Epson L1800 Problem Solution: Troubleshooting and Service Guide

Question: I'm encountering multiple problems with my Epson L1800, and despite attempts to address the issues, the situation with Procolored has only become more dire. At first, it printed dull, and after, it would not print. I managed to get it printed eventually, but with no white ink, and I couldn't empty anything from the waste. I drained the lines, cleaned the pad by the waste tank, checked the print head, e.t.c. However, I was still not able to reset the waste tank counter since there was no reset option for my L1800. My printer’s paper and ink lights are blinking, and I can’t solve the problem. Would you mind helping me with this?

Answer:

Problem 1: Waste Tank and Clog On January 16th you did a great job clearing the clog and cleaning the waste tank. There might be other maintenance warnings if the alternating flashing lights (paper and ink) are displayed. Since you were indeed unable to reset the waste tank counter, I suspect that the reset option did not appear because your antivirus software was interfering with the program. For this reason, I suggest that you support the reset program and save a copy of it to your cloud storage (Dropbox, etc.) or via email to yourself so that you can easily access it in the future.

Also, you can still print a few more pages if you have not reset the waste tank counter. Pressing it will temporarily allow you to continue printing.

Problem 2: Print Head Issues. January 20th: The print head seems to be under the weather. The warning, which is accompanied by flashing red lights on the front panel, indicates that the print head is either clogged or broken. Another case is that one of the ribbon cables (FFC cables) you adjusted during maintenance got disconnected, and so your printer failed to boot because of that.

To delve deeper into the problem, I suggest running Epson’s Adjustment Program (a tool designed for error diagnostics). Here's how you can use it:

1. Double click on the Adjustment Program and select the USB port for your model.
2. Select “Specific Adjustment” and you will see “Printer Information Check” scroll down.
3. Click “Check,” and the most recent error code will appear as error number one at the top of the screen.
4. Google search “BCH Epson Error” to get help interpreting the error code and land on our page that explains Epson Triple Secret Error Codes.

In that case, if the error code indicates a problem with the APG sensor or the print head, you might have to replace the print head. If you’re unable to find the Adjustment Program or access it by your printer’s model, you can perform an online search for a copy.

The mainboard may be damaged as well. You’ll still be supplying power to parts of the printer related to the ink system, but the part that interfaces with the user may be dead. If you are comfortable, you can try to take out the mainboard and replace it yourself, or simply return it to us for repair (https://bchtechnologies.com/collections/printer-repair-service) Also ensure checking the FFC cables and replacing them if necessary to achieve proper connectivity.

We also have a video walkthrough on YouTube that provides more detail if you need it. You can find it here: https://youtube.com/shorts/FPZzpyYuZLE.

Fixing printer problems can often be a cumbersome task because of the physical nature of the problems. We regret to inform you that we cannot provide remote troubleshooting, tips, or assistance with repairing printers. We do offer in-person examination and fixed service at our regional diagnostics facility (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service); however, as a result of high demand, we work using a first-come, first-served method — it might take weeks before we can approve your printer to be repaired. We offer printer repair for the whole printer or each piece, along with warranty and repair instructions.

Our fees are not the lowest, so we really advise that you search online resources for any self-help options.  Our YouTube channel has a search feature to check on videos we have produced to help you out (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies) Since we produce dozens of videos over time, the search function is the most direct means of finding what’s relevant to you — and YouTube itself might find content from other channels that could help.

We thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We hope these suggestions are helpful and thank you for your continued support!