Epson XP-15000 Prints Only Yellow After Waterproofing: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It

Question:
Today, I waterproofed my Epson XP-15000, careful not to touch the printhead. I also applied silicone (from your site) to the ICC board. After reassembling the printer, I ran a print test, but only yellow ink came out. I’ve run multiple cleanings, but I still only get yellow. Do you know what could be causing this?

Answer:

Problem Overview

When your Epson XP-15000 prints only yellow after maintenance or modification, it typically indicates an issue with the printhead's priming. This is especially true if you’re using DTF ink, which is thicker than standard dye or pigment ink. This makes it harder for ink to flow through the printhead nozzles without proper vacuum pressure.

What Likely Happened

Although the waterproofing process didn’t directly touch the printhead, opening and reassembling the printer may have disrupted its position on the capping station or affected its seal. This is crucial for drawing ink into the nozzles. If you only get yellow, it usually means only one channel (yellow) has sufficient ink flow, while the others are still dry or not fully primed.

Steps to Fix It: Manually Prime the Printhead

To resolve this, you’ll want to manually prime the printhead by creating suction through the printer’s waste line. Here’s how:

1. Park the Printhead:
   Please turn on the printer and allow it to move the printhead to the capping station (this occurs during the normal startup or power-off cycle). It's safe to do this with the printer powered on.

2. Connect a Syringe to the Waste Line:
   Attach a tube and syringe to the waste ink line leadingapping station. This lets you geallows you tow air through the head without removing the head oritg it.

3. Draw Suction Slowly:

   • Start by pulling about 1.5 ml of air. You should feel slight resistance.

   • If you feel no resistance, you’re likely just drawing air, which indicates that the head isn’t sealed against the cap or there’s a leak.

   • If you feel solid resistance, the capping station might be clogged, preventing suction.

   • If you hear a crinkling sound from the damper membrane, that’s a good sign—the ink is beginning to move through the head.

   • Continue drawing slowly until you hit 2 ml, making sure the black rubber of the syringe passes the 2 ml mark. Hold the vacuum for 10 seconds.

4. After Priming:
   Run a standard cleaning cycle via the printer’s utility menu. Avoid aggressive or back-to-back cleanings, especially in the first 12 hours, to prevent overheating and damage to the nozzles.

This priming process often restores full ink flow in all channels. It’s essential for DTF printers or printers using pigmented inks, where any air gaps or thickened ink can block the nozzles.

Tackling printer problems like this often requires hands-on intervention, which makes remote troubleshooting difficult. For more complex issues or repairs, we offer in-person printer evaluation and repair services at our diagnostic facility (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Please note that we work on a first come, first served basis, and wait times can be several weeks. Our repair services are designed to handle complete printers or individual components, and we provide clear guidance on getting started. We also understand that our pricing may not be the cheapest option, so we strongly encourage users to use free resources like our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Use the search bar near the “About” section to look up your specific printer model or issue. With nine years of content, we may already have the exact solution posted—plus, YouTube often suggests other helpful videos, too.

Thank you again for reaching out. We appreciate your support and hope this helps get your XP-15000 back to full function!