Epson CX3600 Rapidly Emptying Cartridges!

I made the following complaint to Epson via e-mail:

I have owned an Epson CX3600 multifunction printer for just over 2 months and have printed some 120 full pages of script, 100 of them over 2 printing sessions, using the B&W ink cartridge which now indicates it is just below the half-way point which seems reasonable. However I have used absolutely none of the other colour cartridges yet all now indicate only 1/4 (one quarter) full. At this rate, because the printer will not function with even one empty cartridge, unless I quickly use the colour cartridges I will soon be forced into the position of spending more for unused colour cartridges than I did for the printer. What is going on? These were the original Epson cartridges which indicated full when I first used them and about 3 weeks ago were indicating over 3/4 full. I am aware of the instructions mentioning ink charging on installation and self cleaning but I have used the printer on less than 10 occasions. There is no indication of leakage in the cartridge bay so I feel the sustained loss is excessive by any standards. Please indicate whether it is in need of servicing.

This is the reply I got:

Thank you for contacting EPSON e-mail support. EPSON’S policy is to offer as low a cost-per-copy as possible against its printer manufacturer competitors (not against non genuine EPSON supplies). The first cartridge installed in the printer will not last as long as subsequent cartridges due to the initial charging process that the printer goes through. Once the cartridge is replaced, the printer will function normally and you will get the correct usage from your cartridges. The black cartridge has a higher page yield per cartridge than the colour. If you print at a higher resolution then it will use more ink therefore getting less prints per cartridge.

When the printer is first switched on, or used after a period of inactivity, the print-head goes through a charging process, which gets the ink ready to be used. This process will use a small amount of ink from the cartridges. Also, when going through any cleaning cycles, this again uses small quantities of ink from both cartridges. This process forces ink through the nozzles to clear any blockages or contaminants. If the cartridges have been in the printer for longer than six months then the ink may start to dry, possibly causing print quality issues: we recommend that for best printing results you use up any cartridges within 6 months of opening the plastic packaging.
The ink levels within the EPSON Status Monitor are a calculation of the ink remaining. The ink levels are not an accurate representation of the ink left, as the software does not measure the ink being used. It uses a calculation on the size of the document being printed and at what resolution. A more accurate indication of ink levels is given by the printer: when the ink out light starts to flash you have ten percent of the original amount of ink remaining in the cartridge; this is a good time to get a replacement cartridge. When the ink out light is on solid then the cartridge has run out. If you have an Intellidge chip on the cartridge this keeps a record of how many pages have been printed, so when the cartridge is empty if it is mistakenly put back in the printer, the printer will know that the cartridge has no ink. The chips also allow for the removal of the cartridges, as they are self- sealing, protecting themselves against contaminants. Cartridges without Intellidge chips should never be removed and then put back in a printer as this can cause air to get in to the ink system and cause print quality issues.

Regards,
George !!!! e-Service Support Technician

Note:
1. The original cartridges are genuine Epson.
2. Ink charging takes a "small amount of ink from the cartridges ". "The black cartridge has a higher page yield per cartridge than the colour ". "Calculation is based on the size of the document being printed ".....................

Nothing in the reply answers my question as to why the excessive loss of ink from all 3 unused colour cartridges. Am I being unreasonable in complaining or am I being unreasonably fobbed off with this particular reply which sounds more like a 'sales plug' than a genuine answer to my concern?

Kind regards,
Pat Alley

 

Pat Alley--There may be a setting somewhere in your Epson's program to use less ink per sheet. Have a look.
Also when you must buy, perhaps see if Office Max, Office Depot, Staples branded cartridges are available. The saving could be 20%, and the stores claim to guarantee their use.

 

Also, to go along with Epson ink that comes with a new printer not being full they also tend to default to the best print quality on installing. Unless you are printing a photo or doing a finished project that needs this high quality print change it to draft mode. Will save considerable amounts of ink.

 

Thankyou PeteC, Welshjim and Jaylach for your comments. I have no complaint regarding the black cartridge. The 120 printed text pages were of "high" quality B&W because the instructions stipulate "draft" quality uses the 3 color cartridges to simulate black.

Since the 3 color cartridges initially indicated ¾ full, one has to assume they were full or nearly full. My complaint is that over a 4 week period all 3 unused color cartridges (not one or two!!) fell to ¼ full and there was no evidence in the cartridge bay of any leakage. Of course since the contents are monitored by an intellidge chip the user is reliant on the integrity of the manufacturer that the chip's program does not include misleading "time" dependent factors. For example irrespective of the first cartridge contents it would be simple enough to program the device to "Indicate ¾ for two weeks unless actual contents reduce below ¼; then read actual contents! ". Following that, any subsequent refilled cartridges could be defaulted to reading actual contents. I could try dissassembling the program when the cartridge is empty but no doubt the writer will have code protected the chip's program.

Meanwhile I might just have to wait to see how the second lot of color cartridges perform and whether there is a little more randomness with respect to their contents!

Kind regards,
Pat

 

Pat Alley--FWIW--http://www.epsonchipresetter.com/
from
http://www.google.com/search?source...GGLD:2004-31,GGLD:en&q=reset+epson+cartridges