30-Jan-2007, 06:22 AM
I had assumed that these messages were accurate representations of the level of ink in a cartridge.
Recently, I bought a proprietary re-manufactured cartridge from a national chain of office supply stores. Afteer a typical length of time, I started to get the "your black cartridge is almost empty" messages.
About the same time, I ran into trouble with color printing, which I don't do very often. Because the problems cropped up around the time of a significant Microsoft update, I started to wonder if my Lexmark drivers were out of date. I downloaded the latest versions. Eventually, I figured out that the problem with the color cartridge was caused by the colors dring on the nozzles, which I fixed by washing the residue off wit a Q-Tip and distilled water.
When I fired everything back up. I couldn't get the printer to recognise that the black cartridge was an old one. Much to my surprise, 6 weeks later, it's still printing just fine. With earlier "empty" messages, the cartridge quit printing after about a week. My routine printing is two crosswords a day, and occasional, additional 2 or 3-page documents.
I figured out some time ago that the remaining ink display is based on ink used since the last new cartridge, rather than a level transducer inside the cartridge. Since this incident, I've concluded that the ink capacity display is a ruse to get you buying cartidges too often. I would recommend telling your printer that you've put a new cartridge in just after getting the first "cartridge almost empty" message, even though you haven't replaced it, and just see how much longer it lasts.
For information, my printer is a Lexmark Z715.
Frank
Recently, I bought a proprietary re-manufactured cartridge from a national chain of office supply stores. Afteer a typical length of time, I started to get the "your black cartridge is almost empty" messages.
About the same time, I ran into trouble with color printing, which I don't do very often. Because the problems cropped up around the time of a significant Microsoft update, I started to wonder if my Lexmark drivers were out of date. I downloaded the latest versions. Eventually, I figured out that the problem with the color cartridge was caused by the colors dring on the nozzles, which I fixed by washing the residue off wit a Q-Tip and distilled water.
When I fired everything back up. I couldn't get the printer to recognise that the black cartridge was an old one. Much to my surprise, 6 weeks later, it's still printing just fine. With earlier "empty" messages, the cartridge quit printing after about a week. My routine printing is two crosswords a day, and occasional, additional 2 or 3-page documents.
I figured out some time ago that the remaining ink display is based on ink used since the last new cartridge, rather than a level transducer inside the cartridge. Since this incident, I've concluded that the ink capacity display is a ruse to get you buying cartidges too often. I would recommend telling your printer that you've put a new cartridge in just after getting the first "cartridge almost empty" message, even though you haven't replaced it, and just see how much longer it lasts.
For information, my printer is a Lexmark Z715.
Frank
Frank Damp (wife Eileen, nee Nixon)
Leyland resident 1941-1965, emigrated to the US in 1968,
retired to Anacortes, Washington State, USA in 1999.
Leyland resident 1941-1965, emigrated to the US in 1968,
retired to Anacortes, Washington State, USA in 1999.