Brother MFCJ6930DW - Cannnot Detect

[BayAreaDub]

Hello All,

A year ago, I purchased a Brother MFCJ6930DW. I used it one time to test that it worked and put it back into storage. Of course, a year later (after the warranty has expired) I took it out of storage to use, but it has been giving me a headache.

When I insert the Brother Starter Ink, it repeatedly tells me to use genuine brother ink and shows “X” on the cartridges. I have tried with no success, using electrical tape and a black sharpie to block the clear ink window on the ink cartridges. I have bought after market ink cartridges and it tells me that it “cannot detect and to reinstall firmly”. I have also tried bypass methods I’ve seen on YouTube.

What could be the problem? I don’t want to spend $70 on new cartridges and end up its not the problem.

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[VA1DER]

"When I insert the Brother Starter Ink..."

So when you first tested that it worked, did you then take the cartridges back out when you stored it?

(I also answered your post in the other forum, but it's probably best if we continue the discussion here)

 

[BayAreaDub]

Hello,

Thank you for your response. I really appreciate it.

So sorry for the confusion, but this is actually for my coworker and she finally told me the full story.

When she first received the printer she thought the black cartridge was missing (it was stuck at the bottom of the box). She went ahead and bought a new aftermarket black cartridge. She plugged it in and tested the printer and it didn't work. Later on she found the original starter ink and tested the printer and it still didn't work. So she bought another set of after market ink, but didn't test it and put the printer into storage. From what I have researched, the first time initiating a Brother printer the starter ink cartridge is required. However, I did see on youtube there is a way to bypass the starter cartridge problem, but it did not work for me.

To answer your question, when she placed the printer into storage she did left the cartridges inside.

Thank you,
Kevin

 

[VA1DER]

So the printer had its initial startup done with an aftermarket cartridge. That is profoundly unwise. Nuff said, except that I can't predict what the firmware will have done with that and Brother will almost certainly not care to help. First thing to do is make sure that time and/or poor aftermarket cartridges haven't physically damaged anything. Not that all aftermarket cartridges are bad, but some are not made to careful tolerances and can cause stress on the contacts. Clean the chip on the cartridge (the real cartridge) and carefully inspect and clean the chip contacts on the printer. Unplug the printer and leave unplugged for 10 minutes. Turn it on without the black cartridge in it and when it asks for one put in the genuine starter cartridge. If this doesn't work, then yes, your only option will be to buy a new genuine cartridge and hope. That is a printer that is worth the risk, though. One of the best damn printers ever made.

 

[BayAreaDub]

Hello,

I have one more question please. I tried per your recommendation and now ONLY the black works, but it was very faint. Now this is where I made the situation worst. I then started using compressed air, very gently, to blow on the black print head. I was using the compressed air when I heard a very distinctive "pop", like when you pop your finger out of your cheek pop, I assumed I had caused a tube to dislodge?

Now nothing prints at all. Just a blank page.

 

[VA1DER]

Do you mean the actual print head, or do you mean where you load the cartridges?

 

[BayAreaDub]

The actual printer head sir.

 

[VA1DER]

Ok, I don't know exactly what you did, and I have an appointment to go to so I can't wait for your reply. If you were blowing on the actual print head, meaning you had the scanner table opened up and stuck the blower inside the guts, then unless you missed the print head it's less likely you blew a tube off and more likely you just blew air up into the micro tubes which are the jets. If you mean you had the front-loading cartridge bay open and were blowing out where the cartridge makes contact with the printer, then it is more likely you blew a tube off. If you did blow a tube off, you need to keep the cartridge out of the printer or else it may bleed ink all over the inside.

Compressed air is not a friend of ink-jet printers. I can't think of a polite way to say there is probably nothing worse to use - there are few obstructions it can clear that aren't better cleared by solvent. Compressed air is extremely dry, it's more likely to create dried ink than clear it and dried ink is the enemy of an ink jet.

I'll check this again tonight and write more about how to move forward.

 

[BayAreaDub]

Unfortunately,I shot it into the front-loading cartridge bay.
What have I done! I have seen the insane amount of work it requires to open this printer up.

 

[VA1DER]

So, yes, there is a tube that connects from the back of that cartridge insertion port, possibly (not sure on your model) through a pump to the print head where the immediate-use reservoir is. The compressed air likely blew that off. I can't think of an easy way to get in there at the moment. I typically mess around with my printers a little - getting the most out of my printers has always been a hobby of mine - CISS systems, modifications, etc, but I never have played seriously with this guts of mine simply because it's been too valuable. So I am not as knowledgeable about the specifics of manipulating the platen and getting in behind the print head on this one as I am for others. My sense is that if the tube did pop off the head itself then this will be better than if it came off locally behind the cartridge port. I have never checked, but for many printers there are teardown videos on Youtube. If there is one for this then that may be your friend. The 6930, 6935, and 6945 all share the same engine. So do the 67XX single tray versions and the 59XX versions with the smaller scanner. If you can find a teardown video of any of those then it should tell you what you need to know.

Another alternative, but it will take a little time. My printer is the newer version of yours, the 6945DW. As it happens, I had a problem with mine just as COVID was shutting things down and Brother Canada simply shipped me a replacement and didn't ask for the old one back. Of course I kept it in case I needed it for parts. It's in storage at the moment. I can get it out and experiment a little, see if there is a way to get at the where the tubes run.

 

[BayAreaDub]

Thank you so much for you time.

Like you recommended, I will try one of these teardown vides on youtube.

Wish me luck!

Thank you!

 

[BayAreaDub]

To my surprise I was able to teardown with relative ease.
I was hoping it was just the tube that popped off, but as i feared the compressed air punctured one of the plastic film

Do you know if I need to replace the whole print head? Is it even worth it?

Thanks again.