Cannot find where to clean the printer heads on HP 2480 printer

[jjc1]

I am trying to help my friend find the Printer Toolbox for her older printer.  Her HP Deskjet 2480 printer is not printing black ink.  She bought a new HP60 ink cartridge and printed the sheet to scan to align the ink cartridges; there was no black color at all.  She also keeps getting an error message that cartridge alignment failed.  I have walked her through it to make sure that she is doing it right.  

Things we have tried:

• updating the driver
  • Windows 10 said that the HP driver for her printer was not the best driver for Windows 10 and suggested not installing it.  (should we install it anyway)
• Unplugging the printer for 30 seconds and plugging it back in.
• Running the HP Print and Scan Doctor
• Finding the toolbox in HP Solution Center
  • Solution center said that her printer was disconnected or unplugged.  It is not.
• She went into HP Smart, but the options to clean the cartridges or printheads was not available for her model printer.

Help!!  I cannot find where to clean the printheads - if that will even help.  Both ink cartridges are over 75% full and are HP Genuine ink cartridges.

Janet 

[Raj1788]

@jjc1

Welcome to HP Forums, 
This is a great place to get support, find answers and tips to your technical queries.

I understand that you are in need of support.

Are you using genuine cartridge?

Appreciate all your efforts.

Let's try to clean the area around the ink nozzles

You need to complete these steps only if you noticed track marks or smears in the text on the extended self test report as described earlier in this document.

   CAUTION:

Do not perform these steps unless your extended self test report specifically shows smeared text or track marks. If your report does not show this defect, continue to the next solution.

1. Gather the following materials:

   • Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that will not come apart or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)

   • Clean sheets of paper

   • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the print cartridges)

        CAUTION:

     Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the area. These can damage the cartridge or the product.

2. Press the Power button () to turn on the product, if it is not already on.

3. Open the front access door.

   Figure : Open the front access door

   

4. Wait for the carriage to move to the center of the product.

5. Press down on one of the cartridges to release it, and then pull it out from its slot.

   Figure : Remove the cartridge

   

      CAUTION:

   Do not remove both cartridges at the same time. Do not leave a cartridge outside the product for more than 30 minutes.

      CAUTION:

   Do not touch the cartridge contacts or nozzles.

   Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles

   

6. Set the cartridge on a piece of paper with the ink nozzles facing up.

7. Lightly moisten a clean, foam-rubber swab with distilled water.

8. Clean the face and edges around the ink nozzle with the swab.

      CAUTION:

   Do not clean the ink nozzle plate.

   Figure : Clean the area around the ink nozzle
   

   1. Nozzle plate - DO NOT CLEAN

   2. Area surrounding ink nozzle - Do clean

   3. Cartridge contacts - Do not clean

9. Either let the cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.

10. Hold the cartridge with the HP logo on top, and insert the cartridge back into its slot. Push the cartridge in firmly until it snaps into place. Make sure that the icon on the cartridge matches the icon on the slot.

    Figure : Insert cartridge

    

    • Insert the tri-color cartridge in the slot on the left.

    • Insert the black cartridge in the slot on the right.

11. Repeat these steps to clean the area surrounding the ink nozzle on the other cartridge.

12. Close the front access door.

    Figure : Close the front access door

    

13. Try printing again.

If the issue persists, contact HP phone Support. They might have multiple options to help you on this.

Please use the following link to create yourself a case number, then call and it may help speed up the call process:

Step 1. Open link: https://hp.care/2uJxnug
Step 2. Sign in / sign in as a guest
Step 3. Enter the product number or select to auto detect
Step 4. Scroll down to "Still need help? Complete the form to select your contact options"
Step 5. Scroll down and click: HP contact options - click on Get phone number and phone number appear.

Keep me posted on further assistance. Hope that helps! 

Have a great day ahead!

Cheers!

[Bob_Headrick]

There are a few things to check:  make sure the protective tape has been removed from the nozzles.  If the tape was left on the printer will not print black and the alignment will fail.  I have seen cases where the pull tab separated from the tape, leaving the tape covering the nozzles.

If the tape was properly removed the next thing to do would be to gently blot the cartridge printhead with a damp tissue.  A good cartridge will have a stong blot of ink showing in two lines.  If there is only a smudge of ink or no black at all the cartridge is not working properly.  In that case check again the protective tape was removed.  If it has been properly removed it may help to soak the cartridge.  Get a clean coffee cup and put about 1" of hot (but not boiling) water in the bottom.  Put the print cartridge in with the nozzles down, in the same orientation it would be in the printer.  Submerge the printhead and let it soak for about ten minutes.  Remove the cartridge and dry the electrrical contacts with a lint-free wipe.  A clean coffee filter works well for this.  Try blotting the printhead again on a damp tissue.

If the cartridge still does not work check the cartridge warranty.  The warranty date can be found as shown in the document here.

[jjc1]

Thanks for trying to help, but you are still not answering where I can find the printer settings where we can clean the print heads.   The first question that you asked was, "Are you using a genuine HP cartridge?"  Yes, I told you that.  

I am asking this for my friend that lives about 15 miles from me.  She knows nothing about computers/printers.  I have to talk her through every step of trying to find her printer settings/clean the print heads.  

My printer is a year or two newer than hers.  I found the settings for my HP printer in the new HP Smart App.  When she goes into HP Smart and then goes to HP Settings/printer settings/print quality tools, she gets a message that the print quality tools are not available for her printer.  It is an HP Deskjet F2480 All-in-One printer.  

We have gone into settings/devices/printers and scanners and scrolled down to her printer name and selected it and selected "manage", then "open printer app" and it takes us back to HP Smart.  

I just want to know where has HP hidden the printer settings to clean the print heads?

[jjc1]

Thank you, Bob.  I did have my friend take the ink cartridge back out of the printer to make sure that she had not pulled the tab off and it left the tape still on the head.  She said that the tape was not on the head.   

I think the cartridge is okay because this makes the second one that will not print.  That is why I am trying to find out where HP has hidden the printer settings.  I have a slightly newer HP printer than hers and I discovered an HP Smart app on my PC that has the printer settings in it.  I walked her through using the HP Smart app, but when she gets to "printer settings", she gets a message that the printer settings are not in HP Smart for her printer.

I then walked her through going through the PC settings/devices/printers/manage and it takes me right back to HP Smart where she cannot get into printer settings.  

All I want to know is where HP put the settings.  Support Assistant no longer works or the software that came with her printer.  HP needs to fix it.  

Janet