L26500/Latex 260-continual "replace faulty ink cartridge" the Black ink cartridge

[pbrooks259]

At 1st I had a bad Ink Supply Station ISS pca--K & C ink cartridges had been marked "replace" and I had a "broken bag" error.    I replaced the ISS pca's with new ones and it had been printing OK for about 2 months thereafter.

 Again after about 2 months of printing, ALL STS (compatible) ink cartridges start flashing "replace"--the 4 top and LM--LC is OEM (did not flash "replace").  Reseated them and printed some more tests.  Then they ALL started flashing "replace" again.   (I'm sure some would say:   "That's the problem--the STS inks."  And I might be a bit inclined to agree.)

I reseated them all resulting in ALL the top row flashing "replace".

I reseated the top row resulting in K and Y flashing "replace".  STS had me run my fingertip along the internal cartridge contacts for both Y & K contacts to detect a beep. They beeped. They sent Y & K replacements.

I installed the 2 replacement ink cartridges.   It printed and was OK for about 16 hours.   Then same thing happened again--ALL STS inks flashing "replace", then ALL top row inks flashing "replace".

But this time ultimately only K is flashing "replace".

Again I replaced the ISS boards a few months ago when I was having a "broken bag" error and a couple cartridges marked "replace" at that time--K & C.

I'm thinking my new top ISS board is bad, but not sure.  What seems to be a telltale sign to me anyway is that at some point again ALL the top row flash "replace" until I reseat all.  But the difference this time is again only K is left flashing.

I doubt STS sent me 2 bad K cartridges in a row.  And I doubted earlier that a Y & K cartridge would fail simultaneously.  So again I'm thinking the top ISS board is bad, but again I don't really know.

But I wonder whether if I had all OEM HP ink, it would be OK.

If it is not the top ISS pca or the ISS pca's, what would be next to replace?  The Sausalito board?  The Printmech board?  I'm thinking Sausalito board.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

I don't use the HP latex printer forum; I don't think it's very good.  The recommendation generally seems to be:  "Contact HP"  which is what I am trying to avoid.

[leonehal]

I have same problem.

After replacing Light Magenta to new cartridge got broken bag error.

What I did.

1) Try to recover broken bag from service menu no luck.

2) Replace new cartridge no luck

3) Replace bottom ISS no luck

4) Replace cartridge connector  no luck

5) Reset EPROM no luck

6)Recover Hard Disk no luck

7)Force restore firmware no luck

8)Force install firmware  no luck

9) Purge ink by injecting air in cartridge by locking cartridge & suck ink from carriage. To clear any air. (YouTube method)

10) Replaced 3 cartridge brand new but no luck

11)  Use 789 ink cartridge in place of 792 & it says wrong cartridge so ISS reading cartridge & contacts is contacting cartridge.

This way I verified everything is talking to each other.

Why it is keep rejecting cartridge. All cables are ok.

Please help me......

[pbrooks259]

Hi, Leonehal.   Wow!  You have done a lot.  I'm still battling this; I'm going to replace BOTH upper & lower ISS pca's today hopefully.  I will post back the result.  AND I'm going to try to purge any air from the black ink tube as you did for the LM ink.  Also, I'm going to swap the black ink connector between the ISS pca and ink cartridge with another and see if that does anything.

The only thing I see is that you did not try to replace the upper ISS pca.  It may seem illogical but it SEEMS one board whether upper or lower can POSSIBLY affect an ink cartridge connected to the other upper or lower board.

I would have replaced both the upper and lower simultaneously.   I'M NOT SAYING THAT IS THE SOLUTION BUT IT MIGHT BE.

Replacing the upper ISS pca took care of my yellow broken bag error and took care of "replace faulty ink cartridge" for black and cyan--my upper ISS pca had been destroyed by mouse droppings, but the yellow is plugged into the upper board.  Ultimately it seems that I did have to reset the EEROM to finally get rid of the broken bag error.

I have already replaced BOTH ISS pca's with new ones about 2-3 months ago but after 2-3 months (worked fine for 2-3 months) it started marking at 1st black and yellow "replace" or "faulty" and then this last time after replacing black and yellow inks with new ones it started only marking black "replace" or "faulty" after about 16 hours (that's when I noticed it) after I replaced the black and yellow ink cartridges.  I'm thinking that these last new ISS pca's went bad, at least the upper one.

Beyond replacing the upper ISS pca, I have heard that the next board to replace is the printmech pca, but I am NOT CERTAIN about that.

Again, I will post back if I can get mine working.   Thanks for posting your problem and shining some light on the problem.

[pbrooks259]

I replaced the ISS pca's and ultimately ALL ink cartridges show "replace faulty ink cartridge".   But I screwed up and let air enter the tubes (top tubes)...I was doing the automatic tubes purge and after inserting the setup printheads which apparently allowed air into the top ink tubes, I canceled the purge (I probably should not have) and reset the EEROM hoping MAYBE I could then get around using the setup printheads.  I think during the automatic purge process it showed all ink cartridges as "replace faulty ink cartridge".  But all were fairly new and full except cyan & light cyan.

I purged the top ink tubes with syringes.   Again I am still stuck with all cartridges showing "replace faulty ink cartridge".

I did try the previous ISS pca's but I got the same ALL "replace faulty ink cartridge".  (Before with these same ISS pca's it only showed Black ink cartridge as "replace faulty ink cartridge", the initial problem.)

I tried an OEM LC ink cartridge not previously inserted.  It was noted as "replace faulty ink cartridge" as well.  I hope I didn't trash it by trying it.  I have no idea.

I think the next step is to replace the printmech.  But I'm not 100% on this.

[pbrook259]

FWIW, the problem was a bad printmech pca to Ink Supply Station pca cable, the about 38" 10 wire flat cable--for some reason wires #4 & #10 appeared to have a degree of resistance in them. I replaced it and got beyond the "replace faulty ink cartridge" for ALL ink cartridges.

[pbrooks259 · Accepted solution]

FWIW, the problem was a bad printmech pca to Ink Supply Station pca cable, the about 38" 10 wire flat cable--for some reason wires #4 & #10 appeared to have a degree of resistance in them. I replaced it and got beyond the "replace faulty ink cartridge" for ALL ink cartridges.

[Some-dude]

Did you just go through all cables and test resistance until an anomaly was found?

I had a broken bag error show up after occasional "replace faulty ink cartridge" error that would typically show up on the black cartridge. Swapped cartridge, cleared EEROM, faulty K message now on both cartridges I have.

[pbrooks259]

Hi, I only checked the continuity of the printmech to ISS cable because a tech buddy had told me to check it. I had checked the connections (making sure they were seated) but had not checked it for continuity.  It had noticeable resistance in 2 wires #4 and #10.

I THINK I had a special problem:    Mouse urine and feces (kinda gross, I know) had caused the blowing or ruination (urination & defecation?) of my upper ISS pca which had resulted (I think) in a broken bag error and K & C inks made "replace faulty ink cartridge".  (BTW, as you did, after replacing the ISS pca's, I think I had to reset the EEROM to get beyond the "broken bag error" or perhaps it was just coincidental.)

It worked OK for ABOUT 2 months.

I think the blowing or otherwise demise of the upper ISS pca caused excessive current to have been drawn and burned the Printmech to ISS cable and SOMEHOW it further degraded and failed, but I'm not sure about this.  A tech buddy told me that he didn't think that much current could have been drawn.  I gotta admit in 14 years I have NEVER had to replace a flat cable except for of course a trailing cable because of all the movement.

I'm not getting much into the weeds (the manual; do you have a manual? I would try to get one) I think I would:

--check all ISS related cables, unseat them and reseat them, be sure they are all connected.  Maybe even check cable connections between the printmech and sausalito board.   (1 guy had a flat cable improperly seated at the sausalito that caused ALL inks to flash "replace faulty ink cartridge".)

--Be sure ISS to ink cables are properly seated and making contact with ink contacts.  I have even scuffed up those cables' contacts (the vertical rounded ones) at the inks end with fine sandpaper or some light abrasive.

(But 1 problem may be that now you MIGHT have 2 bad ink tanks and have to buy another new one which you may be fearful will be made "replace faulty ink cartridge" as well (about $100-$150).  If available, Try to use a good nearly empty cartridge if possible.)

--If all connections seem fine and I hope this doesn't cause you headaches:

I would replace the ISS boards (about $250??? new; I'm fairly certain you can use good used ones). I have seen it implicated for "broken bag", or 1 or 2 or so inks flashing "replace faulty ink cartridge".  (Of course I had my specific situation in which, 2 months after replacing ISS pca's, initially both Y & K inks were flashing "replace faulty ink cartridge". I replaced both inks. Then later ONLY the K cartridge started flashing "replace faulty ink cartridge".  I replaced the ISS pca's AGAIN (I thought the only 2 months replaced ISS pca's had failed), and then for some reason ALL inks started flashing "replace faulty ink cartridge". This was before I found the problem to be a bad printmech to ISS cable.  At least this is what I last did, and all seems to be fine for a few weeks now. ....I put the previously replaced ISS pca's back in and they work OK.

--If you still have a problem I would replace the printmech (But I really don't think this is the problematic board, but it MIGHT be. About $350-$500 new, dang darn diddly kinda pricey; I'm fairly certain you can use a good used one).  I have seen it implicated in a thread in here and, I think, in the latex printer forum when ALL inks are flashing "replace faulty ink cartridge" but not yet for 1 or 2 or so "replace faulty ink cartridge" inks.

Hope this helps a little bit.  Get a service manual if you don't have one (not sure about the safety of this link but anyway--a China site I assume):

https://shared.swissparts.ch/Manuals/HP/Plotter/HP%20Designjet%20L26500.pdf