Epson Pro 4900 Waste Ink System and Capping Station Issues
- By Kevin Day
- On Oct 28, 2024
- Comment 0
Question: I spent the day back and forth with my Epson Pro 4900 (no visible damage to the capping station), and my brother says he's getting frustrated. I am playing this for DFI memes; let's look from a reader's standpoint of view on how his comment kind of is. Firstly I tried to suck the ink out by disconnecting its waste tube and, without breaking a sweat, doing any form of pulling as hard as possible. Is it possible that the capping/wiper assembly is faulty? I also thought about pushing ink to the dampers or printhead, but I am unsure if this would work. Can the ink cartridges be lifted a little higher?
Answer: Thank you for your enquiry, and we apologies for our delayed response. I realize that printer problems can be very urgent, and I really do appreciate your perseverance in getting your Epson Pro 4900 diagnosed. We will answer as detailed as possible to cover you from head to toe. At BCH Technologies, our goal is always to give all the details for your success. We appreciate and incorporate your interaction on our YouTube channel (@bchtechnologies) into developing part of the material expertise.
So now, for an answer to your question, it does appear you are going in the right direction by looking into the waste ink system and capping station. Pulling from this tube is a great way to see if there are any clogs inside the capping station. If your printhead is parked (ie the printer is on and power head naturally sits over a capping station) feel just slight resistance when pulling ink. The resistance is because the system has sealed itself properly, and while that means you have a dry primer cleaning cap station, it is also cushioned where your printhead rests down on top of butted up against the over-capping station. If the printhead is not a park, You will feel little or no resistance because air (or residual ink) inside the capping station has to pass through.
A couple of possible conditions could be that the printhead is not properly sitting on a capping station or that there might have been an internal problem creating some sort of vacuum. The capping station may also need to be checked for any obstructions, such as cracks or debris, that would prevent it from functioning.
Is pushing ink to the dampers/printhead okay? Technically, it's not a method we usually suggest. The printer's ink system is pressure controlled and spent in a forced manner, which could potentially damage dampers or heads. Relaying the tubing can be a fiddly process. It involves taking apart the “box” through which the ink cartridges are connected and moving them higher up to allow for gravity-fed delivery of ink, which requires keeping tubings elevated.
Instead of using this method, do some cleaning cycles through the printer maintenance settings. This will help you work the ink through a control pattern and can sometimes clear up any flow issues in the pump from back down into your dampers. If that doesn't resolve the issue, a more severe problem with the printhead or ink system could be at fault.
Printer issues are often hardware-related and may be difficult to troubleshoot remotely. Printer problems require a hands-on approach, so we cannot troubleshoot over the phone or through email. Still, we provide in-person diagnostic and repair services at our local facility (BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]) — will work dependent on a first-come-first-serve basis; it may take several weeks to have the printer thoroughly checked. Our repairs service full printers and individual parts; you can drop off your print locally or mail it to us.
We recommend reviewing some possible self-help resources through a quick Google search. Our YouTube channel has many tutorial videos: https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies, which can help you troubleshoot similar problems. Suppose you need to go right for the jugular. In that case, typing into YouTube's search feature is a good way of finding particular things, and it might suggest other videos tangentially related from around the community.
Thanks again for contacting us; we appreciate your business! We are here to help you.
Answer: Thank you for your enquiry, and we apologies for our delayed response. I realize that printer problems can be very urgent, and I really do appreciate your perseverance in getting your Epson Pro 4900 diagnosed. We will answer as detailed as possible to cover you from head to toe. At BCH Technologies, our goal is always to give all the details for your success. We appreciate and incorporate your interaction on our YouTube channel (@bchtechnologies) into developing part of the material expertise.
So now, for an answer to your question, it does appear you are going in the right direction by looking into the waste ink system and capping station. Pulling from this tube is a great way to see if there are any clogs inside the capping station. If your printhead is parked (ie the printer is on and power head naturally sits over a capping station) feel just slight resistance when pulling ink. The resistance is because the system has sealed itself properly, and while that means you have a dry primer cleaning cap station, it is also cushioned where your printhead rests down on top of butted up against the over-capping station. If the printhead is not a park, You will feel little or no resistance because air (or residual ink) inside the capping station has to pass through.
A couple of possible conditions could be that the printhead is not properly sitting on a capping station or that there might have been an internal problem creating some sort of vacuum. The capping station may also need to be checked for any obstructions, such as cracks or debris, that would prevent it from functioning.
Is pushing ink to the dampers/printhead okay? Technically, it's not a method we usually suggest. The printer's ink system is pressure controlled and spent in a forced manner, which could potentially damage dampers or heads. Relaying the tubing can be a fiddly process. It involves taking apart the “box” through which the ink cartridges are connected and moving them higher up to allow for gravity-fed delivery of ink, which requires keeping tubings elevated.
Instead of using this method, do some cleaning cycles through the printer maintenance settings. This will help you work the ink through a control pattern and can sometimes clear up any flow issues in the pump from back down into your dampers. If that doesn't resolve the issue, a more severe problem with the printhead or ink system could be at fault.
Printer issues are often hardware-related and may be difficult to troubleshoot remotely. Printer problems require a hands-on approach, so we cannot troubleshoot over the phone or through email. Still, we provide in-person diagnostic and repair services at our local facility (BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]) — will work dependent on a first-come-first-serve basis; it may take several weeks to have the printer thoroughly checked. Our repairs service full printers and individual parts; you can drop off your print locally or mail it to us.
We recommend reviewing some possible self-help resources through a quick Google search. Our YouTube channel has many tutorial videos: https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies, which can help you troubleshoot similar problems. Suppose you need to go right for the jugular. In that case, typing into YouTube's search feature is a good way of finding particular things, and it might suggest other videos tangentially related from around the community.
Thanks again for contacting us; we appreciate your business! We are here to help you.