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HP Designjet 500 and 800 Series Printers - TWI: Printhead Rejection

KRS document number: BPP90115

Last Updated: 08-Apr-2002

Minimum skill level: 2

The printer's carriage is not accepting one or more of the printheads. Typical causes are dirty contacts on the printheads or carriage, defective printhead(s), or a defective carriage. Follow the steps listed in this document to accurately determine the cause of the failure and to replace the appropriate parts.

Parts required (part numbers are subject to change)

Part description	24-inch Models - C7769B, C7769C, C7779B, C7779C	42-inch Models - C7770B, C7770C, C7780B, C7780C
Carriage assembly (Required)	C7769-60272	C7769-60272
Trailing cable (Required)	C7769-60295	C7770-60274
Printheads (Optional)	C4810A (B), C4811A (C), C4812A (M), C4813A (Y)	C4810A (B), C4811A (C), C4812A (M), C4813A (Y)
Electronics module (Required) See Service Note C7779C-02	C7779-69144	C7779-69144

NOTE: If removal and installation instructions are needed for reference during any repairs performed, refer to the HP Designjet 500 and 800 Series Service Manual.

Printhead status messaging

An icon represents the status of each printhead, below is a list describing the meaning of the different icons:

• The icon of an empty, flashing box indicates the printhead is missing, and the correct one must be inserted.
• The flashing cross icon indicates the printhead is faulty or is of the wrong model type; try reseating the printhead to resolve the problem.
• The exclamation mark icon indicates the printer has determined one of the printheads has worn out and should be replaced.
• The question mark icon indicates one of the printheads has experienced a problem, but the printer does not know which one it is.

Troubleshooting steps

1. Turn the printer on.
2. Allow printer to complete initialization.
3. Using the Down Arrow key, scroll to the Ink menu (ink drop icon) and press Enter.
4. Scroll to Replace Printheads and press Enter.
5. Open the top cover.
6. Open the carriage cover and remove all printheads.
7. Turn the printer off.
8. Clean the electrical contacts on the carriage and the printheads using a lint-free cloth dampened with water.
9. When the contacts are dry, reinstall the printheads and close the carriage cover.
10. Close the top cover.
11. Turn the printer on.
12. If the error returns, replace the affected printhead(s).

NOTE: If the printhead error (icon) is a question mark, each printhead will have to be tested separately, as the printer is not sure which printhead is causing the problem.

13. Following replacement of the suspect printhead(s), attempt to verify functionality.
14. If the problem persists, replace the carriage and trailing cable. Refer to pages 8-78 and 8-40 of the HP Designjet 500 and 800 Series Service Manual for instructions.
15. Following replacement, turn the printer on.
16. Make sure the printhead alignment completes successfully and that no error messages appear on the front panel.
17. Print a troubleshooting plot and ensure the print quality is acceptable.
1. Select the Ink menu and press Enter.
2. Select Troubleshooting and press Enter.
3. The printer checks to see whether the printheads are aligned. Misalignment of the printheads is a common cause of image quality problems. If they are not aligned, you are prompted to accept the printhead alignment. This procedure requires media to be loaded, and takes several minutes to perform.

NOTE: It is not necessary to interpret the patterns printed by the Printhead Alignment routine.

1. If the printheads do not require alignment, the printer will print the Diagnostic Print.
18. If the problem persists, replace the electronics module (refer to page 8-24 of the HP Designjet 500 and 800 Series Service Manual).
19. Following replacement, turn the printer on and verify functionality by performing the troubleshooting plot as instructed in Step 17 above.

Copyright Hewlett-Packard Co. 2001
This information is subject to change without notice and
is provided "as is" with no warranty.
Hewlett-Packard shall not be liable for any direct,
indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages
in connection with the use of this material.

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