'Print failure' message after cleaning printhead on OfficeJet Pro 8600 Plus

[NickRN8]

Hi,

I have an OfficeJet Pro 8600 Plus which is a few years old but until recently worked fine. But in the last few weeks print quality has declined severely with white lines and unclear colours on test pages. I understand this could be caused by an accumulation of old ink. The 'clean printhead' tool didn't work so I manually cleaned the printhead with a syringe and cleaning fluid following instructions. This seemed to remove a lot of old ink. I then tried to dry the printhead and left it for some time to dry fully.

Problem is when I reinstalled the printhead and ink cartridges I get a 'Printer failure' message saying 'There is a problem with the printer or ink system', which doesn't let me access anything. Any suggestions please as to what could cause this and how I can resolve it? I tried to be as careful as I could removing the printhead so as not to damage it.

Thank you.

[TEJ1602]

@NickRN8, Welcome to HP Support Community!

Follow the troubleshooting steps from this document HP Officejet 8600 Printers - 'Printer Failure' Message. If the issue persists even after troubleshooting, it could be a hardware failure and I recommend you to try our other support options for further assistance. Follow the steps below to reach the support team:

1) Click on this link - https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact-hp
2) Select your product type below.
3) Enter the serial of your device. 
4) Select the country from the drop-down. 
5) Select the appropriate option based on your preference. 
6) Fill the web-form and proceed further. 

Thank you. 

Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[NickRN8]

Thanks. It seems like it is a hardware problem, and so sadly the most economical solution is just to get a new printer. I don't like throwing things away like this, but can't really afford to try anything else.