# Dried up ink cartridge.



## flinttim

I have a Lexmark Z 42 that I keep for back up. The color ink does fine but the black has dried up some or something. I wiped it with a damp cloth as per their instruction but it ain't much better . Any tips or tricks for rejuvenating ??


----------



## ezymony

try setting it down on a wet paper towel and let some ink draw through and then run your printer through jet cleaning cycle if .you might have to replace the cartridge once they dry up it is hard to get them to work again


----------



## Dark Star

Sometimes they just don't want to wick from the wet paper towell enough to make the ink flow....

If that is the case with your cartridge then while the cartridge is still in contact with the wet towell and holding it straight up you will notice a little pin hole on the top of the cartridge......

try pulling air thu it like you would a drinking straw so it will in turn draw up a little water in from the bottom.....don't go wild sucking on it, just a little will do the trick.......I'm sorry I can't help but to laugh as there is no other way to word it better, but it does work.

DS


----------



## casper03

the best solution for dried up ink carts are to remove the cart from printer . then take any alcohol dip a cotton bud into it the drip one drop into the ink well feeder inside printer and one onto the cart hole itself then leave alone for five mins..

hey presto the alcohol eats through the blockage without
damaging the ink inside and also clears ink nozzle


----------



## rds33

You can also soak the cartridge in a half inch of hot water with a little ammonia added for about 2 minutes. Then pat the cartridge dry with a paper towel.

I rejuvinated a photo cartridge this way just last week.

-rds33


----------



## crellin

I have an apollo printer which I don"t use to often. It is approx. 2 yrs old. I still have the original cartridge and order a refill kitt from a place in Fla. When I refilled the first time, the colors never mixed right, I might add that this printer uses an HP 51625a cartridge. The refills I got are in tri color caps and you remove the old one and put the prongs in the old cartridge. It worked for the first two, however within the past two weeks when I tried to print it was very light and mostly unreadable. So I put in the new refill kit and still didn't print. I tested the communications and did a clean on the ports and tried a test print and it now does no print at all. When I tried to bring up the information on the printer lo and behold it is all in Germany. I emailed apollo and they said it was out of warranty, which I already knew and get a new cartridge, which is more sales for HP. I have emailed them several time since and they will not respond. Of course when you have a cheap printer you will get cheap service. I also tried the setting on a wet towel and I have cleaned the back of the cartridge with the printer jets with an iso/alcohol. If any one has one similar to mine would you please let me know if you have had any problems simiar to mine. Thanks in Advance and Happy New Year.


----------

