HP Envy 4502 will not print black ink

[cameronb618]

I have the same probem. The old cartridge 61XL was replaced with a new one. I have tried cleaning printheads and a hard restart. The new cartridge will not print black. The color is unaffected. When I put the old cartridge in, it will print. I tried a second new cartridge and it also will not print in black. 

[Barachiel · Accepted solution]

@cameronb618

Good Day. A warm welcome to the HP community. 

I reviewed the case regarding issues with the printer's cartridge. I will be delighted to assist you here.  

In this case, I would recommend you to try cleaning the cartridges.

1. Gather the following materials.

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

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

2. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.

3. Slide your fingers into the two slots, and then gently lift up to open the ink cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the ink cartridge access area. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.

4. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

5. To release the ink cartridge, lift the lid on the ink cartridge slot, and then gently push the lid back until it stops.

6. Pull up on the ink cartridge to remove it from the slot.

7. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides.

8. Lightly moisten the lint-free cloth with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess water from it.

9. Clean only the copper-colored contacts on the ink cartridge, and then allow the ink cartridge to dry for about 10 minutes.

10. Use the swab or cloth to clean the electrical contacts in the carriage, located inside the printer in the ink cartridge slots.

11. Allow the carriage contacts to dry for about 10 minutes.

12. Hold the ink cartridge at a slight upward angle with the ink cartridge contacts facing the rear of the printer, slide the ink cartridge into the empty slot, and then close the lid on the ink cartridge slot to secure the ink cartridge in place.

13. Close the ink cartridge access door.

14. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer. 

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes. 😉

[cameronb618]

@Barachiel Thanks for the quick reply. You were correct. I tried cleaning the cartridge until a decent amount of black appeared. 

I popped it back in and after an auto-head clean I had the perfect copies I needed. Thank you!

[Barachiel]

@cameronb618

Hurray!!! I'm delighted to hear that it's working! 

Feel free to post your query for any other assistance as well,

You've been great to work with and it has been a genuine pleasure interacting with you.

I hope both you and your product works great and remain healthy for a long time 😉