Ink Cartridge Refill Help Center

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Installation

Following HP 940 or HP 940XL ink cartridge installation, your

printer/computer may show “Low Ink” or “Empty” messages.
Press ‘OK’ to dismiss this prompt and resume printing.
Additional alert messages, such as “non-genuine cartridge”,
“counterfeit, or “fraud” may also be displayed. Press ‘OK’ or
‘Dismiss’ to bypass these prompts. For other error messages,
see below. Refer to important NOTE at bottom of page
regarding the use of non-genuine/original ink cartridges.

Usage Tips

NOTE: “Empty” and “Low Ink” alerts are COMPLETELY NORMAL for original/genuine HP
940 & 940XL ink cartridges which have been refilled! While at first this may be an unusual
workflow, it does allow print operations to proceed. After refills, the printer cannot track the ink
level. The ink level indicator will falsely signal empty.

Continue to print until the print quality fades. When the cartridge ‘truly’ is out of ink the printer
will stop printing and display a ‘replace cartridge’ error message or similar. NOTE: there is a
sensor within the base of the cartridge that detects the presence of ink.
HP 940 Refilled Ink Cartridges – Low Ink Warnings & Alerts

If any streaks or missing colors appear on prints the cartridge may be suffering from an air
bubble within the internal ink spout. Initiate a “Clean Printhead” procedure, via the printer
control panel Setup/Tools or Maintenance menu. You may need to activate it 2 or 3 times to
reprime the ink port and PRINTHEAD.

If you cannot identify which color cartridge is empty, print a test page via: 1) your printer
control panel or 2) via the “Test Prints” button below.

A faded/missing color indicates empty.

 Cartridge Errors (no printing allowed):

As the electronics in the ink cartridge and the printer communicate with each other, sometimes
the printer will incorrectly identify an ink cartridge as unrecognized or non-functional. Following
ink refill, if the HP 940 ink cartridge(s) is not initially recognized, then the check cartridge to
printhead connectivity (remove and reseat the ink cartridges).

If the problem persists then verify the HP 940 smart chip is present (see photo below for
correct positioning) and ensure gold contacts are thoroughly clean. No ink residue should be
on contacts – clean with lint free towel and isopropyl alcohol as necessary.

Keep a spare set of ink cartridges, for convenience. As an in-printer cartridge is depleted,
remove it for refill. Insert the spare into the printer and save the refill as the next spare. If you
observe an “Expired black ink cartridge”, this error may be bypassed by performing either of
the following:

1. Press and HOLD the printer’s ‘Reset/Resume’ button for five (5) seconds.

…OR….

2. – Press and HOLD the Power button, press Resume button 3 times, then release the
Power button (older HP 8500 models only)

Example above: Non-severe error message (can typically be bypassed)

“Alignment Failed” Error:

For ‘Alignment Failed‘ errors and if the internal test print displays banded output (similar to
the picture shown below) we first suggest you activate several ‘Cleaning’ / ‘Clean Printhead’
procedures from the Tools/Maintenance menu to see if this resolves the issue.

If you continue to observe “Printhead Missing or Damaged“, “Alignment Failed” errors or if

a print color is completely missing (even after the ink cartridge is replaced with a new one and
several ‘Clean Printhead’ procedures have been performed) then perform the recommended
solutions below.

Need to ‘reboot’ printer to print each job (8500A Plus printer models):

Instead of powering off the printer on the next print job attempt, try opening and closing the
cartridge access door to see if the print job can be performed successfully. If it does, then this
will confirm there is a probable cartridge connection (‘ordered detection’) issue or a possible
printer driver ‘hand-shaking’ issue.

Verify cartridge to printer connectivity (NOTE: if you have a mix of refilled ink cartridges and
HP manufacturer/original cartridges in the printer at the same time, this can sometimes
confuse the printer firmware from operating correctly).

1. Remove all four ink cartridges from printer.

2. Inspect the smart chip contact surface (located in bottom/rear portion of cartridge). If there
is any ink on the surface of the chip please clean thoroughly using isopropyl alcohol
dampened lint-free towel, or similar.
3. Install one cartridge at a time and allow printer to sense each cartridge, one at a time (i.e.
install cartridge, close door, allow printer to sense the cartridge, then open door and install the
next cartridge, etc.)

4. After installing all four ink cartridges, retest printer.

5. If problem continues, then we suggest you press and hold the reset button on the printer
for five seconds…this will reset the cartridge’s smart chip, and may correct the current
‘interface’ issue.

6. If the problem persists and a mix of refilled and HP original cartridges are determined to be
in the printer at the same time, then it is suggested to either install all refilled cartridges or
install all HP original cartridges to rectify the issue.

Printhead Failure Condition:

If you observe “The Following Printhead Appears to be Missing or Damaged”, “Alignment

Failed” or “The Following Printhead has a Problem”, then this type of problem is usually
severe in nature and is typically caused by failed micro-electronics within either of the two (2)
PRINTHEAD assemblies.

Resolving this type of failure typically requires replacement

of at least one of the PRINTHEAD assemblies (either the
Cyan/Magenta printhead or the Yellow/Black printhead).
Ink cartridges on the other hand DO NOT typically fail and
may be used over and over until physical damage occurs
(i.e. leaking housing or chip damage).
If you think the refilled cartridge might be bad, take it back to your refiller and have them re-
check the cartridge.

Recommended Solutions

The contact between the ink cartridge and the printer must be clean for proper functioning. If
any dirt, ink or paper dust is on the contacts, the printer may indicate that the ink cartridge is
bad. To ensure a clean contact, follow the steps below:

Step A: Remove and re-install the cartridge(s)

1. Turn the printer on; open the cartridge access door.

2. Remove the suspect cartridge(s) from the station.
3. Re-install the cartridges in their stations at left side of printer.

4. Close the printer.

5. Turn off the printer for a few seconds and then turn it back on.
6. Print a test page following your printer’s instructions.
7. If this does not work, please proceed to step B.

Step B: Re-set the printer

1. If the problem has not been fixed it may be useful to perform a “hard reset”. This can
correct an electronic flag setting inside the printer telling it that the print cartridge is
problematic. Please refer to your printer’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website for the
correct “hard reset” procedure for your printer. Often times it simply involves turning off your
printer and unplugging it for at least 30 seconds.
2. Print a test page to determine if the problem has been resolved.
3. If the problem persists, you may need to purchase a new printhead assembly. Refer to Step
C.

Step C: If printer errors persist or poor print quality cannot be corrected, then one of the
respective PRINTHEADS might have a connectivity problem (i.e. dirty electrical contacts),
may be out of warranty (at end of life) or has electrically failed internally and may need to be
replaced. Remove and inspect suspect PRINTHEAD assembly. It is suggested to refer to
manufacturer instructions for your printer model; the steps below are provided for general
guidance only.

NOTE 1: The first printhead electronic assembly is responsible for Yellow/Black printing, while
the second assembly is for Cyan/Magenta printing. Refer to video which illustrates how the
printheads function:
(http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=2054)
1. Open the top cover to access the printheads. The carriage should move to extreme left side
of unit [if not, press and hold the ‘*’ (star) button on control panel until carriage moves all the
way to extreme left of printer]. If not, power off printer, then power on. Repeat until carriage
moves to extreme left side.

2. Lift the blue printhead latch to gain access to the 2 printheads. Remove and replace with
new printhead assembly.

3. Lower the blue latch handle to securely lock the printhead assemblies into place (ensure
the blue latch fully snaps into the locked position).

4. Close the top cover. Allow the alignment page to print; this will help confirm if the problem
has been fixed.
Printhead Life:

The Yellow/Black PRINTHEAD or Cyan/Magenta PRINTHEAD will eventually fail over time
with usage and age.

Possible Printhead Failure?

(http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=2934)

Advanced Diagnostics:

To view advanced diagnostics tests for your HP Officejet Pro printer model, click here:

HP Printer Diagnostics
(http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1813) NOTE 1: A compatible/clone ink cartridge can be
problematic as the smart chip (at base of cartridge) may not provide reliable printer-cartridge
connectivity once installed. Compatible/clone ink cartridges are typically purchased on-line or
at select retailers (i.e sold under a different label than the regular HP cartridge packaging).
For the best refilling experience, only use HP original/genuine ink tanks (HP trademark logo
should be visible on the side/front label of ink cartridge).

HP 940 Ink Series Printer Models:

HP OfficeJet Pro 8000, HP OfficeJet Pro 8000 Wireless, HP OfficeJet Pro 8500, HP OfficeJet
Pro 8500A e-A910, HP OfficeJet Pro 8500A e-A910g, HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Premier A909n,
HP OfficeJet Pro 8500A Premium e- All-in-One A910n

————-

If your ink cartridge suffered an electronic or physical failure or you are unable to find a refill
store close to you may we suggest you try a remanufactured ink cartridge from our on-line
 web site. Our ink cartridges have a high reliability rating, come with a 1-year warranty and we
provide free shipping for all orders above $20 (USA residents only). HP 940XL ink cartridges
have had their smart chips replaced so ink level monitoring will be available.
(http://www.inkplicity.com/)

Buy Remanufactured Ink Cartridges

(https://www.inkplicity.com/)

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