at doing is to calibrate the color 

Calibrate color

1. Open the printer Toolbox :
   1. Open HP Solution Center (click Start , then All Programs , then HP , then HP Solution Center ).
   2. If you have more than one printer installed, make sure to select the correct printer tab in HP Solution Center .
   3. Click Settings .
   4. Click Print Settings .
   5. Click Printer Toolbox .
2. On the Device Services tab, click Calibrate Color , then follow the onscreen instructions. The procedure takes about two minutes and requires two sheets of paper.

These steps along with others can be found in this HP troubleshooting article.

Colors Bleeding into Each Other

The article specifically addresses an issue of colors bleeding into each other, something similar to what you are seeing with your black ink. However, the steps have been known to help other users who are experiencing issues of specific colors not working as well.

Let me know the outcome after you have calibrated the ink and when you said you did some cleanings, was it the print head you cleaned? If not you would want to go over the steps to clean the print head in the article as well and ensure you do that.

[coolwriter]

I tried all recommended steps to no avail.  I also spoke with a HP service guy, which has been working on HP since 1988.  He recommended to buy a new one, because price to fix mine would be prohibitive.

Unless you recommend something different and inexpensive as a fix, I'll stick with my new investment in the Canon PIXMA MX892 we just purchased.  Still, I'd like to get my HP 8250 working again.