Stuck HP Printhead: Why Your Printhead Won’t Move and How to Resolve It

Question:

The printhead on my HP printer is stuck and won’t move, but there’s nothing I can see in the way. How do you best fix this problem, in particular on models, including the HP 910, 916, 934 and 935?

Answer:

It sounds like the platform of your printer isn’t fully engaging the gear that moves the printhead. A frequent problem is that the little switch at the top of the rail is not directing the platform back in the manner it should. Try turning the gear slightly, that may ensure it's engaging with the mechanism properly. When the gears then fit together properly, the platform should return to its position as before. More often than not if the gears check out fine this adjustment is your fix. For example, one crucial thing to inspect is the paper feed gear, which is used to power the gear that moves the printhead. The PFG is a component that doesn’t last forever, so, if damaged, it could be the source of its malfunction. I’ve covered this issue in a video here: link. If the platform doesn’t come back after this, however, don’t hesitate to drop me a line, and I can help you try some more troubleshooting steps.

Printer-related issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. We cannot offer remote troubleshooting, suggestions or support for printer repairs. We do have an on-site diagnostic shop (BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]), so you can bring it in for an evaluation and repair if you're local, but we do it first-come, first-serve here as well and there's a high demand, so it could take a week or so to actually get your printer into the diagnostic shop. Depending on how it works perfectly, repair services are either for the entire printer or for part of the printer and include detailed instructions on how to proceed. Although we are aware that our rates specifically may not be the lowest, do consider helping yourself via online search. Top tip Start with looking at our YouTube (BCH Technologies YouTube [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]) channel and search by what you want to know. With more than nine years of content, it’s quite possible I can’t remember every single video that has ever been made, so the best way to find exactly what you need is to use the search bar. Also, YouTube could recommend videos from other creators that might be useful.