Serious defects can occur with the ink printer over time: it refuses to output, makes strange noises or only produces illegible printouts. But before you think about an exchange, this guide will probably help you further.
Ink printers and ink multifunction devices are usually in use for many years. Long-term use inevitably leaves traces: the mechanics suffer, annoying error messages about full ink collection containers appear or the print heads are so clogged that hardly a letter can be deciphered on the sheet, or individual colors are even completely missing.
In any case, it is clear that there is a serious problem with the output device. Even so, you don’t have to think about an exchange right away. With the right hand movements and measures, these blockages can be removed and the printer can be brought back into shape.
Loosen the jammed cartridge slide again
Problem: When you turn on the printer, you hear a clicking sound. From inside the device, it sounds like the cartridge carriage is encountering resistance. After a while, messages such as “Jam at carriage” or “Cartridge carriage blocked” appear in the display.
Solution: Printer carriages are usually lightweight. Especially with models in which cartridges with integrated print heads can be installed, a rough push is enough to jam the cartridge carriage. Foreign objects such as paper clips or pieces of paper also cause the slide to lose its rhythm.
To clear the blockage, turn on the printer and open the cover to the printer carriage. If the printer tries to lift the carriage out of the park position, help with a gentle pull. As a rule, it should be possible to move the slide to the center.
Now interrupt the power supply by pulling the power plug out of the housing. Move the carriage to the position where you can remove the cartridges from the carriage. Check the cartridges for broken plastic particles. Shine a flashlight inside and look for other foreign objects. Remove these with tweezers.
Then slide the empty sled back and forth. Snap it into the park position and pull it back to the center. You can rule out a motor problem by moving the carriage back and forth without cartridges. To do this, simply plug the power plug back into the housing and leave the cover open.
Also check the coding strip. It runs over the running rail and ensures that the cartridge carriage is correctly oriented. If it is dirty, it can also trigger the printer carriage error message. Before you clean it with a lint-free, damp cloth, pull the power plug out of the printer again. If any remaining ink has been removed from the coding strip, wipe gently with a dry cloth.
When everything is done, insert the cartridges again, connect the printer to the power supply and ideally, carry out a printhead alignment.
