Tips for the epson R300
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<a href="http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/68993?rate=1&ing=p"></a><br />
The
message on your printer saying that "some parts have reached their life
expectancy" or "service is required" followed by a shutdown of the
printer has caused many people great anxiety. Some users have even sworn
never to buy another inkjet printer from the manufacturer. If you
interpret the message to mean that the mechanical parts of the printer
have worn out, this feeling is normal. After all, who wants a printer
that wears out when maybe only two years old? The message really should
say, "The ink waste pads are full and must be replaced." With the Epson,
R300 printer the problem can be solved as follows: <br />1. You can buy a
new printer. <br />2. Reset the inkpad counter to zero by holding down
both the Power and Stop buttons for at least 10 seconds. Then redirect
the waste ink to an outside receptacle. Open the panel located on the
right hand side of the back of the printer near the serial number
location. It is held by a single screw. The ink waste tube can be fished
out of the printer through this opening and lead into an outside
receptacle. You will never have to replace the inkpads. <br />3. Reset the
inkpad counter as above. Take the printer apart and replace the inkpads
with new pads, if you can buy some. If you can't buy new inkpads, wash
the used inkpads with soap and water. Let them dry and put them back in
the printer. You can also replace them with absorbing materials like
Huggies, Kotex, etc. <br /><br />Fortunately, I chose the first method
before becoming aware of the other solutions. Buying a new printer is
actually cheap and this is probably due to the manufacturer's desire to
keep you as a customer. At the Epson online Store, under refurbished
printers, I bought an Artisan 50 printer for under $60. When you figure
that six new ink cartridges come with the printer and you don't have to
buy inkpads it is essentially free. In addition, the new software is
better than that on the R300 and the CD/DVD tray is smoother. The
software is also compatible with files made by the R300. <br /><br />Since
the R300 was no longer needed, it was used to look at the other methods
for solving the inkpad problem. <br /><br />The second method was the
cheapest and quickest solution. However, it potentially has a disastrous
problem. The ink waste is pumped through the plastic waste tube by
compression of the tube. This puts motion on the ink and it is
unbelievable how easy it is to have the ink leave the receptacle. If
this happens, clean up any ink spill with Resolve carpet cleaner. In
addition, if you have kids or pets the ink receptacle may not always
stay where you put it. <br /><br />The third method is NOT recommended
unless you just like to take things apart or have other problems, like a
clogged ink head that requires the removal of the ink carriage. See the
PDF on web site. <br /><br />Every time a site
was found that purported to have a service manual for the Epson R300
printer it couldn't be delivered, even for a steep price. Therefore, I
decided to make a "Take a Part" document for the Epson R300 and try all
of the methods shown above for inkpad and other repairs. This "Take a
Part" document is available as a PDF.I will be pleased to email it to
you. I am not a printer technician so please forgive any errors in
nomenclature. The photos should identify the part. <br /><br />Washing the
inkpads for reuse is, in my opinion, the worst operation imaginable.
DON'T DO IT. If you can't find new inkpads, use one of the materials
mentioned above to replace them. In the "Take a Part" document, two
layers of Moddess Hygiene Pads are shown as the substitute. Do not take
the pads apart, but be sure the bottom layers are placed with the water
resistant layer side down and the upper layers with the water resistant
layer side up. There are certain parts of the printer that should not be
disassembled if you only want to change the inkpads. These include
removal of the ink carriage and its shaft, removal of the waste ink
pump, and removal of the CD/DVD print mechanism. <br />
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