Epson L1800 Printhead Burnt or Smoking? Here's What It Means and How to Fix It

Question:
My Procolored printer stopped printing white, so I ran a maintenance and a deep clean, just like I usually do. I've followed your YouTube videos to clean the printhead, capping station, and the white manifold. After reassembling everything, the printer still wouldn't print white. Then, when I turned it on, I saw a little smoke from the printhead area, and the printhead cable looked slightly burnt. Procolored support told me I need a new printhead and motherboard. What should I do?

Answer:

Now, regarding your situation - the burnt printhead cable and smoke from the printhead are clear indicators of an electrical short. Here's a detailed breakdown of what likely happened and how to fix it properly:

1. Understanding the Root Cause

When you see smoke or a burning smell from the printhead area, it usually means that a short circuit occurred between the printhead and the mainboard. This often happens when:

• The flat flexible cable (FFC) was not seated correctly or got reversed when reinserted.

• Moisture or cleaning fluid entered the printhead's electrical contacts during cleaning.

• The printhead was turned on while still wet.

• The printhead itself has an internal short, sending too much current through the cable.

Once that short occurs, it often damages three components:

1. The printhead itself (becomes permanently nonfunctional).

2. The FFC cable (shows burn marks or melted spots).

3. The mainboard (specifically the F1 or F2 fuse or driver IC that powers the printhead).

2. Parts You'll Need to Replace

Based on your description, both the printhead and FFC cable must be replaced. If you reinstall the damaged cable, it can instantly destroy a new printhead. We recommend replacing both together using this Printhead FFC Bundle Combo for Epson L1800/1390 Series (https://bchtechnologies.com/products/printhead-ffc-bundle-combo-for-epson-l-1800-1390-1400-1410-1430-r260-r270-r360-13x2-9-pin).

If the mainboard's fuses or driver chips are damaged, it may not supply proper voltage to the new printhead. BCH Technologies offers mainboard repair service for $75, where we replace blown fuses or ICs and test the board for stability.

3. Before Reassembly - Safety Steps

If you decide to repair or replace parts yourself, please make sure to:

• Unplug the printer and wait a few minutes before touching the printhead area.

• Inspect the FFC connectors on both the mainboard and printhead for black marks or melted plastic.

• Use a magnifying glass to check for small burn spots on the mainboard near the printhead socket.

• Never reinstall a wet printhead. Allow it to air dry for at least 24 hours after cleaning.

4. Testing After Replacement

After installing a new printhead and FFC cable:

• Run a nozzle check to confirm ink flow.

• Perform a standard cleaning, not a power cleaning at first, to reduce ink stress.

• Check for any new error messages. If you see Error 031006, 0x9A, or General Error, it may mean the printhead connection is still not stable, or there's additional mainboard damage.

5. When to Seek Professional Repair

If the new components don't resolve the issue, the mainboard is likely still shorted. In that case, it's best to have the board inspected by a professional repair technician or send it in for service. Attempting repeated restarts with a burnt connector can worsen internal damage.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. Therefore, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting or live support for printer repairs. However, we do offer in-person diagnostic and repair services through our local BCH Technologies repair facility (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Because of high demand, our services are handled on a first-come, first-served basis and may take several weeks for drop-off and inspection. We can repair either the full printer or specific parts, depending on the customer's needs.

That said, we understand that professional repair may not always be the most cost-effective option. Many users successfully troubleshoot and repair their printers using online resources. We encourage you to use the search icon on our YouTube channel homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) to find videos about printhead shorts, cable replacement, and board fuse repair. YouTube's algorithm may even recommend helpful videos from other channels on similar topics.

Thank you again for reaching out and for supporting our educational efforts. Your engagement helps us continue producing detailed, experience-based printer repair content for users around the world.