6500A Plus: black print fades after a few pages

[sc00p]

The first time I tried copying several pages at once on my brand new 6500A Plus all-in-one, the black print became streaky (horizontal) after only three or four pages, then faded out altogether about halfway through the next page.  A few days later, I tried to print a memo about 20 pages long, and again, after the first few pages the print became streaky, then faded completely.  According to the software, the ink level is fine, and if I turn the printer off for a while and then restart it, individual pages including the diagnostic page look just fine.  What do I need to do to get it to print more than a few pages at a time?

Thanks!

[Bob_Headrick]

Make sure the cartridges are properly vented as shown in Solution 5, Step 3 of this document.

[sc00p]

The vents on the cartridges are clean and clear.  The label on top of the magenta cartridge is torn (I must have pulled too hard on the tape when preparing to install it). Could that be causing problems with the black print?  (Seriously -- could there be some strange interaction going on?)  I printed a diagnostic report and it looks good, but that's just the one page.

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

There would not be any interaction between the magenta ink supply and the black printing problem.  It is possible the black ink supply was not properly seated in the carriage holder. If you have not already reseated the supply I would suggest that as a next step.  Also check the ink warranty date as shown on this page, although it is unlikely that you have old cartridges.  The other possibility is a large air bubble in the printhead.  This could be cleared by running a couple printhead cleaning routines from the front panel.

If this does not resolve the issue I would suggest you Contact HP for warranty service.

[sc00p]

Bob,

Thanks -- I think the cleaning did it.  I just successfully printed the memo that faded out the other day, and the last page looks as good as the first.  Just for completeness, the cartridges are warranted until 12/2012, and I had already reseated them as part of inspecting the vents.

It seemed strange that a brand new printer would have such a ridiculous problem (air bubbles?), but then it occurred to me that a good cleaning to get rid of an air bubble in a new printhead seems somewhat analogous to a brand new human needing a little extra help to get rid of an air bubble in the tummy, and somehow that does make sense.  :-)  In any case, kudos to you, and as far as I'm concerned, this is solved.

Many thanks!