Step 1 - Remove and reseat the cartridge
NOTE:
The "problem" cartridge is the cartridge indicated by the error message.
- Turn on the unit, then open the print carriage access door. The print carriage moves to the center of the unit.
- Press down lightly on the top of the ink cartridge latch and pull the lower section of the latch out to release the cartridge.
Figure 1: Removing the cartridge
- Pull the problem cartridge out of the print carriage.
- Inspect the cartridge. If the cartridge is new, make sure to remove the protective tape covering the nozzles.
- Reinsert
the cartridge into the carriage at a slight angle, as shown in the
illustration below. When the cartridge is fully inserted into the
carriage, rock it upright.
Figure 2: Reseating the cartridge
- Hold the hinged flap of the latch out while lowering the latch.
- When
the latch is fully lowered, release the hinged flap. It should catch
under the tabs on the carriage, as shown in the illustration below.
Figure 3: Closing the cartridge latch
- Close the cartridge access door.
-
The LCD display may indicate that the cartridges need to be aligned. Press Enter
on the front panel. You may discard the alignment page that prints.
Step 2 - Clean the contacts
NOTE:
Try
to clean the contacts quickly enough that the cartridges are not
outside of the unit for more than 30 minutes. The ink can dry and clog
the nozzles if the cartridges are outside of the unit for too long.
- Gather the following items to clean the cartridges and print carriage:
- Clean distilled water. Use bottled or filtered water if distilled water is not available.
- Clean cotton swabs or any soft, lint-free material that will not stick to the cartridges (coffee filters work well).
- Remove the problem cartridge.
- Place the cartridge on a piece of paper with the nozzle plate facing up.
- Unplug the unit power cord.
- Lightly moisten the lint-free cleaning material with clean water.
- Clean the cartridge contacts. Avoid touching the nozzles. Replace the cleaning material if it gets dirty.
Figure 4: Cleaning contacts (avoid nozzles)
- Clean the carriage contacts. Use new cleaning material if the material used on the cartridge contacts is no longer clean.
- Let the parts dry for five minutes before reinserting the cartridges.
Figure 5: Cleaning carriage contacts
Step 3 - Remove cartridges and shut down the printer
If the steps above have not helped and the error message is "
Remove and check the right cartridge
," the following steps may help:
- Remove both cartridges, lower the latches, and close the printer access door.
-
Turn off the unit by pressing the On
button on the front panel. Wait for the printer to completely shut down.
-
Turn the printer back on by pressing the On
button.
-
When the message display reads Insert right cartridge
, open the access door and replace the cartridges.
Step 4 - Download a firmware updateIf the error is still displayed, follow the steps below to see if downloading a firmware update from HP might help:
- With the power on, open the printer and remove the cartridges.
- Relatch the empty carriages and close the printer.
- Open the printer and reinsert and relatch the cartridges.
- Close the printer and look at the LCD display.
-
If
the LCD now shows no error, the original error was caused by a problem
that is fixed by HP's firmware update. Though the error has cleared, it
may come back in the future, or other problems such as slow printing
may occur. To fix these problems, download the latest firmware update
from HP. Click here to see how.
Make sure to download the firmware update, rather than a driver or other software.
- If
the error message is still displayed on the LCD, the firmware update
probably will not fix the problem. The update does fix other problems
however, and it should be installed when it is convenient.
Step 5 - Replace the cartridge or service the printerIf the steps above have not helped, replace the cartridges or service the printer.
Replacing
the cartridges can help determine whether a problem is caused by the
cartridges or the unit. However, cartridge replacement will not solve
problems that are caused by the unit.
- If
you have not previously tried replacing the cartridges to solve the
problem, or if replacing the cartridges solved a similar problem in the
past, replace the cartridges now.
- If
you have already tried cartridge replacement without fixing the
problem, the unit may need to be serviced. Contact HP to see how to
proceed. Click the link at the top of this page for contact information.
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