Epson 1290 printer problems

azureblue_2

Hallo helpful MSE'ers,
I have an Epson 1290 printer, about 10 years old, always worked well. Until now. The green 'on' light and red light are flashing alternately at me and I thought it needed new ink so spent £18 on the whole schmozzle. But when I pushed the yellow button to release the ink pods to change them they wouldn't come out.
I've searched the interweb and a site suggested it might be the ink pads where the excess ink goes may be full.
Question a) How do I know if it is this?
b) How much will it cost to get this fixed by a fixer?
c) Should I not bother but dump this and get a new one and, if so, what?

Thank you for reading this and all helpful suggestions gratefully received.

santer_2

Check with your nearest epson centre

http://www.epson.co.uk/Support#

However, the charge could be £40 plus and check they will reset and replace the pads, as some only reset the counter and not the pads, which is not much use longterm

If the epson centres want £40 then for the same money, this is an option

http://www.electrical123.com/products/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCode=EPS-PRI-SX435W-BK

You could also consider compatible inks

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Ink-Cartridges-SX230-SX235W-SX445W-SX435W-SX430W-SX440W-Print-/220879141281?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_Printing_PrinterInkCatridges_JN&hash=item336d6c39a1

A major difference between genuine and compatibles is the epson inks have an anti clog additive which lends itself to infrequent use, however, if you use compatibles, running a weekly nozzle check should keep the inks clear.

If you use photo paper, this is a reasonable site, though check for better prices

http://www.photopaperdirect.com/

Neil49

This is a well known issue on many Epson printers.

Here's a link to the solution for another model but the principle is the same.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/forums/1/helproom/271542/epson-c46-printer--service-needed/

The pad cleaning process is a messy job so wear rubber gloves, do it by the kitchen sink and have plenty of newspaper around the printer.

The ssc service utility mentioned is required to reset the counters within the printer.

I've done this myself and it worked fine afterwards.

It's not worth spending any money on it so if you break anything just buy a new one (as suggested above) as they are so cheap nowadays.

azureblue_2

Many thanks for the responses.
I tried a reset from another site but to no avail sadly. I also asked a repair place who said they'd reset it for £21.60 but a pad replace would be around £150!! So I have come to the sad conclusion that it's time to say farewell and find a replacement.
I generally only print documents so just a cheap and cheerful will do, as long as the inks aren't stupid prices. I looked at lasers because of their non-cloginess but the cost, phew! Madness!

santer_2

See if this helps, download and scan it with any AV programmes you have before unzipping just to be on the safe side. I could only get it to download from location three. Evidently, it is the official reset utility from Epson for your printer and some others

http://www.wasteink.co.uk/epson-ipr-reset/

If it is an A3 printer, it may be worth trying a couple of things, even if you only use it as a spare