Technical information

126

HP OFFICEJET 6210/6310/7210/7310/7410 ERRORS - NOT RECOGNIZING CARTRIDGE (95/98)

HP PSC 2610xi?

Yes, we completely agree....that HP ink cartridge error message is very misleading!!

Regarding your recent inquiry about the HP 98 cartridge error message and inability to print to your HP

OJ 7210 printer, this type of problem is normally associated to an electrical connection issue between

the printer and the cartridge, or more likely, an internal micro-electronic failure inside the cartridge

itself. An electronic failure of the cartridge would be unrelated to the ink cartridge refill process; this

same failure can occur with a brand new ink cartridge*. While there are workarounds available, they

are considered temporary in nature (and do not always work). Please execute the 'Tap 41' Diagnostics

Test Report below to confirm which cartridge is actually causing the issue and to check the cartridge's

overall electrical health (refer to Procedure C. below):

Please first verify the age of the ink cartridge(s)....look at imprinted date on front (or back) of ink

cartridge. If this ‘warranty expiration date’ has expired, then potential cartridge failures can occur due to

internal corrosion, etc.

NOTE: Unfortunately, alignment pages and internal self test prints will usually print Ok even if the

cartridge is internally electrically damaged. Do not use these test pages as a proxy for determining

whether a cartridge is good or bad, only the ‘Tap 41/43’ diagnostic test report can yield this information.

PRINTER CLEANING / DIAGNOSTIC PRINTER TESTS:

A. Ensure BOTH carriage/flex cables and BOTH ink cartridge contacts are thoroughly clean before

proceeding: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

B. Verify the carriage clip (metal restraining band) for the black cartridge stall is installed/present

(if applicable for your printer model)....remove the color cartridge and look at the color clip/stall

position for a direct comparison. If the carriage restraining clip is missing then you have a

mechanical failure of the printer. Check your user manual.

C.1. You can confirm the black and color ink cartridge’s electrical health by running the ‘Tap 41’

diagnostics test (most Officejet models – see C.2. below for alternative procedure):

a. Load Letter/A4-size paper into paper feed tray.

b. Press the * and # keys simultaneously.

c. Enter 124 (or 123 on some models) at keypad. The ‘Underware xxxx’ menu should be

displayed (or ‘Support xxxx’ menu).

d. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the System Menu (on certain Officejet models you

may need to go to ‘Reports Menu’). Select Ok.