Another clogged 4900 question

Before I go to my next step of trying to clear this clog I would like to get some advice before beating my head against a wall. I have the 4900, it is 4 months old and have been using it on weekends mostly, the other day on a nozzle check it dropped the VM and C channels completely, I did a cleaning cycle with no results, I read about laying a windex soaked paper towel under the print head and that got the VM channel working also tried the Piezo flush and cleaning as in your videos. I have been using 2Manuals cleaning for the missing channel(FYI). Now I am wondering what the next best thing to try would be.

4 months old is really newish. If you are on OEM carts - I would just go to Epson and get warranty replacement. You have 12 months.

If it is 4 months new to you but an old printer - then an INITIAL FILL procedure removes air from the lines in case it is air. It is a 8 minute routine that is safe for channels that are not printing and it will use a powerful suction to restore a channel if air is preventing the channel from printing. Printing with blank channels on this printer model is not good. So, I will advise you to avoid trying PPC or other type cleanings or printing to try and relieve it. But, make sure the cartridges in those positions are fully primed in case that they are the source of air. This is the easiest process without any head banging! It goes on the assumption that the channels vanished due to something physical in the ink delivery system rather than a clog, or bad dampers, or something in the capping and cleaning station, etc.

If this does not restore it - then there may be some head banging…

Let us know…

[QUOTE=jon;13484]4 months old is really newish. If you are on OEM carts - I would just go to Epson and get warranty replacement. You have 12 months.

If it is 4 months new to you but an old printer - then an INITIAL FILL procedure removes air from the lines in case it is air. It is a 8 minute routine that is safe for channels that are not printing and it will use a powerful suction to restore a channel if air is preventing the channel from printing. Printing with blank channels on this printer model is not good. So, I will advise you to avoid trying PPC or other type cleanings or printing to try and relieve it. But, make sure the cartridges in those positions are fully primed in case that they are the source of air. This is the easiest process without any head banging! It goes on the assumption that the channels vanished due to something physical in the ink delivery system rather than a clog, or bad dampers, or something in the capping and cleaning station, etc.

If this does not restore it - then there may be some head banging…

Let us know…[/QUOTE]

Thanx for the reply, the story is this is a brand new four month old printer, the cyan dropped the channel with the oem cart in it but have since purchased your refillable carts as two other colors have run out and are working fine, with all I have read on line about the clogging of the 4900 I naturally assumed that was the problem. Do you believe I should purchase OEM carts before contacting Epson support?

You should put OEMs in there before a tech comes out. They need to know that epson ink is in the printer.

best,
Walker

[QUOTE=walkerblackwell;13491]You should put OEMs in there before a tech comes out. They need to know that epson ink is in the printer.

best,
Walker[/QUOTE]

Well Epson is sending a new printer, was hoping to just get this one fixed. I have a few refillable carts that I will be taking out and was wondering if there is anything other than putting the vent plug back in that should be done for storing them?