HP 932c Super Rare problem
 

On 20 Aug 2003 20:41:38 -0700, (James Benson)
wrote:

Apparently I am the only person who has ever owned a printer who has
had this problem. I contacted HP about it, but after doing everything
they suggested (even though I had already done those things before I
called) they told me I should send it in to have it looked at.
Considering how much it would cost to send the thing to a fellow
techie, I could just buy a new one. Alas, my college/poor man's wallet
cannot afford to have someone check into it without a warranty.

The problem is so uniquely strange that it's hard to even search for
answers on the internet. Basically, my printer only prints in about 16
colors of greyscale. When I print it looks like I ran it through a
copy machine with contrast set all the way up. No, the photocopier
enhancement thingy isn't checked. Even when I print a test page using
that...what was it...hold down the power button and hit cancel 8
times..or...whatever it was..that yields the same results. This sort
of tells me that it's not a driver issue (aside from the fact that
I've completely removed and reinstalled the drivers more than ten
times). I've kind of ignored this problem for quite some time because
I almost only print in text, but a buddy of mine gave me one of those
CD/DVD Labeling kits for my birthday and I'd like to be able to use
it.

When I try to print in color...none of the colors work. I tried
printing this image out:
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/ast...c3372_0006.jpg and
I only see *very* faint traces of a few greys in the bottom left
corner where it is darkest. I wish I had my scanner working so I could
show you what it's doing. I'm starting to think it might just be my
cartridges, but I tried replacing them and it only made it worse.
Before I replaced the cartridges, I could at least print yellow and
magenta...and black. I'd like to try a new set of cartridges, but
they're so bloody expensive that I almost need to buy a new printer
when the cartridges run dry. I spend $60 to $75 on cartridges each
time and that's just absurd. There's no way the milliliters of ink in
the cartridges can cost that much and you can clearly see that the
packaging is made of the worst plastic money can buy. I bet HP makes
those cartridges for little more than a dollar each and that might be
pushing it. :( Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

There could be three or four causes to the problem, all of which would
cost more to repair than buying a new cheapo printer, except for one.

1) one of the ribbon cable from the controler board to the cartridge
carrier has become loose in it's socket at the board end. This is the
cheapest to fix, just shove it back in.

2) the controler board is fried. Too expensive to replace.

3) the ribbon cable is broken in places, Again, too expensive to fix.

4 As you suggested in your post, if at one time the printer printed
color but no longer does, the cartridge contacts may be bad. This may
be caused by ink build up on the contacts or they are simply worn out.
I kind of doubt that that is the case though. My bet is the board or
the ribbon cable itself.

Frank

Where are you located? I have a 932C sitting here collecting dust. It worked
fine the last time I used it.

There could be three or four causes to the problem, all of which would
cost more to repair than buying a new cheapo printer, except for one.

1) one of the ribbon cable from the controler board to the cartridge
carrier has become loose in it's socket at the board end. This is the
cheapest to fix, just shove it back in.

2) the controler board is fried. Too expensive to replace.

3) the ribbon cable is broken in places, Again, too expensive to fix.

4 As you suggested in your post, if at one time the printer printed
color but no longer does, the cartridge contacts may be bad. This may
be caused by ink build up on the contacts or they are simply worn out.
I kind of doubt that that is the case though. My bet is the board or
the ribbon cable itself.

Frank


Thanks for the quick reply! I checked the ribbon cable and it seemed
firmly in place. If it was out of place, it isn't now (and I'm fairly
sure it was plugged in). I tried printing and produced the same result
as before. My next step will be to take the printer cartridges out of
this printer and put them in my mother's HP930c (from what I hear
they're practically identical). If hers prints the same way as mine,
I'll narrow it down to the cartridges. I might use my parallel cable
on her printer so that the only real variable is the cartridge...then
try her cable if the print job is the same. I really hope it's just
the parallel cable or the cartridges because I can't afford to buy a
new printer. :( Thanks, again, Frank. I'll keep everyone posted since
I know someone else might run into the same problem. I've always been
a pathfinder in fixing computer problems because the most strange and
rare ones land in my lap.

James

"BF" wrote in message t...
Where are you located? I have a 932C sitting here collecting dust. It worked
fine the last time I used it.

I'm in western Kentucky (about 45 minutes southeast of Paducah, two
hours northwest of Nashville, TN).