Epson ET-4700 EcoTank Reset Waste Ink Counter & Fix "End of Service Life" Error
- By
- On Jun 23, 2022
- Comment 0
Epson ET-4700 EcoTank Reset Waste Ink Counter & Fix "End of Service Life" Error
Today we’re going to be looking at how to deal with an Epson Ecotank 4700’s waste tank. You may get an error that says your printer’s service life is up or see a bunch of lights blinking on your printer. This is partly because a small amount of ink goes into the waste ink tank every time you clean your printer.
When the tank is full, a few things are going to happen. Firstly, you’ll need to reset the waste ink counter. Second, you’ll have to deal with the physical waste ink counter.
Resetting the Waste Ink Counter
To reset the waste ink counter, I usually go to InkChip.net. Click on the WIC tab. Don’t buy the key just yet. You’re going to want to scroll down on this page and make sure that your printer’s model number is listed. Once you’re sure it’s compatible, go back up and download the free software. Make sure you select your preferred language first.
You’ll have to run this software as an administrator. You have to trust the software and click on yes when it asks if you want to install Inkchip WIC. I use this software because I know it’s clean and virus free. After it installs, you’ll see that it puts a bunch of icons on your desktop.
Choose the one in your preferred language. You should see your printer listed. If not, then it’s probably not going to be compatible. The first thing you want to do is read the ink counter level. The one I got when I did it only said 16% full, but I reset it anyway, just to demonstrate.
Now that we’ve read the ink level and know it’s compatible, you can buy the key. Now go back to the other window and click on reset waste ink counters. Input the key you purchased. You should get a message saying that the counter has been reset and asking you to restart the printer.
Fixing the Waste Ink Tank
After you restart the printer, you should see that the count is back to zero. However, your printer is still dumping physical ink into the waste ink tank. To fix this issue, start by turning the printer to the back. Use a number two Phillips screwdriver to remove the screw holding the corner panel in place.
There will be another screw on toward the bottom to remove. Then you should be able to give the waste tank a little jiggle and have it slide right out. Rather than replacing it, we will divert the waste ink to an external tank. I would like it if you bought the parts you need from my website, but that isn’t necessary. I recommend a 2.5 mm tubing. You’ll also need some kind of jar. A velcro square may also come in handy. If you order them from my website, you could just get them all together.
If you tilt the printer up, you’ll see a round disk with a hole in the center. This is where the ink comes out, so we’ll put the connector there. Before we do that, though, we’ll connect it to the tube first. Then we’ll attach it to that hole.
Now you can put the cover back. Don’t put it on all the way, though, or the ink won’t be able to get through the tube. Use the velcro square to attach the jar to the side of the printer. This will prevent it from getting in your way or being knocked over.
Cut through the cap so that there’s a hole wide enough for the tube to fit through. Put the cap back on the jar and feed the line through it. Now when you run the self-clean function, the ink will go into the external tank, and when it gets full, you can just dump it out and start over.