VJ1324XS black stopped printing

[UphillSigns]

I have a VJ1324XS and until last week it was fine. Last week a nozzle check showed black was missing some lines. A couple strong cleanings resolved the issue. About 5 days later with no printing, it's worse on the nozzle check for black. Strong cleanings have no effect, filling the tray with cleaning solution and letting it soak a few hours also has no effect. Nozzle check is missing most of the lines now. I'm going to be moving soon and just decided to put it into longstore. After running longstore, while removing the cleaning cartridges, the cleaning cartridge that was in the black port feels like it is still full where the other cartridges now feel almost empty. Does this printer have a separate pump for each color?

This printer does not get used very much, but I do print something every week, even if it is just a nozzle check. Once I get this black issue fixed, I think I'm just going to sell it.

 

[GAC05]

Sounds like the maintenance station or the cap tops are allowing air to get to the head while it is parked allowing the head to dry out. Black is almost always the first channel to go.
How old is the printer and have any of the parts been changed out?
You could start with the cheapest solutions first - cap tops or the maintenance station. Dampers could also be an issue depending on how old they are. Once you get it moved check to see if you can pull ink down through the station using a syringe on one of the drain tubes while closing off the other. Listen to try to hear air slipping in past the cap top when you are pulling out through the drains (not sure how well this works - not much volume in a syringe). Once you are sure the cleaning station is working try the head soak again. You need to add some lint free cloth under the head in the filled cap so it will wick the cleaning solution up into the head. If it is just filled with nothing there the head will not contact the fluid.
Keep adding fluid as the cloth dries out. If you don't see improvement within a few hours you are most likely not going to unplug the head.
Worst case if the black won't come back you'll need a new head - along with the cleaning station and dampers. Expensive if you just want to sell it, but it won't be worth much if it can't print black.

 

[UphillSigns]

Sounds like the maintenance station or the cap tops are allowing air to get to the head while it is parked allowing the head to dry out. Black is almost always the first channel to go.
How old is the printer and have any of the parts been changed out?

Thanks for the reply. It's two years old. It's had very little use and all parts are still original. I'll have to remove the cover from the right side to access the waste lines, correct?

 

[GAC05]

Yes they are on the right under the capping station leading down into the waste bottle.
2 years is pretty new. Think your maintenance station is looking more like suspect #1. I have a 4 year old 1624 that gets used a good deal and I just changed out the station, dampers, and head. Black was the only channel with a bad nozzle check. If you can get it to seal up it may be able to pull some of the gunk out of the head and put a little more life into the black channel.