Hello, I have several Brother MFC6490CW printers (16) & have just had a Catastrophy happen...I got ink cartridges with air bubbles (just the Majenta) & have lost the use of almost all of my machines..I've taken 1 apart & can Clearly see the air trapped in the lines of the majenta..I've just ordered cart from another (already used with no problem distributer) & can see tiny air bubbles in the new cartridges opened..Not air as expected at the top of the cart, but tiny air bubbles in the bottom of the ink cart...How on earth do I reprime the ink??? I am Desperate here in NY...Help Please!!! Frank

Run it through a print head cleaning cycle.

Check all the cartidge make sure they are the same it happen to me i do not remember what color it was but one would not fit because i order online and they sent me one that did not fit my printer. take it back or send it back and let who ever u bought it from what happen.

Blocked print head nozzles
You may have blocked print head nozzles.
Try the printer maintenance to clear the printer nozzles.
After several deep cleaning attempts and there is no improvements in the print then a new print head is required.
A new print head maybe expensive and it maybe more cost effective to purchase a new printer.

Sometimes after a replacement cartridge it can form a air lock in the small tubes between the cartridge holder and the print head. simply remove the cartridge and replace it several times to get rid of the air bubble. Also make sure the Air valve is working correctly (its at the front-top of the cartridge). press this valve to ensure its operating correctly Some compatibles have a sticker over this hole that must be removed.
Hope this helps Regards GM

Ink cartridges should be stored in their original packaging in an upright position with the printhead facing up. If you have several cartridges enclosed in the same package, ink might start leaking and mixing if cartridges are stored on their side.

Make sure that the storage space is not to warm. Excessive heat can make air bubbles in the cartridge expand causing ink to leak.

If the printer has been sitting without use for a long time you may need a new printhead, if you just changed inks it could be just an air bubble in the ink tubes. If after several cleaning cycles you don't see any improvement, it's the printhead and not just a bubble.

Hello.

From Brother support:

"The message #NO CARTRIDGE# may appear if one or more of the
cartridges are not properly installed or an ink cartridge is
defective,such as air bubbles, or empty. Verify all the cartridges are
installed correctly and they are not empty or defective by following
the steps listed below:

NOTE: Cartridges that have already been installed are no longer
vacuum-sealed; it is very important that the cartridge remains upright.
If the cartridge is removed and placed on its side, air may be
introduced into the ink supply tubes, requiring repeated cleaning
before print quality is restored.

a. Lift the top cover to the open position until it locks securely
into place.

b. Then, remove all ink cartridges by pulling the white plastic hook
toward you and pulling the cartridges up and out of the machine.

c. Because all the ink cartridges have been removed, the LCD will
prompt you to install each color cartridge.

d. Important!! Reinstall the ink cartridge(s) in the order of the LCD
is instructing you too. Press down FIRMLY on the top of the cartridge
until it is fully seated. Push the white plastic hook towards the
cartridge to verify it is fully latched over the top edge of the
cartridge.

e. Close the top cover. The LCD will ask you if you have changed the
cartridge to new. Press 1 for yes and 2 for no. Press 1 for yes for
each color. The LCD will alternately show CLEANING and PLEASE WAIT. When the Brother machine completes the cleaning cycle, the LCD returns to Standby mode.

Hope this helps.

There may be an air bubble in the black tubing, it will take several more cleaning cycles to clear. You can tell it to clean only the black and save the other inks.

Hi,

We've encountered several problems like this and we end-up replacing the printer head especially separate printer head technology from ink-cartridge(s). Cleaning well do in most cases and original ink cartridges is always better:) and cleaning of nozzle should be done three times only for it may consume whole ink cartridge half empty. For the ink-cartridge with printer head builted-in the problem with missing color most likely on the contacts between the cartridge and tray. Please wipe the contact points gently with dry cloth or cotton buds. Try to check if the contact points were not rotten or corroded with dried inks. Have a nice day.

Best regards,
Rosener Guyano

This could be because of several probs: 1. The ink cart is not original and wont let the ink flow, because the valve is not open. 2. There might be air bubbles within the capillaries. 3. The ink is not genuine ink and has pigments in it. Solution: see here, too: http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bsc/public/us/us/en/faq/faq_top.htm?reg=us&c=us&lang=en&prod=dcp110c_us Insert another ink cart. Use, if possible, the genuine ink cart from brother. Do the cleaning cycle twice. This will extract the air bubbles out of the caps after the second time. If you dont have any success the printhead is clogged and cant be cleaned anymore!