Nizzehult

I have a HP 7140xi that won't print. If I run the cleaning program the panel shows "cleaning" but nothing happens - no movement of anything - and after a few seconds the panels shows "Ready" again. New black cartridge is installed. When "Check ink-level" is selected it shows 68% and 90%. If I try to calibrate or print a test pattern it says "Out of ink, change black cartridge" and later color cartridge. Have tried to reset to factory default settings.

Are the cartridges date-coded? Can they be too old and then the printer refuses to continue? Or does anyone else have any suggestions?

lecek

Cartridges are dated. You can check by removing the cartridge and looking on them for the date. It will probably not be on the top and it usually begins in the 4 digit year. (say 2008/10/5) Do not touch any of the metal on the cartridge.

Another option is to clean the contacts. Open the printer so that you can remove the cartridge. Unplug the printer. Remove the cartridge. Clean the "metal dots" on the cartridge with bottled water or distilled water or filtered water and a lint free cloth or Q-tip or Coffee filter. What you do is dampen the cloth just a bit and wipe off the contacts. BE CAREFULL not to touch any other metal on the cartridge but the contacts and the metal immediately surrounding them. You can damage your cartridges if you touch the actual print heads. After you clean the contacts, but the cartridges upside down on the table while you clean the corresponding contacts in the carriage where the cartridges go. Let them air dry. (takes about 30 seconds.) Insert the cartridges and plug the printer back in.

Good luck.

Nizzehult

I've checked. The cartridges are dated 2006/03. Shouldn't be too old. Cleaning of all vital parts have been made (I'm a skilled techichan and good at electronics as well so I know where to be careful).

The cleaning cycle just don't kick in! Absolutely nothing happens and the panel jumps back to it's normal state showing time and date efter just 3-4 seconds!

lecek

The date on the cartridges are the date they expire. If they are dated 2006 then they are past 3 years old and should be replaced. A new cartridge purchased today should have a date on the cartridge itself well into 2008 or even 2009. The best before date on the box predates the date on the cartridge by 6 months.

Nizzehult

Aha! And if the cartridge(s) is too old everythings just stops - no warnings or so? It there any work around, like setting back the actual system date? (Have to test that anyway)

Terrister

You search for a chip reseter. Don't know of any for this series. These are normally sold by places that refill ink carts. I do not suggest refilling them.

lecek

If the cartridge expires you just get error messages involving the cartridges. There is not a specific message to the effect that the cartridge has expired. Cartridges will usually work past the date on them by some time (perhaps 2 months) but yours are well past the date.

There is a way to reset them as Terrister has pointed out but HP doesn't recomend that. The recomended solution is to replace them.

Nizzehult

Well, I bought this printer (cheap) on a flea market so I don't know it's history. If I knew that new cartridges would solve my problems - fine, I'd buy new ones. But I don't spend $50 just to see the same thing happen.... And since I don't have any messages pointing out that they are outdated, I doubt that this is the real problem. Should'n I be able to do a cleaining regardless if the cartridges are good or not?

lecek

There is not an error about dated cartridges. The most common error for this is remove and check (right or left) cartridge.

Anyway, your best shot is a 10 tap test. I know the 10 taps by hart for the newer printers but yours should be similar.

The way to print it is to press * and # at the same time on the printer. Then punch in 1 2 3. The screen should say service or service menu or similar. Press right arrow until it says special reports. Press ok (or enter). Press right arrow until you get to print cartridges. Press ok (or enter).

If this prints out then you should post some lines for us. The 50's 60's 70's and 21.

With cartridges that old though I expect it will just eject a blank page if it prints at all. Good luck.

Nizzehult

No we're talking! Just that kind of "secret" I was looking for. But there is no such option in the service menu. Nothing about cartridges at all. It has Special Reports but if I select that nothing happens. There is also a test menu but only for the scanner, fax and paper feed. Nothing for the printing or cartridges. Strange, huh?

lecek

Are you entering special reports by pressing OK or Enter? Even your printer should have at least the extended self test report.

Another way would be * and # and punch in 1 2 4. Press right arrow (Usually once) to reports menu. Press ok or enter. Then right arrow to an option like button tap or print mech tap or similar mix. Press ok or enter. Then you can type in 10 for the test above or 43 for another kind of test. With this menu you have to be carefull not to try to print other tests. Some of them are factory tests that are only meant to be run once during manufacture. If you don`t see what you expect you should cancel out of the menu ASAP.

Don`t try any other special key combo codes either.

Nizzehult

Aha. More to discover. Here I found the extended self report option but pressing Enter (next to right arrow) is like pressing Esc in windows, all that happens is that I come back to the former menu. ***? There is no OK button, and i tried Scan, Fax och Copy. Nothing. Is it time to dump the unit into the nearest lake?

lecek

Well there is also a reset you can try. With the unit powered on, unplug the power cord. Hold down # and 6 and keep holding them down. Plug the power back in. Continiue to hold # and 6 until the unit says reset (probably semi full) or until it shuts back off again. After a few moments the printer will probably shut off on its own, if it does give it a moment and then power it back on with the power key. It will probably ask you for language and country information again.

There is also a #3 and a #9 reset. #3 will not help you if a #6 doesn't. Doing a #9 can turn your printer into a paper wieght. Since your printer is in danger of becoming that anyway I will leave that option up to you. At any rate do the #6 first. There is a limited number of #9's you can do. (#6's are unlimited) There is no way to know how many are left without the 10 tap test.

Keep in mind that we are trying to get your printer to try to print. With cartridges that old I expect only blank pages if it does try to print. A 10 tap test is a special test that is used to diagnose cartridges and the printer will try to print it even if the cartridge says it can't. A 43 tap test is a special test used to diagnose the ASIC chip. (The printers CPU) and will also try to print even with bad cartridges.

If those resets don't work then we are left with trying new cartridges or discarding the printer.

Nizzehult

Yes! The #6 reset did the trick! Now a cleaning cyle can be done and I can hear that something happens with the cartridges. Never the less I will get an error "error in I/O device, replace I/O-card". So there IS a major and confirmed H/W error with this printer so I'm considering to let it R.I.P. Anyhow, your information has been great, lecek, and if you come buy in Sweden I'll buy you a beer ;-)

lecek

I am glad to hear we have made progress of some sort.

Yea it looks like the printer has a H/W issue. That sucks. But at least we know what we have got now.

I am glad I could help.