How to Fix Streaky or Color-Missing Prints After Refilling an HP 62XL Cartridge: Detailed Troubleshooting Guide

Question:
I refilled my HP 62XL ink cartridge using a refill kit, soaked the printhead, and primed it several times. The test prints on the “clean cartridge” setting sometimes print perfectly, but often come out with missing colors—cyan or magenta missing, green printing instead of blue, or just overall streakiness. Even after calibration and re-priming, the print quality is inconsistent. What can I do to resolve this issue?

Answer:

Troubleshooting Inconsistent Color and Streaks After Refilling HP 62XL Cartridges

Your issue—print inconsistencies after multiple refills, including colors not printing and general streakiness—is a common scenario with HP 6x-series cartridges, such as HP 61, 62, 63, 64, and 67. Here are some tailored suggestions and steps to help improve your print results:

1. Priming Clip Is Essential

We highly recommend using a priming clip, which helps remove trapped air and ensures proper ink flow through the nozzles. Without priming, air bubbles can block the microchannels inside the printhead, leading to missing colors or intermittent printing.

A good priming clip gently applies suction to the printhead and can resolve most flow issues post-refill. If you haven’t already used one, this could be the missing piece in your process.

2. Refill Process Review

We recommend double-checking your technique after multiple fills and soaking sessions. Our video on refilling HP cartridges (featuring the HP 67, but applicable to 61/62/63/64/65/67) walks through every crucial step:

Refill Procedure Video
[https://youtu.be/DvtNz_Y6D-g]

This guide includes needle positioning, refilling tips, and minimizing air in the sponge.

3. Understanding Color Mixing and Nozzle Failures

Color anomalies—like green instead of blue—often occur due to:

• Cross-contamination of ink during refill

• Partial nozzle clogs, where one color (like cyan) is not dispensing correctly

• Ink starvation, usually due to poor priming or an air lock

Even if a test page prints correctly once or twice, residual air or ink flow issues can cause repeated failure during regular print jobs.

4. Cleaning Cycle Limits

Frequent use of the printer’s built-in “Clean Cartridge” function may sometimes worsen the issue by pushing air deeper into the cartridge if it's not primed well. After two cleanings, we recommend manually priming the cartridge instead.

5. Related Error Codes: E0 and E1

Although you didn’t mention seeing specific error codes, users often encounter E0 and E1 when the cartridge isn’t communicating well with the printer due to ink flow or contact issues. If you run into those, check out our video:

HP 67 Error Codes E0 and E1 Explained
[https://youtu.be/ipueD4xutk4]

The troubleshooting guidance here applies to HP 62XL and other similar models.

6. Going Further: Upgrade Your Setup

If you’ve refilled a few cartridges already and want to refine or scale up your process, we have a more advanced guide that dives into how to elevate your refill technique:

Advanced Refill Techniques
[https://youtu.be/k_bxmO4UzFY]

Important Note:
Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we cannot provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service via our local diagnostic facility (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. So, it might take a few weeks to get your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair the whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel’s homepage (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Look for specific videos using the search icon next to “About” on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube’s search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thank you once again for reaching out and for supporting our work. We truly value your trust in BCH Technologies and hope these steps help you achieve more consistent print results!