Epson R200 - 210 & R300 - 310 mod.

[Idle]

If the waste pump is pulling ink through then the ink path is open — if it doesn't make marks on the paper the heads are not working.

If you had the heads out, then you may not have put the connecting cable back properly and they're not getting power, or you may have applied too much pressure when you flushed them and cracked the ceramic, or water has got in where it shouldn't and you have a burnout.

Or maybe it's something else altogether.

However, my money is on wrecked heads and a binnable printer.

[panama]

I got the dreded message last week and thanks to your forum was able to get the printer working again. I have the epson R210 and followed the instructions and it worked a treat... Thank you

[Bu11et]

hi guys
I've got an R300 and had the message about something nearing the end of its service life
and am going to sort out an overflow pipe/tub, but what I'd like to know is,
when using the reset utility, which counter do I reset, protection counter, overflow counter or the all colour counters ?
do I still need to replace the ink pads once I've added the pipe/tub ?
will the ink pads still absorb ink or does it get bypassed when the pipe/tub is attached ?
thx for any help

[websnail]

Bu11et wrote:

what I'd like to know is,
when using the reset utility, which counter do I reset, protection counter, overflow counter or the all colour counters ?

Easiest way to avoid all the guesswork is just to use the manual reset procedure

http://www.continuousink.info/forum/...?p=34597#34597

do I still need to replace the ink pads once I've added the pipe/tub ? will the ink pads still absorb ink or does it get bypassed when the pipe/tub is attached ?

So long as you haven't reset your printers waste ink counter in the past (and you're sure nobody else has) the liquid water base in the ink will slowly evaporate off so you should be fine.

The only time the pump system gets bypassed is if you do a lot of borderless printing as this sprays ink over the edges and into the sponge tray which redirects into the waste ink pads. If that's the case then you'd want to think about a tray with a lip in it to avoid any spills but otherwise you should be fine..

[funkster99]

I am having no luck with my R300, which is continuously showing the General Error message, even after doing the modification and trying the reset: can anyone help.

The modification is fine because I did get the printer going once after doing it and trying the three-button routine, and it was spewing ink out the tube as it was charging ink. After printing one letter however, I got the the General Error message again and it has not worked since.

I have tried many times pressing Stop, Power and Maintenance buttons, but all I ever get is something like this on the screen:

CLEAR WASTE INK CTR

FINISHED
TURN OFF
POWER

I never get any other message.

I then turn off, either by unplugging or by using Power and Stop buttons, and then when i turn on again I still always get General Error, after many times trying.

I have also tried using SSC Service Utility, but although it says that the counter has been reset, nothing changes, still get General Error. It was not quite straightforward using this as I don't have a PC, only PC/Bootcamp on an Intel Mac, which I don't usually use with a printer. However, I downloaded the Epson driver and the Utility and it appeared to find the printer OK. I'm not sure how well it was working though, because it couldn't seem to show the printer status on the main page.

Any ideas, before I give up on this and buy a new machine? (not worth spending too many hours given the cost of a new one). Thanks.

[websnail]

Unfortunately the general error is different from the "service required" one.

Usually a general error comes about because of some other problem such as the encoder strip being broken, something jamming the printhead in place, a disconnected flat wire connector in the printhead or similar.

Things you can try checking for:
- Has part of the printhead purge unit/pad come loose (I often find that C84's manage to drag this out of a retaining socket as it moves left and right in cleaning
- Has the encoder strip (a gradiated plastic strip that is suspended along the back of the printer behind the printhead) come loose or become damaged
- Is there some paper or similar that's blocking the printhead or other mechanics from working?

That's just a few suggestions but you get the idea... the bottom line is that the waste ink counter is not the problem anymore, something else is not happy.

[funkster99]

Thanks for that, I will try to check on that basis.

[funkster99]

There's nothing obvious such as you suggest, like stuck paper or something loose. I tried pulling the print head to one side to look underneath, but the only thing that is noticeable is that the interior of the printer is really messy with black ink. What I think are ink-pads look really saturated and there are blotches of ink all over. That's what got me to thinking it was the ink problem, (plus what I read on another site about General Error message).

Never mind, If I was to award myself even a fairly low hourly rate for time spent on this already, I would almost certainly have earned a new printer by now, so I think it's time to stop!

[oltean]

Hi Idle I have a the serivce manual and indeed your solution is easy but i am affraid if you move the printer that the container will fall and i am wondering how long it takes to fill up.

[Idle]

You could stick it to the back of the printer with Velcro or something like that.

Time to fill will depend on how much you use it, of course — mine gets to half full about every three months.