HP Photosmart C5180 - Ink System Failure

[red-ryder]

on ink system failure or refusal to accept color change.  start by unplugging your printer and standing facing it remove the right side cover a couple of little screws and plastic snaps. then at the top edge of the motherboard or computor board their are two little white ribbons close to middle of board but at the top. take a pair of needle noses and very gently unplug both of then. now plug power cord back in, usb doesn't need to be plugged in, turn printer on and wait for ink system failure to show up. then click ok! unplug printer still turned on and reinsert the two small ribbons put power cord back in. if it doesn't come right back up then turn it on then leave it alone because it will start intializing the system and will reset everything, when it has finished, it may ask to do a test page if so click ok and waliha your back in business. i've never seen this fail on any i've done. this will work on other hp printers with the same problem so don't throw then in the trash until you try this....good luck

[GerardH]

I am very doubtful that you found the real answer, just a temporary one. I suggest you have a look at another thread  "Photosmart C5180 Power-Up/Power-Down Problem-Loops on/off/on/off.

This describes the actual underlying problem and the cure. Faulty capacitors.!!!!!!!!!. Which ones and why..

The switching on and of seems to cure. All that does is temporarily remove the voltage pressure off the capacitor(s) and give these a chance to restore. They will break down again. A lot of people in this forum have described the repair required, in full detail.

[msolum]

This worked for me on my C5180. My wife had just replaced ink when the error message popped up.  I unplugged from back of printer then from the wall.  Waited for light to go out on tip of plug that goes into printer.  Put plug back in wall then pressed "ok" and "help" buttons as I inserted tip back into printer.  Screen lights up briefly then goes dark. I released buttons then turned printer on.  Took an extended amount of time to reboot and accused me several times of using non HP ink, which I have never done.  Printer seems to be working now.  And yes, this printer uses a ridiculous amount of yellow ink.

[GerardH]

Good luck to you. If it fails again you can always look at replacing the two notoriously failing capacitors.

[red-ryder]

this c5180 had sat for two yrs unused, so i think the capacitors wasn't stressed too much . thanks

[lemonghoangdep]

I bought hp photosmart c5180 4 years ago but i used only 1 year they have problem <INK SYSTEM FAILURE>

PLEASE HELP ME FIX THAT

[red-ryder]

if you can't do this get someone to help, it's not that hard. stand in frt of printer facing it, the cover on the right side has two small screws and two plastic tabs underneath and the cover will come off exposing the computor board which goes the full length from frt. to back. exactly in the middle at the top is two white ribbon connectors. so too start take a small pair of needle nose pliers and gently unplug the two small white ribbons one is wider than the other. leave unplugged and turn printer on it will knock and bang around and come with ink system failure. press ok! and then unplug printer from wall leaving printer turned on. now plug the two little ribbons back in and plug printer back in and it will start up on it's own and totally reformat just keep watchin the info window and it should eventually ask if you want to print a test page. ink system failure can also occur from changing color cartridges, in which case you would go thru this same process. good luck

[GerardH]

There appears to be a misunderstanding of the underlying problem with the C5189 and similar HP printers.

I suggest you go to the Power Up/Power down Problem Loops on/off/on/off  Forum. Here the actual problem is described in detail. Every one and those are very many who have had problems; like error messages, ink failure not switching on or going in a on/off loop found that the real culprits are a couple of dud capacitors on the circuit board. The various cures such as switching the supply off and on, pressing various buttons or disconnecting wires may have found a temporary solution but did not get to the real physical problem. Dud capacitors.

The afore mentioned forum describes in detail which ones and how to replace. I, for weeks tried all those switching suggestions but never succeeded in keeping the printer permanently working. And yes the capacitors were faulty. This can actually be seen as the top has swelled somewhat. My printer is now A1 correct and i am very grateful to the authors who managed to get to the bottom of this problem. Once more I suggest; go to the other thread and read all about it.

What does surprise me though is that HP does not officially acknowledge this design error. 

[Jo-A]

Wow............thanks so much as this has finally worked.  I haven't been able to print in ages and unable to get help until now. 

[victorss]

I was unable to print Magenta, and from my Diagnostics page via HP Solution Centre I was getting the below.

85. HW Events , 1) 62004062, 2) 62004062

86. System Events: 1) 151 69552 1 0, 2) 150 69553 1 chute 4 contains expired ink, 3) 149 69553 1 chute 2contains expired ink, 4) 148 69553 1 chute 4 contains expired ink, 5) 147 69553 1 chute 2 contains expired ink

I think this is all because I did have expired ink, and when i replaced it with brand new ones it didnt clear, so a master reset did the rtrick.

Then  I did an align printer task by HP solution Centre, and then a Extended Diagnostics page, and all the Magentas appeared as normal (with a little bit of striking - but after a few colour photo prints it was fine).

the HISTORY LOG was all clear:

85. HW Events: 1) 00000000, 2) 00000000

86. System Events:  1) 1 69556 1 0

Horray.