Printer "cartridge error" on Officejet 5610

[helpwanted54]

Near the end of printing 29 pages of a fax, my HP 5610 All-in-one printer stopped cold.  The display read "cartridge error; refer to device documentation to troubleshoot".  After research, I carefully followed the instruction for cleaning the contacts on the cartridges and the printer for both color and black cartridges (actually almost never use the color cartridge and the job stopped during the receival of a fax so it seemed that the black cartridge was the culprit).  When that didn't correct the error message, I replaced the black cartridge with a brand new one (even though current one was only installed 3 weeks ago and expiration was December 2011).  Printer is 4-years old but receives light use (only need to replace the black cartridge every 5-6 months).  I don't see anything else to do but replace the machine.  Any other ideas before I junk it? Thanks.

[Bob_Headrick]

The color cartridge may fail over time even if it is little used.  For this model I believe the printer will print (but probably not fax or copy) with only one cartridge.  Try the following: remove the color cartridge and print a test page from the computer.  Does the printer print normally?  Is so the color cartridge was the issue and should be replaced.  If not then put the color cartridge back in and remove the black cartridge and print test page.  If the printer now prints normally the black cartridge was at fault and needs to be replaced.

[helpwanted54]

Per your suggestion, I've tried removing the color cartridge (left) and operating the machine with the black cartridge only.   The new message is "insert cartridge on left".  Then I tried the same with the black cartridge (right) removed with the color cartridge only - the new message is "insert cartridge on right".  With both trials, I also tried turning the machine off and on again with the single cartridge removed.  Then when I reinstalled both cartridges, I get the original error message I reported in my first message, keeping the machine inoperable.  Back to square 1.

Per your message, the original black cartridge was nearly-new (installed 3-weeks ago) with an expiration of 12/11.  Even so, I then put in brand-new black cartridge with an expiration of 12/12.  With no improvement, that should eliminate the possibility that the black cartridge is the problem.

But I will admit the color cartridge, almost never used and couldn't possibly be out of ink, has an expiration of 5/7/08.  Any other recommendations to try?  Buying a $20.00-plus cartridge to definitely fix the problem is acceptable; spending that money with only a hope that would fix the problem is not.  If I did that and the problem wasn't fixed, I surely wouldn't be looking to purchase another HP printer as my replacement.   So again, any other ideas?  Thanks for your help!

[Bob_Headrick]

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@helpwanted54 wrote:

[snip]

But I will admit the color cartridge, almost never used and couldn't possibly be out of ink, has an expiration of 5/7/08.  Any other recommendations to try?  Buying a $20.00-plus cartridge to definitely fix the problem is acceptable; spending that money with only a hope that would fix the problem is not. [snip]

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Did you try printing in spite of the "insert cartridge on right" message?  Most of the AIO printers with this series of cartridges will allow printing (but not copying or faxing) with a cartridge removed, although they may give messages such as you saw.

The most probable cause is the old old color cartridge, which at this point is likely empty due to evaporation and servicing and has likely failed electrically.  I would suggest replacing the color cartridge with an HP 22, it is lower cost and suitable for occasional color printing.  HP cartridges used to be warrantied for 6 months in the printer before it was replaced with the current system (2 years from data of manufacture).  It is possible your cartridge has been in the printer for 2-4 years and is highly likely that it has failed electrically and is causing the error message.

[helpwanted54]

Final update:  None of the printing suggestions offered worked.  So without any other way to diagnose the problem, I took the leap of faith based on your speculation (re: color cartridge was incapacitated due to old-age).  I purchased and installed a new color HP22 cartridge.  Though the error message would temporarily be gone, it would return and I couldn't print on any of the first 5 trials.  I kept reinstalling the cartridge, turning printer on and off, clearing print jobs in the queue, etc.  Finally, it printed and has continued to print.  Thanks for your help!

[iridiumflare]

Hi, I'm facing the same error. The display says "Cartridge Error:Refer to documentation for troubleshoot." I've read the troubleshoot section, I've tried all the suggestions you guys have discussed. But nothing seems to work. In fact, when I removed the colour cartridge, it didnt even change the error message. It's just stuck on Catridge error. It refuses to print a self-test report, it wont go into setup. It just wont budge. HALP!

Shruti

[TomHoo]

Someone needs to be a lot more specific about "failed electrically."

Continuity failures exterior of the case can actually be repaired if you have the tech to repair motherboards which some of us can do.  Interior failures are another matter.  And if there are internal failures, it would be interesting to know what failed since this is a robustness design flaw.

[Bob_Headrick]

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@TomHoo wrote:

Someone needs to be a lot more specific about "failed electrically."

Continuity failures exterior of the case can actually be repaired if you have the tech to repair motherboards which some of us can do.  Interior failures are another matter.  And if there are internal failures, it would be interesting to know what failed since this is a robustness design flaw.

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What exactly are you suggesting?  What do you mean "exterior of the case"?  Are you referring to the fault being either in the print cartrdige (interior) or in the printer electronics (exterior)?  I would expect that 90% of cartridge electrical failures have little to do with the printer, most are contained in the cartridges or in the interconnect between the printer and the cartridge.  Cartridges that have been remanufactured are at much greater risk for electrical failures, due in part to the relatively harsh path they take from a customer back to the store and then back to a remanufacturer.  See here for a study of cartrdige reliability of refilled cartridges.

[TomHoo]

I am currently scrutinizing a HP 27 cartridge that worked fine until untrasonically cleaned.

So far I've exposed the ribbon connections to the head block and am trying to develop a method to test their integrity.

Memory slots in mobos begin cracking end solder connections since board flexes and slot acts as a structural stiffener.  During flex, the "end" of the sitffener has the highest stress and so those solder joints fail.

The connection in the ink cartridge does not appear to be solder and due to the low temperature properties of the case and head block, solder might be unlikely.  So what would be used to repair a failed connection in this area if identified is an issue.  Conductive paint?

Exposing these contacts also opens up the ribbon end which capillary attracted water from the ultrasonic cleaning.  Removal of that liquid is another area of experimentation.  Heat, localized heat, alcohol, and ether have been tried.  Heat (warm to the cheek) appears to work but might require 48 hours to achieve dryness. I don't want to subject the ink and head to that extended amount of high temp so am trying to come up with a way to apply localized heat to the ribbon.  Perhaps a sheet of foil with a small hole and a light bulb.  There is enough room that I may be able to locate a thermocouple to determine temperature.  I would go with 120 deg F since this is an ambient temperature that is possible on the planet.

Dessicants and subjecting cartrige to vacuum have not been tried.  AC type vacuum pumps (which I have) should be able to boil out the captured water, however, I shudder to think what will happen if the ink boils before the water.

I have seen too many "perfectly good" cartridges rejected as being bad and would like to understand why this is happening.  I am also sure that robustness in this area varies with cartridge number (i.e., 27, 56, 57, 58, 98, etc.)

I would also expect that earlier printers do not check cartridge integrity.  I would like to know if the "big bladder types 23, 41, 78, etc" like used in a 722 printer are put through this integrity check.

Yes, I have too much free time on my hands, but these projects are just so interesting...

[Bob_Headrick]

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@TomHoo wrote:

I am currently scrutinizing a HP 27 cartridge that worked fine until untrasonically cleaned.

So far I've exposed the ribbon connections to the head block and am trying to develop a method to test their integrity. [snip]

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The die is typically wire bonded to the flex circuitry and then covered with a sealant deposited in beads on each end of the die.  Ultrasonic cleaning could have caused the internal islands of the printhead that keep the ink separate from the electronics to fail, or there could be failures (opens or shorts) between the flex circuitry and the die.  Peeling back the flex circuitry will almost certainly cause a failure as it will be very difficult to get the alignment correct and also to prevent damaging the die bonds.

You might look at the diagram in US patent 7,101,029 or 6,347,868 for some clues of the circuitry, these and similar may be helpful.

The older printers also performed electrical checks, long before the 41, 23 and 78 cartridges.  BTW, the 41, 23 and 78 cartridges do not have bladders, they are foam based ink systems.  The accompanying black 15 or 45 cartridges do have bladders.

The best test for a given cartridge would be to print a diagnostic nozzle test on a compatible printer.  Inspecting the nozzle test report can provide useful information....

[And yes, it does sound like you have too much free time :smileywink:.]