Epson L805 or L130 Won't Turn On After Printhead Cleaning: Causes, Power Supply Checks, Printhead Shorts, and Error 034004 Explained

Question

I have been cleaning the printhead on my Epson L805 and L130 for about two years using a fairly viscous cleaning solution. After the most recent cleaning, I plugged the printer back in, but now it will not turn on at all. This question was posted in connection with your video about Epson Error 034004 (E-01), where the printhead/carriage stays on the left side. Could the cleaning process or cleaning solution have caused the printer to stop powering on, and what should I check?

Answer

The first thing I would clarify is that Error 034004 and a printer that is completely dead are usually two different categories of problems.

On Epson models that use the 034xxx error-code system, 034004 is generally associated with the carriage being unable to move correctly. Epson service documentation for some models describes 034004 as a condition in which the carriage does not move, with possible causes including excessive mechanical load, the ink system, the carriage motor, or the main board. (Manual Machine) Therefore, the video you were watching can be useful when a printer powers on but the carriage remains on the left, jams, or produces an E-01/fatal error.

However, if your Epson L805 or L130 now has no lights, no motor movement, no initialization sound, and no response at all when the power button is pressed, I would investigate the power and electrical system first rather than treating it as an Error 034004 problem.

Could a Thick Cleaning Solution Cause the Printer to Stop Turning On?

The viscosity of the cleaning solution by itself would not normally cause a printer to become completely electrically dead. A thick cleaning fluid can certainly create other problems. For example, it may not pass through the microscopic printhead channels properly, it may leave residue inside the head, or it may place additional resistance on the ink path.

The greater concern is where the cleaning solution went during the cleaning process.

If liquid reached the printhead's electrical contacts, the FFC/ribbon-cable connections, carriage PCB, or other electrical components and the printer was then powered on before everything was completely dry, the liquid could create an electrical short.

This is particularly important around the printhead. A printhead contains both fluid channels and electrical firing circuits very close to one another. If cleaning solution escapes into the electrical-contact area, the head can short internally or externally.

Depending on the printer's circuit design and the severity of the short, several things can happen:

• A protective fuse on the main board or power circuit may open.

• A printhead driver circuit or MOSFET may fail.

• The printhead itself may become electrically shorted.

• The main board may enter protection and refuse to start.

• A power-supply component may fail.

• In more severe cases, both the printhead and main board can be damaged.

This is why I generally recommend treating printhead cleaning as both a fluid-handling procedure and an electrical procedure. Cleaning solution should be kept away from the electrical contacts, ribbon cables, and connectors, and anything that becomes wet should be completely dry before power is applied.

First Determine Whether the Printer Is Truly Receiving No Power

Before opening the printer, eliminate the simple possibilities.

Try a known-good wall outlet and make sure the power cord is firmly seated. If the printer uses a removable power cord, inspect the cord for damage and, when possible, test with another compatible known-good cord.

Disconnect USB cables and any other external connections so that the only connection to the printer is AC power.

Then press and hold the power button slightly longer than usual rather than tapping it. Epson's L130 user documentation likewise lists checking the power connection and holding the power button longer as the first checks when the printer will not turn on. (Epson Support)

If there is still absolutely no response, then the problem is likely inside the printer.

A Printer That Died Immediately After Printhead Work Makes the Printhead Circuit Important

The timing of the failure matters.

If the printer worked normally before the head was cleaned, and immediately afterward it became completely dead, I would pay particular attention to anything that was touched during the cleaning procedure.

For example, ask yourself:

Was the printhead removed?

Were the FFC/ribbon cables disconnected?

Did cleaning solution spill underneath the printhead?

Could fluid have reached the ribbon-cable contacts?

Was the printhead still wet when power was restored?

Was a ribbon cable installed crooked, backward, or with exposed contacts misaligned?

Was the printer plugged into AC power while cables were being connected or disconnected?

Any of these conditions can create an electrical fault.

Inspect the Printhead Ribbon Cables Carefully

If you removed or disturbed the printhead during cleaning, inspect its ribbon cables carefully before applying power again.

Look for:

• Cleaning solution or ink on the cable contacts

• Burned or darkened contacts

• Bent cable ends

• Torn conductors

• Corrosion

• A cable inserted at an angle

• A cable inserted into the wrong connector

• A cable that is not fully seated

• Damaged connector locking tabs

A printhead FFC carries the firing signals from the main board to the head. A misaligned cable can connect circuits that were never intended to touch each other. That can damage the board almost instantly when the printer is powered.

If there is visible liquid in that area, repeatedly trying to power on the printer is not advisable. Additional power attempts can turn a recoverable contamination problem into a permanently damaged board.

The Printhead Itself May Have Developed an Electrical Short

It is also possible for the printhead to become internally shorted after aggressive or repeated cleaning, particularly if fluid reaches the electrical portion of the head.

This does not necessarily mean that the cleaning solution was chemically responsible for destroying the printer. It may simply mean that fluid entered an area where liquid should not have been present.

A printhead can also fail independently due to age, corrosion, damaged firing elements, overheated circuitry, or contamination.

One useful diagnostic concept is determining whether the main board behaves differently with the suspect load removed. However, disconnecting printhead cables and testing electronics requires considerable care. The printer should be completely disconnected from AC power before any FFC is touched, and the technician needs to understand the risks involved. Incorrect FFC handling can damage a perfectly good board.

Check the Main-Board Fuse and Power Circuit

Many Epson main boards use one or more protective fuses in circuits associated with the printhead and other loads. Depending on the model and board revision, their locations and designations vary.

A fuse cannot reliably be diagnosed simply by looking at it. It normally needs to be checked for continuity with the printer completely disconnected from AC power.

If a fuse is open, do not assume that replacing or bridging the fuse solves the problem.

A blown fuse is often the result of another failure rather than the original failure itself.

For example, if the printhead is shorted and a fuse opens to protect the circuit, replacing the fuse while leaving the shorted printhead connected may cause the new fuse to fail immediately. Worse, bypassing a protective fuse can allow damage to progress into the main-board driver circuitry.

The correct question is therefore not only, "Is the fuse blown?" but also, "What caused the fuse to blow?"

Possible causes include a shorted printhead, contaminated FFC, incorrectly connected ribbon cable, damaged carriage electronics, or failed semiconductor components on the main board.

The Power Supply Is Another Possibility

A completely dead printer can also have a power-supply failure.

The power supply converts incoming AC voltage into the DC voltages used by the printer's electronics. If it is not producing the required output, the main board cannot start.

Power-supply failures may involve an internal fuse, switching components, capacitors, rectification circuitry, connectors, or other components.

However, I would not automatically replace the power supply simply because the printer has no lights. The main board, power button/control panel, wiring, or a shorted load can sometimes create very similar symptoms.

If you are doing board-level diagnosis, the most efficient approach is normally to determine whether the power supply is producing its expected output and whether that voltage reaches the main board. Because the power-supply section involves mains voltage, this is an area where inexperienced users should be especially careful.

Do Not Overlook the Power Button or Control-Panel Connection

A damaged or disconnected control-panel cable can sometimes make a printer appear completely dead because pressing the power button no longer sends the proper signal to the main board.

If the printer was disassembled during cleaning, check whether any panel cable or FFC was accidentally loosened.

This possibility becomes more likely if the printer was taken apart significantly but no cleaning solution reached the electronics.

If the Printer Briefly Starts and Then Shuts Down

This is different from a printer that never responds at all.

If an LED flashes briefly, a motor twitches, the carriage attempts to move, or the printer starts for a fraction of a second and immediately shuts down, that can suggest that power is reaching the electronics but a protection circuit is responding to an abnormal load.

In that situation, a shorted printhead, damaged main-board circuit, motor overload, or other electrical problem becomes more suspicious.

Watch carefully for any brief sign of life because that information can significantly narrow the diagnosis.

How Does Error 034004 Fit Into This?

If the printer eventually powers on but the carriage remains on the left side, cannot find its home position, or produces an E-01/fatal error, then the mechanical and carriage-related troubleshooting discussed in the 034004 video becomes more relevant.

At that stage, inspect such items as the carriage path, CR encoder strip, carriage encoder sensor, CR belt, carriage motor, foreign objects, capping station, and anything mechanically preventing the carriage from moving freely.

Epson documentation for carriage-related errors also identifies encoder feedback, carriage-motor connections, belt condition, excessive carriage load, and main-board problems as possible causes of carriage movement failures. (Epson)

But again, if the L805 or L130 is completely dead, with no LEDs or initialization whatsoever, troubleshoot the no-power condition first. You cannot meaningfully diagnose a carriage-position error until the printer's electronics can successfully power up.

Be Particularly Careful After Years of Printhead Cleaning

You mentioned that you have been cleaning the printhead with this solution for approximately two years. The fact that the technique worked previously does not guarantee that the most recent cleaning behaved exactly the same way.

Repeated cleaning can gradually move dissolved ink and cleaning fluid into places that previously remained dry. Residue can accumulate, seals can deteriorate, and fluid can eventually wick along surfaces or cables.

A solution that is unusually viscous can also remain in the printer much longer than a lower-viscosity cleaning fluid. Therefore, something that appears dry externally may still contain moisture underneath the head, around the FFC connectors, or inside the carriage assembly.

I would therefore focus less on the question of whether the solution is "too thick" and more on whether any solution could have reached the electrical side of the printhead or carriage system before power was restored.

Avoid Repeatedly Turning the Printer On During Diagnosis

If you suspect liquid contamination or a short circuit, repeatedly pressing the power button is unlikely to help.

A better approach is to stop applying power until the printhead area, FFC contacts, and main board have been inspected. If contamination is discovered, it needs to be addressed before further electrical testing.

Likewise, I strongly discourage bypassing fuses, randomly jumping board components, or installing another printhead before determining whether the board's head-driving circuit is healthy. A damaged board can destroy a replacement printhead, and a shorted printhead can damage a replacement board.

That interaction between the printhead and main board is one reason these repairs can become expensive very quickly when parts are replaced without first identifying the failed circuit.

Addressing printer issues can be complicated because so much of the diagnosis depends on physically examining and testing the machine. For that reason, we're not able to provide individualized remote troubleshooting, repair instructions, or ongoing repair support. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our BCH Technologies printer diagnostic and repair facility [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Because demand is high, repairs are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take several weeks before we can accommodate a printer drop-off. Our service is structured so that we can evaluate either a complete printer or, where appropriate, specific components, with instructions provided for how to proceed. We also recognize that professional diagnostic and repair rates may not be the most economical choice for every printer, so we strongly encourage customers who are comfortable working on their own equipment to use online research as a self-help resource. You can begin with YouTube or visit the BCH Technologies YouTube channel [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. On our channel homepage, use the search icon located near the "About" section to search the channel for your printer model, error code, printhead, main board, fuse, power supply, or other relevant terms. I receive dozens of questions every day asking whether I have made a video on a particular repair. After creating videos for more than nine years, it is difficult for me to remember every video we have published, so using YouTube's search function is usually the fastest and most reliable way to locate the appropriate material. YouTube may also recommend useful videos from other repair channels that address the same problem.

Thank you again for your question, for taking the time to explain what happened, and for supporting BCH Technologies and our YouTube channel. I hope this information gives you a clearer understanding of the difference between Error 034004 (E-01) and a true no-power condition, as well as the areas that deserve the most attention after printhead cleaning.