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Hi CopMom,

Even during the leak, mine printed in color, but it was not firing on all (ink) cylinders, so the output was unusable. 

If you don't have the leaking issue, maybe you're dealing with a different issue and there's something you can try to revive it.  Have you looked up the cleaning procedures for your model (and what model is that)?  There should be instructions on how to clean the print heads with alcohol (as high-percentage isopropyl as you can find -- it evaporates faster), and running the cleaning cycle multiple times (and there may be a couple levels of cleaning).  On some models, you may be able to run the cleaning cycle from the keypad, but for my model (PSC3210), cleaning requires having the software properly installed on the computer (and running the cleaning cycle is hidden in there somewhere).

You should be able to find a standalone scanner that will handle photo negatives, but I think it's unlikely that you'll find a currently-available multifunction machine that includes that feature.  So if you're happy with the negative-scanning from your All-in-One (or you don't want to spend more money for yet another piece of equipment), you may want to consider keeping your old machine around as a scanner (or at least a negative scanner) and back-up black-only printer.

It may be the case with yours (as it is with mine) that it will still work as a scanner if you take the cartridges out, but you have to use computer-driven software to perform the scan, and it'll have an error message all the time about "missing or invalid cartridge" (and there's no way to make that error message go away except to install a "valid"cartridge, whatever it thinks makes it "valid").

Even if it doesn't have cartridges installed, it probably has ink in the pipes and could develop a leak at any time.  So if you keep the unit (because you got it to print or it's just a scanner), be on the look out for leaks, make sure it's got several layers of newspaper underneath, maybe something plastic that you don't care about under that (so you don't ruin the antique desk it's sitting on).

Good luck!

-- mdeck

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Great suggestions mdeck.  I am just going to keep it for black printing at this time.  I have to print out my emails because we have an online business and orders come in via emails!  How often do I really print color photos anyhow?  Rarely!  Will have to check if it will still scan - do have all the software installed.  I do also have a Dell photo printer that came free with this computer 5 yrs. ago, so can use that for photos, although by now I'm sure that ink is totally dried up!  Did find out can revive the Dell inks by soaking the heads in hot water to unclog them.. did it once before, and actually that prints better photos than this HP Potosmart 3310 all in one!

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Thanks very much for posting your experience.  My 3310 is also leaking.  Were you able to find any disassembly instructions to better understand how to get to the print heads and clean it up?

I would much appreciate any pictures or instructions on removing the top.

Thanks

Chip

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Hi Chip

 

Strangely enough you only need one tool-a T10 Torx driver.

I had made a video of myself doing and narrating the disassembly in case 
I got stuck, or was successful, but I finally reached a point where I realized that disassembling the printer any further was just not going to help.  The leak comes from the bottom of the print head /pump assembly, and getting that off safely didn't look to me to be possible, so i stopped. 

I can give a couple of hints:

1. to get the plastic outer case off, start from the back of the printer. The Memory card reader is part of the case, and is not necessary for the printer to work.

2. You don't have to dissassemble the scanner/cover at all, but you do have to remove the scanner/cover/control panel to get inside.. There are 4 cables on the rear rtight hand side that must be removed to get the top off, but replaced to test out the printer.You will need some books to support the cover while testing.

3. To get to the print head DO NOT PULL ON IT FROM THE INSIDE. MY best method was to plug it in, turn on and as soon as the assembly unlocks (?!? I'm not kidding) and moves to the middle of the carriage quickly unplug it. It will reset itself when you power up again. 

4. The inktubing assembly is just a press fit affair, once you get the print assembly cover off it. 

5. Be Very careful not to mess up that thin plastic strip the assembly runs along; its for calibration/synchronization. also Don't get any ink on it, or games over.

 

It is a testament to the durability of the pump and head assembly that even after I abused it by blowing compressed air into each ink inlet, making a huge mess in the process, when I reassmebled the thing it still worked bascially fine, except for the spilled ink, and the test sheet printouts were equally bad to how I started out. If i just needed black and white output, I would still use it , but I really only needed it for color.

 

Let me know if you solve the problem, I haven't junked it yet.

 

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I must share something!  Got an email today from Kodak.  "Recycle & save $50 instantly off the purchase of any KODAK ESP All in One Printer in addition to special weekly savings when you bring in any old printer to a Best Buy location to be recycled."  August 14-27th.  Guess where I'm going tomorrow?

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hpilk wrote: 

..... Try the Canon MX882 as replacement. A little bigger footprint but HP has nothing equivalent to touch it's features.


So I did, I went to the store and tried the Canon (MX882, as well as MG5320 and MG6220, which are supposed to be more picture-focused than the home-office-focused MX series).  Looks fine for printing (IFF you use Canon photo paper -- HP matte paper in a Canon printer gives unusable pictures); but the scanning on all the Canons is really off-color (which is to say that scans are nothing close to the original).  I determined that by taking a picture to the store and printing it out on the Canon, then scanning that same photo on the Canon, and comparing the original digital photo with the scanned file: VERY different colors (much less saturated on the scan -- obvious both from the print-from-scan and also by comparing the scanned file to the original file on my PC).

 

My old PSC3210, on the other hand, scanned closely enough that I can not detect a color difference in the files when I look at them on my PC.  (I can't print from the PSC, or we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place.)

 

So I'll definitely keep the PSC3210 around as my scanner.  I've decided to get a laser printer for documents, and I may (or may not) get a dedicated photo/color printer at some point.  (I don't usually NEED color in documents, it's just nice to have.) 

 

-- mdeck

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Yes, after about 1.5 mo. I would agree the Canon isn't perfect, I haven't had the scan color issue, but will look again. It does drink ink though. OTHO it cost 129, scans and prints duplex, network capability is seemless, yada yafda. So I don't regret the purchase...yet. The way HP is going these days though, I don't think we'll ever see anything even as good as the 3300 printer again.

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dakealii,

Did you ever find out if you can buy the ink head?  If so where.  We are experiencing the same problem with ink everywhere - 8/27/2012

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I know this is quite old now but the coverage of the ink system failure and resultant leaking was really good. I had hunted for days for an explanation of my problem - everyone else had the "white cog that slips off the pump" problem.

Mine is the split rocker bar on the print head assembly - I've dissasembled the machine nearly completely, following the insights of the "pump cog" team only to discover that this bar on the print head is my problem, so I can't just plug it back into the mains to get the assembly to move along its track, unless I re-assemble the machine to a major extent.

I'm wondering if anyone has insights into a dissasembly method of the print head that doesn't require plugging the machine into the mains. I've removed all the screws from the print head (and everywhere else) but cannot see how to get the top off the printhead.

I'll try glueing the cracked rocker bar but will also ask if anyone has a secondhand 3310 to sell for parts. Like the other correspondent; I want to keep the scanner function, of 35mm negatives and slides. The stand alones have lower specs.

AND, I've been chasing an answer to the weird colours that it started giving to all documents, forcing us to use my Epson R800x Pro graphics printer for general document printing - an expensive waste of inks.

Best wishes all, great post, pashdej

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Sorry, but I have no advice to offer; the weird colors are because of the asymmetric pumping from the rocker failure. Thay much I know.

I since have had a Canon  MX882 , which is not without issues, but serves me pretty well.

The issues? uses up ink, Occasionally dries out, tought to replace paper if not on a perfectly flat surface. 

print quality is superb however. 

 

Sorry I couldn't' be more help.

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