Won't print. makes loud clicking noise from right side front of unit (ink cartridge parking area)

Replacing the print cartridges

1. Turn on the HP Officejet, and lift open the print-carriage access door. The print carriage will move into the access area. Figure 1: Opening the print-carriage access door
2. After the carriage stops moving, push down on the top of the print cartridge to release it, and then pull it toward you out of the slot. Figure 2: Removing the print cartridge NOTE: It is normal to see ink buildup in the print cartridge slots.
3. Remove the new print cartridge from the packaging and gently remove the plastic tape by using the pink pull tab. CAUTION: Do not touch the copper contacts or ink nozzles. Install the cartridge immediately upon removing the tape to prevent ink from drying in the nozzles. Figure 3: Removing the plastic tape
4. Push the new print cartridge into the appropriate slot at a slight angle, until it clicks into place. CAUTION: Do not attempt to push the cartridge straight into the slot. It must slide in at a slight angle. Figure 4: Inserting the print cartridge
5. Close the print-carriage access door.

Back to top Aligning the print cartridges The HP Officejet will prompt you to align the print cartridges every time you install a new print cartridge to assure high-quality output.

1. When the message displays, press OK . The HP Officejet will print an alignment page.
2. Place the alignment page face down on the left front corner of the glass with the top of the page facing the left side.
3. Press OK . The HP Officejet will align the print cartridges and display Alignment Complete .

Supported HP Inkjet cartridge part numbers The HP Officejet 4100 all-in-one series products use the ink cartridges listed in the table below. HP Inkjet cartridges HP 56 black cartridge (19 ml) HP 57 tri-color cartridge (17 ml) HP 28 tri-color cartridge (8 ml) Replacing the ink cartridgesThe power must be turned ON to the all-in-one or the print carriage will not move to the right.

1. Locate and open the print cartridge access door on the right side of the all-in-one. The print cartridge carriage will move to the right for access. Figure 1: Opening the HP Officejet 4100 series
2. Press down gently on the top of the old ink cartridge to release it from the print carriage. Figure 2: Removing an ink cartridge
3. Remove the new print cartridge from its packaging and remove the protective tape from the cartridge as shown in Figure 3. Do not touch the gold-colored contacts. Figure 3: Removing the cartridge tape
4. Holding the ink cartridge with the printed label up, slide the cartridges one at a time into the print carriage and press them into position as shown in Figure 4. If the cartridge does not snap easily into position, it is not aligned correctly. Remove the cartridge and reposition it. Do not try to force the cartridge into position. The black ink cartridge (HP #56) goes on the right side and the color cartridge (HP #57 or HP #28) goes on the left side. Close the ink cartridge access door when the ink cartridge has been installed. Figure 4: Installing the ink cartridges
5. A message will appear on the front panel requesting that the ink cartridges be aligned. Follow the steps below to align the ink cartridges:
   1. Press Enter on the all-in-one front panel to start the ink cartridge alignment process.
   2. After the Alignment page prints, place the page into the ADF upside down and with the printed side down as is shown in Figure 5.
   3. Press Enter. The all-in-one will scan the alignment page and finish aligning the cartridges.
   Figure 5: Aligning the ink cartridges

Correcting error messages that appear after changing a cartridgeAfter inserting the cartridge, the Check Print Cartridge light flashes or one of the following messages appears on the computer monitor:

• Check the black (or color) cartridge
• Replace the black (or color) cartridge
• The wrong black (or color) cartridge is installed

These messages indicate that the ink cartridge is not making good electrical contact, is bad, or is the wrong cartridge. Complete the following steps to diagnose and correct the condition:

1. Open the front of the unit to access the print cartridges (as shown in Figure 1).
2. Remove the ink cartridge and inspect it.
3. Verify that it is the correct part number and if it is, reinsert it.
4. Close the lid to see if the problem is corrected.
5. If the message is still displayed after a few seconds, remove the ink cartridge again.
6. Unplug the power cord from the back of the unit.
7. Clean the electrical contacts on the ink cartridge with a soft clean cloth slightly dampened (not wet) with clean water. (See Figure 6) Each contact is very small and shaped like a rounded square. Figure 6: Cleaning the cartridge contacts
8. Allow the ink cartridge to dry for a few minutes before reinserting the cartridge(s) and turning on the printer.
9. If the problem remains, replace the ink cartridge.
10. If the problem still exists after trying all of the steps above, the unit may need to be serviced. Contact HP for further troubleshooting or to arrange to have the unit serviced.

Make sure what ur using isn't a refilled cartridge and if it is check the expiration date, if nothing is wrong then you need to get urself a new printer or an upgrade so call up hp at 1800-474-6836 and get help of them,they'll guide you to a new /upgrade printer.
it's not a nice way of saying it but someone has to give you the bad news

Hello there:
This problem is usually due to a print head that needs to be replaced
I have provided the information that you will need ok
best regards mike
This document provides information on how to replace a printhead or ink cartridge.A printhead may need replacing when print quality issues cannot be resolved by cleaning the printheads or a front-panel display message indicates a printhead needs to be replaced.An ink cartridge needs replacing when a front-panel display message indicates either:

• Low ink levels
• Ink cartridge approaching expiration date

CAUTION: Never remove an ink cartridge and a printhead at the same time. Use the table below to identify the correct ink cartridge part number: Ink cartridge Part number HP 14 black print cartridge C5011A HP 14 tri-color print cartridge C5010A Use the table below to identify the correct printhead part number: Printhead Part number HP 14 black printhead C4920A HP 14 cyan printhead C4921A HP 14 magenta printhead C4922A HP 14 yellow printhead C4923A Replacing the ink cartridges Follow the instructions below to replace the ink cartridges:

1. Turn on the unit, and open the print-carriage access door by lifting the handle until the door locks into place. Figure 1: Opening the access door
2. The print carriage will move to the center of the unit.After the print carriage stops, remove the ink cartridge by pressing the gray release button, then lifting the cartridge up and out of its slot. Figure 2: Removing the ink cartridge
3. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging and, being careful to touch only the black plastic, remove the tape. Figure 3: Removing the tape
4. With the ink cartridge label face-up, push the new ink cartridge firmly down into the appropriate slot until it clicks into place.The color ink cartridge inserts into the right-hand slot as indicated by the rainbow colored oval. Figure 4: Inserting the new cartridge
5. Close the print carriage access door. CAUTION: If the ink cartridge is removed before a replacement is available, close the print carriage access door and replace the ink cartridge within 24 hours.

Identifying parts of the printheads Use the table below to identify the parts:

1. Printhead handle
2. Printhead tower
3. Copper contacts
4. Plastic tape
5. Ink nozzles

Do not touch:

• Copper contacts
• Ink nozzles
• Printhead tower

Have you tried performing a head cleaning? Usually running the cleaning process will clear it right up. After cleaning run an alignment to make sure the heads are straight.

You can find the utility in the print driver properties and look for maintanence tab.

Hope this helps
TankMurdock

The early signs of mechanical failure aka carriage stall. You can try resetting the print heads and cartridges and see if it helps.

Replacing the print cartridges

1. Turn on the HP Officejet, and lift open the print-carriage access door. The print carriage will move into the access area. Figure 1: Opening the print-carriage access door
2. After the carriage stops moving, push down on the top of the print cartridge to release it, and then pull it toward you out of the slot. Figure 2: Removing the print cartridge NOTE: It is normal to see ink buildup in the print cartridge slots.
3. Remove the new print cartridge from the packaging and gently remove the plastic tape by using the pink pull tab. CAUTION: Do not touch the copper contacts or ink nozzles. Install the cartridge immediately upon removing the tape to prevent ink from drying in the nozzles. Figure 3: Removing the plastic tape
4. Push the new print cartridge into the appropriate slot at a slight angle, until it clicks into place. CAUTION: Do not attempt to push the cartridge straight into the slot. It must slide in at a slight angle. Figure 4: Inserting the print cartridge
5. Close the print-carriage access door.

Aligning the print cartridges The HP Officejet will prompt you to align the print cartridges every time you install a new print cartridge to assure high-quality output.

1. When the message displays, press OK . The HP Officejet will print an alignment page.
2. Place the alignment page face down on the left front corner of the glass with the top of the page facing the left side.
3. Press OK . The HP Officejet will align the print cartridges and display Alignment Complete .

Click HERE for HP troubleshooting for your printer.

this should work for all 5500 hp printers i hope this helps you out richard from chicago i just noticed you have the wrong cartage you need hp 57 color that will make all the difference :-) HP Officejet 5500 series All-in-One model Black cartridge Color cartridge HP Officejet 5505 HP 56 HP 57 HP Officejet 5508 HP 56 HP 57 HP Officejet 5515 HP 56 HP 57 HP Officejet 5510, HP Officejet 5510xi, HP Officejet 5510v HP 56 HP 57 HP Officejet 5600 series Replacing the print cartridges

1. Turn on the HP Officejet, and lift open the print-carriage access door. The print carriage will move into the access area. Figure 1: Opening the print-carriage access door
2. After the carriage stops moving, push down on the top of the print cartridge to release it, and then pull it toward you out of the slot. Figure 2: Removing the print cartridge NOTE: It is normal to see ink buildup in the print cartridge slots.
3. Remove the new print cartridge from the packaging and gently remove the plastic tape by using the pink pull tab. CAUTION: Do not touch the copper contacts or ink nozzles. Install the cartridge immediately upon removing the tape to prevent ink from drying in the nozzles. Figure 3: Removing the plastic tape
4. Push the new print cartridge into the appropriate slot at a slight angle, until it clicks into place. CAUTION: Do not attempt to push the cartridge straight into the slot. It must slide in at a slight angle. Figure 4: Inserting the print cartridge
5. Close the print-carriage access door.

Aligning the print cartridges The HP Officejet will prompt you to align the print cartridges every time you install a new print cartridge to assure high-quality output.

1. When the message displays, press OK . The HP Officejet will print an alignment page.
2. Place the alignment page face down on the left front corner of the glass with the top of the page facing the left side.
3. Press OK . The HP Officejet will align the print cartridges and display Alignment Complete .

1st how old are the cartidges ink could be solidified.
2nd did you take the plastic off of the new ink heads?
try runninng clean pint heads from printer control

Check the ink level present in the color cartridge and check whether you have enabled print in grayscale option in HP Director, please disable the option and try to print, if the issue persists replace the color cartridge.