I have the epson r 1800 printer. i am following your insturctions on how to remove the print head. where are the 2 plastic pieces whichI need to release after removing the 3 screws thanks

The waste ink tank/pads for an Epson Stylus DX8450 printer are located at the bottom of the printer's housing, beneath the print head. Here are the steps to access and replace the waste ink tank/pads:

1. Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source.
2. Open the printer cover to access the ink cartridges.
3. Gently push the print head to the right to move it to the ink cartridge replacement position.
4. Look for the waste ink tank/pads at the bottom of the printer housing, just beneath the print head. They may be covered by a small plastic panel.
5. Remove the plastic panel, if present, by gently pulling it toward you.
6. Use tweezers or gloves to carefully remove the old waste ink tank/pads from the printer.
7. Replace the old waste ink tank/pads with a new one, making sure they are seated properly.
8. Replace the plastic panel, if present.
9. Push the print head back to its original position.
10. Close the printer cover.
11. Plug the printer back into the power source and turn it on.
12. Reset the waste ink counter by following the instructions in your printer manual or by using a reset utility program.

It's important to note that replacing the waste ink tank/pads can be a messy and complicated process, and it may be best to have it done by a qualified technician or Epson service center to avoid damaging your printer or causing a mess.

The print head on the NX400 printer is integrated into the ink cartridge and therefore when you remove the cartridge you are removing the print head. . . If you want to clean the print heads / nozzles then see the procedure in the NX400 User Guide in the section for Adjust Print Quality. . . .The User Guide can be found at http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Doc&oid=106004&prodoid=63075469

Hi!
Have you tried doing maintenance for nozzles? You can press and hold ink button for 3-5 seconds and it will run a head cleaning cycle. Try it 3 times and re-print.
Keep me posted.

It's your printer head problem. Your printer head is now block. To remove the problem try to follow the proces:
1. Take some amonia solution ( amonia30%+ water70%) in a plastic seringe.
2.remove cartriges from cartrige holder.
3. Then set the seringe nipple in one stick (that is into cartrige holle all time while cartrige is push).
4. Then push the solution in to the black plastic stick.
Use these proces 5/6 time one after another to a black stick.
I think you may relive from your problem.
Thank you

Inkjet printers need to be used frequently to prevent inkdrying out in the print head nozzles.
If the print head cleaning maintenance routine does not clear the blockages,then print head needs replacing, but it may be expensive.
It may be more cost effective to buy a later model and better printer thanreplace the print head.

Make sure you removed the top tab to let air in. Remove the cartridge and make sure the plastic on the bottom got punctured when you installed it,and the little piece of plastic isn't caught in the ink port.
If you still can't print, your printheads are probably clogged. remove the cartridge and clean the print heads with a Qtip and some isopropyl alcohol (windex also works).

http://www.epson.co.uk/Printers-and-All-In-Ones/Inkjet/Epson-Stylus-Photo-R240/Drivers-Support?target=article&extn=.html&articleId=3866

Troubleshooting

1. Clear all print jobs waiting to be printed from the computer before turning off the printer. To fully clear all print jobs you will need to restart the computer. See the following Related Articles if you require help with this step:
   
   
   • For Windows 95/98/Me: How to check the print queue and cancel print jobs in Windows 95, 98, ME
   • For Windows 2000, XP, Vista: How to check the driver and print queue status in Windows 2000, XP and Vista
   • For Mac OS X: Mac OS X: How to cancel printing and open the Print Queue
   
   
2. Once you have cancelled the print queue and restarted the computer, hold down the Paper/Bin/Cancel button or Stop / Clear button for 3-5 seconds.
3. Power off the printer/All-In-One. After it has powered off, also turn it off at the power point or disconnect its power cable, if possible.
4. Open the printer lid/scanner unit to make sure any tape securing the ink cartridge holder/print head has been removed. Some printers have a plastic block which helps prevent the ink cartridge holder from moving during transit - make sure that this has been removed/is not in place.
5. Check for any foreign objects inside the printer that may be causing an obstruction to the print head. Check for torn pieces of paper around the front of the printer and the ink cartridge holder/print head. Carefully remove any paper or other obstructions from the paper path and inside the printer by hand.
6. Check that the ink cartridge holder/print head is positioned on the right side of the printer (as you look at it from the front). If it is positioned on the left, see the following Related Article: How can I resolve the issue where the print head positions itself on the left / does not return to its home position?
7. Close the printer cover/scanner unit. Press the On button to power on the product. If the error message still appears, contact your dealer or EPSON.

Your printer head may be booked. Follow the instruction given bellow:
1. Open printer cover and put off cartige from cartige chamber.
2. Take a plastic seringe with full of ink and fit it on head's stick. Then push ink carefully.
use this procedure one after another . I thing you may relive from your problem. thank you.

This is the only advice I can give you. Try this forum below. It has alot of good information, for the questions you're asking. If you find this helpful, pls rate me. thanks

The next step would be to disassemble the Epson, and clean the Pads/Heads. Click on link below.:
http://www.hm2k.com/posts/parts-inside-your-printer-are-at-the-end-of-their-service-life

I located a page on http://www.fixyourownprinter.com forum, which had plenty of details about similar issues.

If you find this helpful, pls rate me.

Thanks and Good Luck :0)

Had the same problem - but the print head is actually easy to remove.

1) Remove ink cartridges
2) Remove 3 Phillips head screws at the bottom of the cartridge housing. (looking down from the printer front - top left, bottom left, top right).
3) There are 2 small plastic tabs on a plastic bracket that secure the flex cable on the right hand side of the cartridge housing. Gently release the tabs with a small flat head screw driver.
4) Lift the print head straight up (don't pull on the flex).

There may be a release for the flex to separate from the print head. But I did not see one. Instead I poured 1/4" of Windex in the bottom of a small plastic container and soaked my print head for about 15 minutes (occasionally agitating).

Then put back in reverse order - be sure to seat the flex in the guide (top-back-right) of the cartridge housing before screwing down. Then run a cleaning or two to flush the cleaning fluid out of the print head. (I have a waste ink tank installed so I am not worried about dumping excessive ink into the waste sponges).

The differences was remarkable - though there was still slight banding - maybe should have soaked longer (1 hr perhaps?) - I may repeat if it remains an issue.

Additionally there were large solid deposits on the left side of the print head which were responsible for scraping heavier weight photo paper. These dissolved in the Windex too.