OfficeJet 6500A Plus won't print Black - Solution

[Bkukes]

I need to reset my 6500A and clean the print cartridge cradle about once every 90-days. I use HP ink but the black gets gunked up and blocks the ink from flowing.  It's a pain in the butt. Thank God HP doesn't manufacture cars or every 90-days you'd have to disconnect the gas tank, flush it out and put it back on.

[HevnLgh]

Hello Bkukes,

Thank you for visiting the HP Support Forums! I understand your frustration, and would like you to take a look here: Printer Prints a Blank Page or Does Not Print Black or Color Ink for the HP Officejet 6500A e-All-in..., focus on Solution three, this walks you through making sure the cartridges are properly vented, this may allow you to do only have to vent and seat the cartridges without having to flush it every 90 days.

If you still feel you are doing this often, you may consider replacing the printhead. Please call our technical support at 800-474-6836. If you live outside the US/Canada Region, please click the link below to get the support number for your region.

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-phone-assist.html

I hope this helps!

[RobertKamin]

I used the information and wanted to thank you. It works.

[RobertKamin]

Thanks for your help!!!!It works.

[HevnLgh]

Hi @RobertKamin,

That is great news! I am glad you are up and printing again! 🙂  Can you please consider marking my post as the Accepted Solution, (Message # 2 in this thread) as the Accepted Solution, so other Community members with the same problem can easily find a solution.

Thank you again, I appreciate the update!

[ocallam]

I am absolutely stunned that such an utterly unnecessary problem even exists. However, my 6500A plus stopped printing black gradually during a long print. The printer status showed the black ink cartridge was very full, the printer ink ports and contacts were cleaned, the cartridge was unnecessarily changed to an expensive new black ink cartridge, it still failed to print black. I wasted time and money and sleep screwing with this machine when the only defect was the nature of the HP product. It had a built-in defect that is not mentioned nor addressed in any of the official HP literature for this product. This hidden and unidentifiable partial reset process worked, and only thanks to a complaint and answer submitted a couple of years ago, was I able to avoid an expensive trip to the computer repair store. Shame on HP and cudos to the HP customer having the diligence to force HP to cough up a fix for a problem that should never exist.

[carpet2]

Thanks,

Worked a treat

[danilla3comet]

Amazing quick fix, thank you

[marcog7]

I tried thois entire procedure of the partial reset with a new printer head and all new HP cartriges, so there should be no reason for it not to work. I tried it again and I keep getting a printer error. Flashing lights telling me to turn the printer off. what is that. Even though I turned it off and on, it seems to be doing an internal alignment and then goes to load media, says the printer is being prepared "which will take 10 minutes", lets me then know that the ink system "has failed"unable to copy or recieve faxes or print. Turn power off and on again.

What now?

[marcog7]

Boy do I second that. to make matters worse, I was told I needed a new printer head and bought one. What a waste of my time and money.