Deskjet D4360 print grey instead of black after color ink cartridge replacement

[printy]

Deskjet D4360 printer  

Windows 7 64-bit 
My color ink ran out and the printer would just print blank pages even though I still have a lot of black ink.  Then I bought the genuine HP color cartridge from the office store.  After installing the new color ink cartridge, the color prints well but it does not print black anymore.  It prints grey instead of black.  How to fix this?  

[EricN]

Hello Printy,

If by grey you mean 'almost black', it seems to be printing 'composite black' from the color cartridge. But that should only happen if you are out of black ink entirely (which you are not) or your black printhead is clogged. The blank pages you were getting before replacing your color cartridge are in line with this thinking.

First, run the cleaning utility as in this document  (step 1). Then print a PQ diagnostic page as in this document  (step 3). 

Tip: Try removing your color cartridge before running the cleaning utility to save ink--it may not work, but it's worth a try. Set the color cartridge on its back, printhead-up, and put it back into the printer as soon as you are done. Do not leave the cartridge out for more than a few minutes, and do not touch the printhead.

If there is no black where it's supposed to be on the diagnostic page, you know your cartridge is not printing. Try the above steps again. If you still get no black where it should be, reinstall your color cartridge, remove the black cartridge, and try this solution  as a last resort to recover your black cartridge. As it says, you may want to try this several times--can't hurt at this point.

Try printing the test page again. If, after all that, you're still not getting black on a test page, you will need to replace the black cartridge. If it is still mostly full and the warranty date on the side of the cartridge has not passed, you can get a new one under warranty.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Eric