HP Envy 4500 print cartridge error

[bitrex]

Bought a black 901 cartridge for the above printer as usual, on install
immediately got the message:

"Print cartridge problem: (black) Refer to device documentation to
troubleshoot."

Strangely it now throws the message if I try to re-install the previous
cartridge that was running low, too, it was working fine minutes before
other than the usual symptoms of spotty printing due to low ink...

Tried re-seating both cartridges a number of times, pulling the power
and resetting, cleaning the contacts on both cartridge and cartridge
slot with isopropyl, no effect. With no color cartridge installed it
seems impossible to access anything in the menu, too.

Anything else to try before I bin it? Thanks

[Jeff Liebermann]

The office next door to my former office went through 3 or 4 of those
printers. They all died with a similar problem that was probably
caused by replacing the print cartridge while the printer power was
turned on. Notice how close the contact pads are on the cartridge:
<https://inkdaddy.wordpress.com/2010/07/18/review-inside-cracked-open-the-hp-901-httph10060-www1-hp-compageyielden-019searchresults-htmlccodeusstcartridgesscc653a-black-inkjet-print-cartridge/>
<https://inkdaddy.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/hp-901-contacts.jpg>
It doesn't take much to short the contacts. I couldn't determine if
it was the printer, the cartridge, or both that died. Anyway, wipe
the cartridge and the matching contacts on the carriage with a wet
cloth until all the ink splotches have been cleaned and try again. If
that doesn't work, give up. If that fixes it, read the entire article
and then decide if you want to continue dealing with this abomination.

--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[bitrex]

Yeah I think it's hopeless. I'll grab a laser all-in-one ideally
something with a phone jack for faxing, look to be a couple gently-used
candidates on CL around here.

[Ralph Mowery]

In article <UBGFI.13037$Vv6....@fx45.iad>, us...@example.net says...

>
> Yeah I think it's hopeless. I'll grab a laser all-in-one ideally
> something with a phone jack for faxing, look to be a couple gently-used
> candidates on CL around here.
>
>

I went to the laser type all in one a while back as all I do is in black
ink. They are relative inexpensive . I hope to never buy the HP brand
printers again. They do crazey things with the ink cartrages and some
good ones may show up as bad if they are very old. The laser toner does
not dry out like the ink ones if you go a long time between printing
like I do.

[bitrex]

I love my Panasonic Penwriter, from 1986, my parents had one and a lot
of grade-school reports were made on an electronic typewriter like this one:

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vlbLF96Uiw>

Got one new-old-stock a while back and the original pens sealed in their
packaging still work fine. I think they're still made by one company in
Germany, they're basically the same pens for the Atari 800 pen
plotter...it works OK as a (slow) serial port printer for text, also.

In theory it should be able to draw vector graphics also but I'd have to
write a conversion software from the vector format to the bespoke set of
commands the machine takes for drawing graphics. I bet schematics would
look very nice plotted out by it.

[Jeroni Paul]

> caused by replacing the print cartridge while the printer power was
> turned on. Notice how close the contact pads are on the cartridge:

The cartridge is supposed to be changed with the printer on, otherwise it is parked.
Output connections are supposed to be properly current limited and if this is really what happens maybe a diode or fuse resistor went open, may be repairable.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sun, 18 Jul 2021 16:30:55 -0700 (PDT), Jeroni Paul
<JERON...@terra.es> wrote:

>> caused by replacing the print cartridge while the printer power was
>> turned on. Notice how close the contact pads are on the cartridge:
>
>The cartridge is supposed to be changed with the printer on, otherwise it is parked.

True. Opening the lid will move the cartridge carrier to roughly mid
travel so that the cartridges are accessible:
<https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c03747637>
I don't do it that way. What I've done to reduce failures is follow
the instructions to the point where cartridges are accessible. Then,
pull the power plug from the AC wall receptacle, or unplug the power
cord at the printer. The cartridge carrier will remain accessible and
not retract. Don't leave it like this for very long as the cartridge
tend to drip ink in this position. When the internal power supply
capacitors have discharged (about 15 seconds), I replace the
cartridges and re-apply power. Once I convinced users to use this
procedure, the number of printer failures were drastically reduced.
However, failures didn't go to zero. My guess(tm) is that someone
didn't follow my procedure and swapped cartridges with the power
applied and then lied that they did it correctly.

>Output connections are supposed to be properly current limited and if this is really what happens maybe a diode or fuse resistor went open, may be repairable.

I've tried to troubleshoot to the component level on only one such
printer and failed. The lack of a schematic, difficulty identifying
some parts, and the need to build extension cables so the PCB is
accessible were the major problems. I suspect that access to the
factory diagnostic software would have helped, but I suspect it would
simply say "replace the PCB". When I can buy a used and working
replacement printer on eBay for about $50 total, there's not much
incentive to repair the broken printer.
<https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=hp+envy+4500+printer>
At my previous shop rate of $75/hr, break even with a replacement used
printer is 40 minutes of labor (excluding parts cost). I could not do
the repair in 40 minutes.

I don't know what killed 3 or 4 of these printers, but it keeps
happening. I might have some luck identifying the culprit if I had a
working printer next to the broken printer to use for comparison.
That's a major project which will likely cost more than it's worth.

For what it's worth, my guess(tm) is that the outputs driving the
piezoelectric heads is not properly protected. Something might be
shoving power back into the driver IC, possibly when a cartridge is
inserted at a slight angle causing the pads on the cartridge to short
two adjacent pins together. I haven't spent any time investigating
this theory beyond a quick inspection which showed that it was almost
possible to short adjacent contacts. Measure the pad diameter on the
cartridge. Measure the gap between adjacent pins on the carrier. In
theory, there is sufficient clearance, but it's VERY close.