Epson L3260 Black Ink Not Printing | Troubleshooting and Fixes

Question:
A few weeks back, I had to replace the ink on my Epson L3260 printer, and despite my best efforts, black is not printing for me. The other colors print fine after running a cleaning cycle on the printhead, but black is completely missing. When I checked the dampers, I saw that the dampers of his colors were either full or partly filled, but the black damper was empty. I also attempted to vacuum the black ink through the damper and tube and could not draw any ink. The tube itself looks good — no breaks, no leaks. Could you assist me in diagnosing this visitation?
 
Answer:
We appreciate you contacting us! Sorry for the late response; thank you! We know it is critical to help you with printer issues as quickly as possible, and we aim to provide you with the best, most accurate, and wholesome troubleshooting support. Thank you for being here, and we appreciate you on BCH Technologies (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Your feedback is critical to helping us grow our technical knowledge and create more helpful content.
So, let us get to your problem about black ink not printing in your Epson L3260.
 
Troubleshooting & Fixes
 
Clarify the Vacuum Issue
You said you “can’t vacuum the black ink through the damper or tube.” If you are saying that instead of ink, you are drawing air, and the ink fails to feed into the damper, then I assume the fault lies in the ink supply system somewhere, and the ink is leaking or disconnected.
 
Inspect for Air Leaks in the Ink Tubing
One cause is the ink tube, a poor connection at some point, or even a damaged damper.

• Block the Ink Intake On the Damper: Place a finger on the black damper intake port to seal it. Then, try pulling ink past the damper. If you can still suck air, the problem is upstream of the damper and down tubing or a tank.
• Disconnected / Cracked Tubes: Check the line of ink between the damper and the tank for intermittent disconnections and small holes. If the tubing had a small hole, not much ink would be pulled into the damper.
• Check for Damage to the Damper: A failing damper can also lead to an ink-holding issue. If you can access a working damper, swap it and see if there's ink flow.

Make sure that ink can flow properly from the tank
Check that the ink reaches the damper (if the line is intact) and the ink tank valves if the line appears intact.

• Ink Tank Inspection Check: The ink outlet from the tank is not clogged. Dried ink or debris can sometimes block the flow.
• Check for a Manifold Clog: Unplug the ink line from the printhead manifold and attempt to draw ink straight from the line. If ink comes out perfectly fine from the tank but goes froggy when it comes to the printhead, chances are that there's some sort of blockage inside the printhead itself.

Attempt a Manual Ink Priming
If the black ink still won’t come out, you might need to prime the ink system manually:

• Use a Syringe: Attach a syringe to the black ink tube and gently pull ink through the line.

A primer from the Printhead Side: In case there is no ink going to the printhead, you can try to remove the damper and suck out the ink from the printhead side with the syringe.

• Backflush Nozzles One Step Further: If the ink reaches the printhead but isn't coming through, it's time to use a BCH Printhead Cleaning Solution to flush any dried ink still trapped in the black nozzles.

Run a Cleaning Cycle with Power
Once the ink flow has been restored, could you perform a strong clean cycle from the printer's maintenance menu to ensure ink is properly flowing through the printhead?
How to Avoid Ink Flow Problems in the Future

• Print regularly, at least once a week, so that the ink does not dry out inside the print head.
• Only use high-quality ink, which reduces clogging.
• Store the printer in an environment to prevent the ink from drying up inside the nozzles.

If you did all this and black still doesn’t print, the inkwell likely has internal damage and would need to be replaced. Let us know how it turns out, and we’d be happy to help further!
 
Printer troubleshooting is challenging, as many of them call for hands-on action. Sorry for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, we cannot help with any repairs to printers remotely. That thing you are still sending clicks to (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) isn't laser printing. We aren't technicians anymore either, but we augment our onsite capability with an in-lab health check because we also love repairing. Due to high demand, we work on a first-come, first-served basis, and it can take several weeks until you can drop off your printer.
We have a transparent process about whole and part repair services. However, our repair costs might not be optimal for economic considerations. Now, for those needing DIY solutions, check online, and we recommend research. You can start by searching on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Here, you can use the search bar under the “About” tab in the menu to type in what you are looking for and likely find a troubleshooting video. Since we’ve created so much content over the past nine years, you’re best off using YouTube’s search function to track down guides that will help you. YouTube might recommend other relevant videos from other creators that are helpful.
Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support. Thanks again for reaching out to us!