SECTION 4
MAINTENANCE
17
Section 4 - Maintenance
This section covers how to care for the ink cartridges, clear paper jams, replace the sheet separators, and perform
routing maintenance on the printer.
The Inkjet Cartridge
The inkjet cartridges must be replaced when out of ink, when print quality is poor, or when purging and cleaning
have not helped the image quality.
The Approximate life of the HP 51645A Inkjet cartridges based on three lines of 20 characters at 10-point size per
address is:
600 x 600 DPI 50,000 addresses
300 x 600 DPI 100,000 addresses
200 x 600 DPI 150,000 addresses
150 x 600 DPI 200,000 addresses
NOTE: These figures can vary depending on the font selected.
To Replace the Inkjet Cartridge:
• Remove the used cartridge from the cartridge holder by raising the latch lever to release the cartridge, and
then pull the cartridge up and out of the holder.
• Remove the new inkjet cartridge from its packaging, taking care not to touch the copper contacts, the metal
plate, or the gold printhead. Remove the protective tape from the printhead.
• The cartridges are held in place by a lever mounted on the inkjet cartridge holder. Release the lever by
raising it vertical.
• With the cartridge’s printhead pointing down, slide the cartridge into the holder and push down and toward
the contacts in the holder.
• Make sure the cartridge is seated in the holder then close the lever to secure the cartridge in the holder. Do
not force the lever into place.
• Repeat the above for the remaining cartridges.
CAUTION
Never shake, drop, or hit the cartridge against the palm of your hand or any other hard surface.
Shaking the print cartridge does not “mix” the ink and hitting the cartridge against a hard surface
does not clear the nozzles Both of these actions actually hurt the print quality because they allow
bubbles to form near the ink firing chambers. These bubbles prevent the nozzles from firing
causing white streaks in the print image.
Storage
Short-term storage is defined as less than 2 days or less than 1 day in a hot and dry environment. Long-term storage
is defined as more than 2 days or more than 1 day in a hot and dry environment.
