lexmark printer ink level trouble

[TRDCorolla1]

I'm thinking if it runs on memory, it will have to be discharged. I don't know how long it will take for you to leave it unplugged. I think of it like a car. I had this stupid check engine light come on in my older Nissan Alitma. I can reset it by taking off the positive battery terminal. Put the key in the starter switch and putting it to the "On" position to start the discharging procedure. Then put the positive cable back on and turn the key to the "off" postion. Now the ECU is reset and the Check Engine Light goes away and reboots. Starts the cycle over again like it was brand new.

I'm thinking your printer as Kage may have mentioned has a sort of brain that remembers your ink cartridge. Maybe by somehow resetting the printer itself, it would erase memory of your cartridege and as you insert it in again, it will think that it's a new ink cartridge. Either that or it has someway of identifying it that I don't know about.

 

[Kage]

No, its not the printer that does. Its the Ink Cartridge that does.

The chip must tell the printer somehow to say its empty.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

I wonder how it reads that? Maybe try not using the printer for a week and leaving it unplugged to see what happens. If there is a chip of some kind like ROM or embedded dynamic chip, then screw it, it won't work.

Maybe it's just a way of Lexmark telling you that you shouldn't refill it, but keep buying their ink cartridges. I know HP does that. There are refill kits for our cartridges, but they don't recommend and void warranty.

 

[Kage]

Yeah, there is a chip on alot of manufacturers these days. I read it somewhere, but can't remember where, but it wasn't illiegal to do so.

Though I'd of thought for environmental reasons, doing this would be considered okay.

I remember reading somewhere that the chips could be written to again, but I don't know how you'd do it.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

That is simply incredible. They found a way to restrict us even more with technology. I just buy mine. There are websites I go to called inksell.com that has cheap cartridges. I bought one a couple of weeks ago (just the black one since I do so much printing for term papers). It's a remanufacturerd one and it fits perfectly and doing it's job. I paid $14 for it. I thnk retail is like double that.

 

[Kage]

Yeah, alot of printers have got stupid now.

Have you seen them in shops? I mean, the printers cost less than £25 and come with ink.

Then when you come to buy the inks for them, the inks more expensive than the whole printer with cartridges.

I've heard some people are simply throwing out the printers everytime the ink runs out and getting a new printer thats cheaper, with it.

I think thats wrong though.

 

[TRDCorolla1]

I did that before. Twice. HP have really affordable printers. But I find out I still save some money just buying aftermarket inks. I was thinking about just buying another printer, but my color cartridge was still very high. No sense on wasting that so I just bought a black replacement. I'll tell you one thing. Should both my cartridges run low, I'm buying a new HP printer for $40.

 

[Kage]

But then, what do you do with the old one?

 

[TRDCorolla1]

I sell it for dirt cheap or just give it away. Depends on the person that need it. Most of the time, I just give it to them. But I keep the USB cable, hehe.

 

[Kage]

Haha... I don't have any spares, so if you gave the printer to me, I'd be pretty stuck with USB...

I have got a printer given to me under my bed, but needs ink that I got given. Not used it. Its just collecting dust.

Epson Stylus C64.