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 | HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - Pls Read by yowatzupb (edited 10/8/07 9:44 PM) reply | + / - | Hello All:
RE: WATCH YOUR G85; You Don't Want to Go Through This. My Horror Story from Hell.
I just signed up 5 minutes ago to WARN others who use this printer of a FUTURE Major problem I just had today (Mon, 10/08/07). And after 5 1/2 hours of hell, I'm not happy; but sorta happy.
MY STORY:
I bought my G85 brand new back in 2000/2001 (unsure), made hundreds if not thousands of copies, printouts, etc past years.
Today I go to move my computer table a few feet over, so I take the monitor off the table & then the OfficeJet G85. I pick it up, swing around to the far side of room, put it down on the carpet. I pull my hand out and my hand is soaked w/ black ink. I bend down & tip it up to look underneath, the entire bottom is soaked w/ black ink & now so is my carpet w/ a 6" x 10" huge black ink stain.
I pick it up & carry it into the bathroom & place it on the countertop between the two sinks. I NOW realize ink dripped steadily on the hallway carpet, on my shorts, my sneakers and looking at it on the bathroom counter, its starts flowing from the bottom and pools out on the counter top. I run back to the computer table and see (before I even moved it) a huge pool of black ink (some dried; some wet) had been leaking out the bottom and onto table, almost flowing to edge of table.
I was mad beyond belief. So where did all this black ink come from? I pull out the ink cartridges and they are both heavy & full. I just replaced the black cartridge (#45) about 2 weeks ago, it was in there for 4 months.
I started cleaning the carpets, finished 2.25 hours later, change my clothes & sneakers. Now to investigate where like 2+ soda cans of ink came from it. I open the front compartment, catridges removed, and shine a flashlight into it. There is a huge pool of black ink soaked the entire bottom, the electrical wiring, paper feed tray & since I lifted it up sideways now the ink flowed onto the paper output tray and on the paper feed rollers. You name it - almost all (were nice clean parts) are Soaked with black ink.
I called Staples (where I bought it) and they don't have a repair depot, called Circuit City (FireDog only repairs computers, no on any printers). So I figure I got to take it apart, I get the sidetabs undone, get the top cover (scanner) part to open wider, take off the left & right bottom side panels and I was like - WTF is this!!
I knew this model has some cleaning gizmo (that cleans the cartridge end or whatever) - there are some electrical motors & parts on the far right (where I say the cartridges hide on the far right (out of frontal view - to the right of the paper)). There is a black pool, bowl, collection basin that, my best guess, is a rectangular black plastic basin and it's full almost to the top of black ink sludge (like mud) 1" thick and has another approx 1/2" of liquid ink on top. Is this what I think it is? Is this is where the cleaning gizmo is? AND the excess ink or crap sludge then drops into this collection basin and sits there forever?
I'm still clueless what that part is on the far right? I'm saying it could be the electric cleaning gizmo? That basin is to collect any drippage, extra ink?
SOO.. End result that basin appears to have filled up, overflowed and ink just freely flowed out & around the bottom of the G85 bottom panel, seeped into the paper feed tray and then once it was 1/16" or 1/8" inch in liquid ink, it flowed out a hole in the bottom plate pooling onto my computer table like a river.
I took most of my G85 apart, and I spent another 2 1/2 hours attempting to clean the ink but it was a loosing battle, I was squirting glass plus & 409 into it to wipe it, but ink only spears and smears and was not coming squeaky clean. Electrical wiring, 2 motors were all soaked now w/ ink and this would have been a 2 day project to repair.
How this ended: I was so irate I called HP technical repair and I think I got some woman in India (the country - for real) complained to her of this product issue, they can fix for $70 but have to ship it (ink will be dried by then & be worse to repair). BUT she said for the issue, they will sell me a brand new model (OfficeJet Pro L7580) for $269 (gave me $130 credit) & throw the old one away. I checked Staples price is $399.98 & Best Buy is $405. So I placed an order, put it on my credit card, have 21 days to try the L7580 - can return it (get my money back) or exchange it w/ another model.
I was debating on whether to put the G85 back together (still works pisser) but ink will soak into the papers in the paper tray & ink will get all over the printout - printing anything will be ruined from the ink soaked mess.
I took photos w/ my digital camera of it all. I can't imagine so much ink flowed out of that, I used 9 pairs of rubber latex gloves, they got so soaked w/ ink I could not hold the G85 plastic parts it got so slippery, and went through many newspapers I had the G85 sitting on when I took it apart, it was like a non-stop ink river. I used my finger to pluck out the 1" thick ink sludge from that basin.
Am I the only one who runs into this ink dilemma from hell.
Mike
Massachusetts (USA)
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 | Re: HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - Pls by Bert  (10/8/07 10:25 PM) reply | + / - | What you experienced is typical of heavily used G85s. The service station sump (spittoon) has overflowed. A small amount of ink is discharged into the sump each time the cartridges are primed.
Many people have cleaned them up and are still happily using them. If you want to restore your G85, I have all of the info. I get at least one email per week from people that want refurb instructions.
FYI: Credit or no credit, anyone can buy the L7580 at HP's online store for $269. Your new printer will come with the 88 series cartridges. When they need replacement get the 88XL series cartridges. You'll save a lot money due to lower cost per ml of ink.
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| such fun by doctuh (10/21/07 11:34 AM) reply | + / - | Hi,
My girlfriend and I have been fixing these as a hobby. Or, rather, we did until all our friends and acquaintances had them and they started piling up on the floor! I read her your story and she had several paroxysms of laughter.
You can find out how many copies you actually ran on your G85 but going to print report, self-test report on the menu.
I strongly suggest you fix it. If you are not up for it, PLEASE don't send it to the land fill! There were only so many made, and the parts are unavailable from HP! Contact me directly if want to dispose of it or exchange it.
Used or refurbished G85s are also available inexpensively on eBay, and the G85 is a lot less expensive to run than other units!
Doctuh
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| Re: Re: HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - by govstaas (8/26/08 1:44 PM) reply | + / - | Hi, I'm looking to remove and clean the spittoon on my hpG85, any guidance will be appreciated.
Thanks
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| Re: HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - Pls by Bert (8/26/08 1:55 PM) reply | + / - | Email me by clicking on the crossed tools to the right of my name and ask for the Officejet G85 refurb info.
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| Re: Re: HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - Pls by ccfxink (5/7/09 12:22 PM) reply | + / - | Yep! this is a common occurrence on this machine and many other older model HP Deskjets. That is why I am in the business of refurbishing and servicing these printers for my customers. Needs to be done every couple of years to avoid the situation you found yourself in.
Bert---I must disagree with you on the recommendation for the OJ L7580. This series of printers (like most off the shelf printers) is a bucket of JUNK!!!
I have already had a dozen or so of these "like" machines in shop with a variety of problems from scanner failures,to feed issues and logic board failures . Most cannot be resolved. And, the machines are less than 1 year old!!
Keep your G85's going with a quick and simple cleaning.Yes, the machine does need to be disassembled to properly clean it, but it is well worth the time and effort. IMHO. The machines are hearty on the inside and built to last many years if you simply maintain them. I have rarely seen anything "fail" on these machines!!
Long Live the G85!!!
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 | Re: Re: HP OfficeJet G85 - Future MAJOR Problem - Pls by Anonymous (7/18/09 3:58 PM) reply | + / - | Bert,
Black ink leaking out of G85 printer . Please give me the steps to get to and fix the problem.
Thanks,
Lee
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