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VP-540 Black and Cyan "Not Printing"

fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
I just had a black cartridge run out and it kept printing without stopping. This happens very rarely but sometimes does happen.. usually i will stop the print and put in a new cart and maybe do a few ceans to get the ink back pumped in..

This time it did not work.. Now after doing 2 powerful cleans, 2 medium cleans, I did a complete Pump up and drained the ink and then re-pumped the ink back in, it still does not print the black and cyan. earlier before the issue happen it printed black and cyan fine and this was after the new black cartridge was installed. I probably printed 3 feet and then the black and cyan stopped.. the quality got real bad right when it ran out also.. like the print head was struggling and couldnt fire right?

I called a tech support guy and he did mention maybe the pump is bad and you can switch pumps below the capping stations to see if maybe its bad.. The black and Cyan have a pump and so does the yellow and magenta. so I swapped lines to see if then the black and cyan would print and the yellow and magenta wouldnt, but still no black and cyan? so to me that tells me the pumps are good.

Any help would be awesome?

Its not even printing one droplet of black or cyan? its like they are completely gone?
 
L

LivinLarge

New Member
So by "Pump Up" you mean you took a syringe to the lines (below capping station) and sucked ink into it? on both colors?
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
No I mean there is a Option under the settings - sub menu - Ink Control - Pump up.. What it does is tell you to remove all the carts and then it will drain all the ink out of the lines.. it will then shut off and then when you re-start the machine it will ask you to re-load the carts and it will then start pumping up the ink agian. and if you watch it do it, the ink will flow through the lines through the head and down in the lines through the pumping stations into the drainage bottle.. so that tells me that the seal on the caps is good and that the ink is flow correctly..

im sure this waisted a bunch of ink but atleast i can troubleshoot it a bit more..

I've pretty much tested everything and all the signs tell me that its electrical?

but what could it be? I did check the fuses right behind the power switch and they are both good. I even switched them to see if one was bad and it still prints the same yellow and magenta?

are there any more fuses that are not visible?
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
I'm not sure what one is the main board? are they easy to see? The only fuses that i can find are the two right by the power switch that are easily visible?
 
MilanoGuru

MilanoGuru

New Member
I actually just had that happen to me... The Fuses on the Head Board blow and you have to replace them... But if your Fuses keep blowing it could be your head board that control the groups... 950 for the headboard. Not a Fun Thing No Sir. Yes the fuses are on the top right part of the headboard. they are super small they cost about 5 dollars each
GL with this one. I'm no Tech but I have read a lot and been working with the Machines for like 10 years.
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
I think I found them? are they really small and square like? possibly white in the middle and they can pop out with tweasers?

I think they say 3.15A on two of them and the other one says 2A?

If i take those too Radio Shack or something can i get them replaced?
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
Ok Update! I found the fuses.. I swapped them thinking maybe if one is blow it will switch the colors and print only the Black and Cyan instead of the yellow and red?

I switched them and it now doesn't print anything.. so that tells me that it obviosly blew the other good one and now i switched them back and they are both blown?

the board must be shorting out somewhere and causing that fuse to blow..

I did put in a new cartridge right before it blew.. maybe the chip on the cart is bad?

any ideas where to get this fuse? i'm going to buy a few of them and see if i can get it back to atleast yellow and magenta and see if i can figure out where its shorting?
 
MilanoGuru

MilanoGuru

New Member
I can ask my Roland guy when he gets here. Its a Roland Thing... you might try google and see what comes up. Let me know if you do find them cause I would be interested in having a set of them here. Good Luck! hope its not a headboard like mine.
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
thanks for all the help!

sounds like its probably the board becuase it did blow the other fuse, but i will keep this updated.
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
I needed this thing up and running yesterday of course, So i called my Tech in and he is mentioning that it sounds like it could be the Black print Head? he said its because im using aftermarket ink? I have been using Solaris Ink for nearly 3 years and never had any problems? he will be in next Tues..

I'm pretty sure that these printers after 3 years have these kind of problems with OEM and Aftermarket ink. Especially if they are printing 6-8 hours a day.

I did the math and I probably saved around $10,000 - $12,000 in ink from buying aftermarket for the last 2 - 2.5 years.. Even if it is the ink I will still be ahead.

Back to the original idea though.. is there a way you can Test those Resistors? I don't want to start buying boards and print heads trying to fix the problem.
 
B

bmendes

New Member
If the other fuse blew this would normally indicate a faulty head or shorting cable from the head.
Have the cables got and ink splashes on them??
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
No ink splats... and the other fuse that blew, I'm pretty sure blew because I switched them and it of course blew in the same location the other one did. Just got new fuses, cables, caps, etc. A tech will be there tomorrow to take a look.. ill keep it posted..
 
TresL

TresL

New Member
Keep us posted.

If you need anything printed let me know, as I know down printer this time of year is a BAD thing.
 
fusiongraphix

fusiongraphix

New Member
hey guys,

well My tech just left and still no luck?

We put in a new head in the Black and Cyan spots, we just didnt hook up the ink lines and still blew fuses in either spot? so we eliminated that it is not the print heads?

ordered a new Main Board and print carrage board.. going to try that next?

does anyone know why a Main board would go bad?

Also my price for a main board is $1900, seems terribly and unreasonably expensive. Anyone know where to get a main board for cheaper? I was reading in some forums last week and i swear some people were saying they are 900 to $1000ish?
 
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