Workshop: Change Waste-Ink-Tank Canon Pixma iP4000: Lifetime of a waste ink collector
Hinweis: Für mindestens einen in diesem Artikel erwähnten Drucker ist der ausführliche Testbericht "Allrounder mit guter Ausstattung" (Jun. 2005) sowie "Vielseitiger Fotodrucker" (Jan. 2005) sowie "Canons größter" (Jan. 2005) sowie "Konkurrenz für Sechsfarbdrucker" (Nov. 2004) sowie "Neuer Stern am Druckerhimmel" (Sep. 2004) verfügbar.
As mentioned before, as long as the machine prints you needn´t waste a thought on the waste ink absorber. A necessary change actually is a rare occasion in a printer´s lifetime. When it happens, it is rather a repair than an exchange of consumables.
However, if you print a lot or have lots of print-head cleaning cycles, the waste ink collector might become full. We think that this could occur after printing 20.000 to 30.000 pages. That´s not very precise, because there are many factors with an influence on the waste ink collector´s lifetime. Normally they should maintain their capacity for several years.
How to recognize a full waste ink collector
Manufacturers have installed counting devices that measure the amount of ink used by cleaning processes. At reaching a predetermined limit the printer will stop working, giving out an error message.
Printers of Canon´s PIXMA iP-series on page 1 and a lot of older models show an error message and signals by blinking, when you try to print with a full waste ink collector.
If you see an orange LED blinking 8 times in a row followed by one longer green blink (these signals being repeated several times) it is an indication for an almost full waste ink collector. You may continue printing by pressing the "Resume" button.
If your LEDs blink alternately orange and green seven times, the waste ink collector is completely filled.
If you are not sure, whether this message concerns the waste ink collector or another unknown defect, use the service-mode and find out. How to print out a complete message can be found on page 11.
On top of the message you will find a "D", followed by a three-digit number, a comma and another digit (e.g. 085.5).
You find this "D" with the PIXMA iP-series on both pages of the message.
The digits behind the "D" show the waste ink tank´s filling condition in percent, 100.0 is the end of the line.
