Smart Tank 651

[jlperaza]

I have an HP Smart Tank 651, and lately I have been experiencing print quality issues. The Cyan color is no longer present, despite it having half a tank full. Additionally, when I print the test page, despite the total absence of cyan, I can see some fading in the color rather than a bold print.

I had the idea of replacing the heads, but according to the support video, if the heads do not move to the middle of the printer when opened, they do not need to be replaced, so there’s no way to replace the printer head. Any suggestions? Any Idea? If I cannot make this printer work, I will throw it away and get a new brand.

Thank you

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @jlperaza 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I can imagine how discouraging it feels to see a half‑full cyan tank and yet no vibrant blue on the page. Thank you for already checking the printhead replacement video — that shows you’ve been proactive in trying to understand the situation. 

Let’s focus on steps that can revive the cyan flow and restore the crispness of your prints.

Here are some actions you can take:

Run a printhead cleaning cycle

• On the printer’s control panel, go to Setup > Tools > Clean Printhead.
• Print the diagnostic page after cleaning. If cyan is still faint, repeat the cleaning up to two more times.

Check ink flow in the tank system

• Open the ink tank lid and gently check if the cyan ink is flowing freely into the printhead area.
• Sometimes air bubbles can block the channel. Lightly tapping the side of the tank can help release trapped air.

Inspect the printhead manually

• Power off the printer and open the access door.
• Remove the cyan/magenta printhead (they are paired together).
• Wipe the electrical contacts with a lint‑free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water. Allow them to dry fully before reinserting.

Align the printhead

• On the control panel, go to Setup > Tools > Align Printhead.
• This ensures the ink is distributed evenly across the nozzles.

Update firmware

• Keeping the printer firmware current helps with ink system calibration. You can update directly from the printer menu or through the HP App on your Windows PC.

Reference guide

• For detailed steps with visuals, you can follow this guide: Fixing Poor Print Quality

If after these steps cyan is still absent, the printhead may indeed be clogged beyond recovery. In that case, replacing the cyan/magenta printhead assembly would be the next option. The good news is that the Smart Tank series allows printhead replacement when necessary, even if the carriage doesn’t move automatically during normal checks.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye