Cartridge leakage

savetheprinter · ‎06-19-2019

Alright so up until 2 days ago my printer was a-ok! I've never had issues with it..I love it. Today it stopped working, stating there was a cartridge error. So naturally, I checked for any paper stuck, made sure the ink cartridges were in place correctly, but the printer would make this strange noise and kept giving me the same answer. I've always used the correct HP cartridges with it and never had an issue. So, I tried manually cleaning the cartridge and when I looked into the printer, it looks like the ink leaked into the printer. I took a dry swab to the spot and it looks gunked on. I don't know what to do with it at this point.

Bob_Headrick · ‎06-19-2019

The troubleshooting steps in the document here may help resolve the cartridge error message on your Envy 4500 series printer.

The area where you see the "leak" is actually the service station. The printer "spits" ink here at startup and various other times. It is normal for there to be ink in this area. It is not necessary (or desirable) to clean this area - doing so may cause damage to the printer.

Bob Headrick, HP Expert
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savetheprinter · ‎06-20-2019

Thanks for responding Bob. Yea I had originally already looked into that and tried it all. Nothing has worked. And when i said clean, I didn't mean I went in there scrubbing, just wanted to see how much was there really. It's says "Carriage Jam: The print carriage cannot move...." I tried all the troubleshooting on the screen as well as everything else.

Bob_Headrick · ‎06-20-2019

The "carriage jam" message is most often caused by a dirty (with ink or aerosol) or damaged encoder strip. The encoder strip is a thin plastic strip the printer uses to keep track of where the printhead is located at any given time. If the strip is damaged the message may appear and/or the printhead may slam into the side of the printer.

Cleaning the strip as shown in the post here may resolve the issue. If the strip is missing completely or is dislodged please post back here.

Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button
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savetheprinter · ‎06-20-2019

Hmm...well it definitely appears to still be intact, no visible tears or scratches that I can make out. I tried to clean it on both sides, but not much came off of it. When I closed up the top and restarted the printer, the same issue still arises.

Bob_Headrick · ‎06-24-2019

OK, just to be clear - what exactly is the error? Is it a "Cartridge Error" or "Carriage Jam".

Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button
If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.

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