Need help with a printer

[bif]

It's a Canon Pixma MP620. It's been great for something like 8 years. Now the yellow won't print. I've done a deep cleaning and nothing seems to work. Canon doesn't offer technical support because it's too old. Any suggestions?

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Printers are dirt cheap these day. If, after doing the print nozzle dance and...

reinstalling the driver it still doesn't print right-- there's the landfill.

[cayugafalls]

2. +1 - 8 years is a LONG time in printer years...

[CloudWatcher]

3. Ink jet

That model is an ink-jet printer. So each of the main colors (and another one for black) have separate containers for liquid ink of that color. If one color isn't printing, then that color cartridge is being blocked. The nozzle is usually built-in to the cartridge, so just replacing the yellow ink cartridge with a new one would be your next step.

[dreamland]

4. One head cleaning may not be enough

My printer required the cleaning several times before the test copy came out right.

[lastlib]

5. Agreed--multiple head cleanings may be needed.

especially if it's a machine that doesn't get real heavy usage. Ink tends to "coagulate" (can't think of a more accurate term) and harden in the nozzles over time.
Give a couple more shots at cleaning, and if it doesn't clear up, consider a new printer.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. I go with the

printers are cheap, buy a new one solution.

Heck, I've been buying remarkably inexpensive things that print, copy, and scan for a while now. Typically fifty bucks.

Modern technology is astonishing.

[bif]

7. I've tried a couple of cartridges

And no luck. I'll try a couple more deep cleanings and then off to Staples. You're right, printers are cheap. And whatever I get will be an improvement on the one I have. Gotta love technology!

[bif]

8. I ended up buying a new Canon printer at Staples.

With a couple of discounts, it ended up costing $59! That's as cheap as a couple of ink refills! I'm supposed to get it on Tuesday. I'm sure it'll be as good or better than the one I had.