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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printing Errors or Lights & Stuck Print Jobs
- My HP4650 does not recognise my black cartridge

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01-30-2019 04:33 PM
Welcome to HP forums,
Clean the electrical contacts of the printers.
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Gather the following materials:
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Dry foam-rubber swabs, lint-free cloth, or any soft material that does not come apart or leave fibers (coffee filters work well)
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Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the ink cartridges)
CAUTION:
Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the ink cartridge contacts. These can damage the ink cartridge or the printer.
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Turn on the printer, if it is not on already.
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Gently grasp the handles on either side of the printer, then raise the ink cartridge access door until it locks into place.
The carriage moves to the center of the printer.
Figure : Opening the ink cartridge access door
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Wait until the printer is idle and silent before you continue.
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Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
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Disconnect the USB cable, if it is connected.
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To release the ink cartridge, lift the lid on the ink cartridge slot, then gently push the lid back until it stops.
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Pull up on the ink cartridge to remove it from the slot.
CAUTION:
Do not remove both ink cartridges at the same time. Remove and then clean each ink cartridge one at a time. Do not leave an ink cartridge outside the printer for more than 30 minutes.
Figure : Removing the ink cartridge
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Lift the lid -
Gently push the lid back
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Pull up on the ink cartridge
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Hold the ink cartridge by its sides.
Figure : Hold the ink cartridge by its sides
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Inspect the contacts for ink and debris buildup.
CAUTION:
Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.
Figure : Do not touch the contacts or nozzles
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Wipe the contacts with a dry swab or other lint-free material until no debris remains on them.
CAUTION:
Be careful to wipe only the contacts. Do not smear any ink or debris elsewhere on the ink cartridge.
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Dip a clean foam-rubber swab or lint-free cloth into distilled water, then squeeze any excess water from it.
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Clean only the copper-colored contacts, then allow the ink cartridge to dry for approximately 10 minutes.
Figure : Clean the contacts
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Lightly moisten another foam-rubber swab with distilled water, then squeeze any excess water from the swab.
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Use the swab to clean the electrical contacts in the carriage, located inside the printer.
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Clean the carriage contacts.
Figure : The carriage contacts
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Let the ink cartridge sit for 10 minutes to allow the cleaned area to dry, or use a new swab to dry it.
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Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, then slide the ink cartridge forward into the slot.
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Close the lid on the ink cartridge slot to secure the ink cartridge into place.
Figure : Inserting the ink cartridges
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Insert the ink cartridge -
Close the lid
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The color ink cartridge is on the left, and the black ink cartridge is on the right
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Repeat these steps to clean, then reinsert the other ink cartridge.
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Close the ink cartridge access door.
Figure : Closing the ink cartridge access door.
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Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
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Reconnect the USB cable, if you previously disconnected it.
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Turn on the printer if it does not turn on automatically.
You can refer to this HP document for more assistance:- Click here
Let me know how it goes.
To thank me for my efforts to help you, please mark my post as an accepted solution so that it benefits several others.
Cheers.
Sandytechy20
I am an HP Employee