HP8710 printer, gave printhead error, wasn't working, replaced printhead still not printing properly

[MJD251]

I have an HP 8710 Officejet Printer.  Started giving printhead error, messed around with it, couldn't get it to work.  Ordered a new one and just installed it, very simple, but...it doesn't work.  Am getting it to print a little, but it's coming out very light, not useable.  Took printhead back out, put back in, turned printer off, back on.  Same result.

Any thoughts?

thanks,

[MJD251]

I may have fixed it myself!  I ran the clean printhead program 3 times and it's much better...ALMOST the quality I'm looking for.  If anyone has suggestions to make it better, I'm still open to trying something else.

thanks

[Raj2111]

Hi @MJD251 

Welcome to the HP support community.

I understand you're experiencing an issue with your HP device, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I'm here to help you today.

If you have tried cleaning the printhead through the software but you’re still noticing problems with your print jobs, then you may need to manually clean it. Again, it’s important to be careful when dealing with the ink cartridges and the printhead because they’re easily damaged.

1. Turn on the printer then open the access door (This varies by model).
2. The printer carriage will move to the center and you can access the printhead and cartridges.
3. Wait until the cartridges have stopped moving before unplugging your device from the electrical outlet - about 3 seconds (This keeps the printer carriage in one place so you can remove the clogged printhead).
4. Remove the cartridges by lifting up or pushing on the tab that holds them in place and pulling them out (Remove one at a time and try not to leave them out of the printer from more than 30 minutes).
5. Set the cartridges on a clean piece of paper on their side making sure the nozzle is pointing away from any surface.

First clean the ink cartridge contact points.

1. Use a lint-free cloth in order to wipe off excess ink from the contacts located on the bottom of each ink cartridge, but do not clean off or touch the nozzle itself.
2. The contacts should be pointing away from any surface to avoid damage and the nozzle should not be pointing down, otherwise you can cause the rest of the ink in the chamber to drain out (Laying it on its side is your best bet).
3. If ink remains on the contacts, use a cotton or foam rubber swab moistened with bottled water to gently clean it off (Note: DO NOT use alcohol or any other cleaning fluid to clean the contact points or print head).
4. Dry the contact point with a clean swab or allow to air dry for 10 minutes before replacing the ink cartridge in the printer.
5. Once you are done with one cartridge, lay it on its side on your clean sheet of paper and use the same method to clean the rest of the cartridges.

Now it’s time to clean the printhead itself.

1. Look for the contact points on the print carriage inside the printer and gently wipe them off using a lint-free cloth.
2. Make sure there isn’t any ink left on the printer contacts.
3. Just as on the ink cartridges, if you are having difficulty removing the excess ink, use a cotton swab and mineral water until it is clean.
4. Wait around five minutes for the print carriage to dry and then reinsert the ink cartridges into the printer.
5. Snap them into place and make sure they’re secure before you plug in the power cord.
6. Close the cover to the printhead and wait for the initialization process to finish before trying to print any documents.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support