How to Fix No Ink Output After Cleaning Epson 4900 Printhead

Question:

I attempted to clean the printhead of my Epson 4900 using BCH Technologies’ Dual-Action Cleaning Solution and Titration Tubing Set with instructions from this video. After cleaning and reassembling the printhead, I performed several cleanings via both the software and control panel, but no ink appears on paper during the Nozzle Check. Could this issue be resolved with an Ink Charge? I did not empty the ink delivery tubing before disassembling the printhead.

Answer:

Greetings,

I wanted to thank you for sending this in and breaking it down so much. Thank you for engaging with and supporting BCH Technologies, especially through our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). We appreciate your input on how we can improve tech. as a practice.

Now, to address your concern:

From your message, the physical blockage has been removed, as you managed to flush the cleaning solution through the color channel. This is a good thing; it means the ink or liquid moves through the printhead without any challenge. The most common is that there must be a clog if nothing comes out of the paper. However, clogging is a mechanical blockage as there is still liquid going through, which means it's not a 100% clogged printer head.

Once you have cleaned the print head, an important step is replacing the cleaning solution or any leftover fluid with ink. TIP: Park the printhead at a cleaning station and remove about 2ml of air from the waste tube using a 5ml syringe. This helps to pull the ink into the channels and primes the printhead so that it can operate as designed. After you've finished, perform a regular printhead cleaning. This will equalize the pressure between the ink channels and ensure that your printhead is prepped to create accurate prints every time. If you still see a blank page despite the ink coming out during waste tube cleaning, it could be an electrical issue rather than a clog.

Some things to consider:

FFC Cable or Mainboard: The FFC (Flat Flexible Cable) is connected to the printhead and goes all the way into the mainboard assembly, where it could be improperly seated, lowering the signal connection between the mainboard and printing head. This would result in the physical disappearance of the clogs, but no ink would be printed.

Damage to the Printhead Membrane: Sometimes, a hard cleaning (physically or from the power clean function in the software) attempt leads to a membrane rupture and delamination in Printheads. In this case, printing completely blank pages is possible, even though the nozzle through which liquid runs successfully.

In addition, Epson also recommends that you not hit the Ink Charge function or Power Cleaning too often, as it puts a more significant strain on the printer. If you try an Ink Charge, wait at least 12 hours before rerunning it. But beware, one of my customers waited 18h still ended up burning her printer. Yes, I know why I often call this "Armageddon mode" and only use when there is no hope, Use these as a last resort, if all other ways have been written out.

Please keep in mind that resolving printer issues will require manual intervention. Therefore, BCH Technologies does not have a way to provide remote repair support. Of course, we offer onsite diagnosis and repair through our local diagnostic facility (follow the link to learn more about printer repair service). The services have a waiting list, which could last for weeks.

Please also consider self-help resources that you may find by looking up possible solutions on the Internet. Be sure to check the search function, as we have many guides on our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Notice that we might not have addressed your issue in a video, but if we don't, then YouTube will likely offer other recommendations from other channels for the same categorical queries.

As always, thank you for getting in touch, and thank you so much for being part of the BCH Technologies family.