Ink carrier is not moving when printer is opened

[e-mac]

I have an HP Photosmart Premium Series All-In-One c309.  When I open my printer to replace the ink cartridges the ink carrier does not move out to the midle anymore. I can trick it by printing something and stopping it in the middle to remove the empty cartridges.  But now the carrier is parked and does not have any ink in it and it will not come out.  It displays the message that the following ink cartridges appear to be missing or damaged.  It will not print and I can not get it out to put the new cartridges in the ink carrier.  

I was reading that it could be a sensor that if not working.  Any ideas on how to get my ink carrier out to replace the ink?

[VisionAiry]

I would like to help you with the carriage jam but I am curious as to exactly which Photosmart C309 you have.  If you pull down the flap where the ink goes, you will see either C309a, C309g, or C309n.  Of course, the internal components are all the same but it may be worth it to try a specific kind of reset and the buttons you push for that will be different.

Also, is the printer plugged into a surge protector or a wall outlet?

I suggest getting a flashlight and look under the carriage for something like a piece of paper possibly causing it to get stuck.  Here is a generic document that may not exactly address your issue but it will help you to follow all the steps in this link that you can do (I know you cannot remove the ink so you can skip that step).

--Carriage Jam-- 

Let me know if any of the steps here were of assistance. If not, answer the two questions above and I will be happy to help.

[e-mac]

It is a C309g Photosmart All-In-One.  It was plugged into a powerstrip. 

I did try solution 7, turning on-removing the power supply-wait 30 s-plug back in. It did not change anything. All the other solutions require the carrier to actually move.  

There is not a paper jam. Because when the ink is actually in the printer, the carrier moves and prints just fine. The problem is getting the carrier to move out of its resting place when you open the top of the printer to replace the ink.  It will not come out. I have to trick the carrier to come out by printing something and then shutting it down quickly and putting my hand in the way so it can't retreat back into its resting place all the way to the right.  This time I got the ink out and then went to the store to get the ink.  In the meantime the carrier went back into its resting place with out the ink and now it won't come back out to print because there is no ink and all it says is, "The following ink cartridges appear to be missing or damaged."  And it still will not move when I open the top. I believe the sensors are not working in the printer. I am correct on this idea?

[VisionAiry]

Thank you for all that information.  When the printer is powered on, the carriage does not move when you lift the lid, yet it moves when you print; that is interesting.  I want to do a test reset to restore the printer to a like-new condition but it will go through its printer preperation process again and if it is setup on a wireless network, you will have to use the Wireless Setup Wizard again.  You will not have to reinstall the printer software but hopefully this will be the trick to get the carriage to move.  If the ink in it is low, expect an alignment failure error message. 

I can't give the information away but if you're interested in trying this step, read "Printer Resets: What You Should Know" and reply so I can send you that information via private message.

[nimbus_one]

I'm having the same issue, I have a d110a, opening the door is not detected by the printer, but cartridges do move when test printing.

[VisionAiry]

Sorry to hear you are having the same problem.  See the document above about a carriage jam and simply do what you can in it like ensure the printer is plugged in and powered on when you open the lid. Also, try another wall outlet just in case and if that does not work, you can try the reset too if you want.  How is the printer connected to the PC (USB, wireless or Ethernet)?

[nimbus_one]

it's connected wirelessly, I doubt that's the problem, I'll try resetting it.

[e-mac]

I would like to try the reset.  I'm at my last resorts. Question:  If the sensors in the printer are not working, will the reset even work? 

private message me at [Personal Information Removed]

[VisionAiry]

Very good observation e-mac. I truly cannot guarantee this will fix it.  It is a sort of "cure-all" for hardware.  If this works, then great! If not, the only other thing to do is reach in there with your hand and pull the ink carriage to the left to change the ink.  Since the printer has to be powered on to access the ink carriage, that is at your discretion, and I am just here to offer suggestions at this point (that doesn't invlove a screwdriver or a new printer). 🙂  

To view your private messages, sign-in and you will see a number 1 next to an envelope in the upper-right hand corner of this screen. There you will find the directions you need.  Let me know what happens.  I really hope this works!

[kcogs]

I have the same exact problem.  Tricked the carrier into moving by using the head cleaning tool.  Took the old empty cartridge out, but did not get the new one in before the carrier zipped back to its hiding spot.  Now, I can't get it out and very frustrated since I just spent $100 on replacement ink!