HP forum: HP Deskjet 9800 printing problems on XP

Questions:
1. Is it an original HP color cartridge or a third party?
2. Why did you buy a new one. Was the old one empty (as far as you could see) or did it give some error you thought would be remedied by a new one?
3. What's in the user manual about flashing color cartridge lights?

Kees

So either:
1. The new cartridge is out of ink.
2. The new cartridge is defective.
3. The printer is defective.

For #1 and #2, try it in another printer. For #3, try another cartridge in this printer. Both are unpractical and unpleasant, I know.


Kees

Left or right?
If the left, remove cartridge, and verify the contacts on the body and ink nozzles are clean. Use alcohol sparingly. Do not rub, just wipe in one direction.

Hello! I have one of those, and we've discovered others having a similar problem. In both the 9800 & 6800, there is a spring on the side of the cartridge housing of the PCB. At times, when putting in a new cartridge, that spring comes loose. If the clip feels forced, the spring came loose & the tip of that spring will prick the ribbon cable on the rear of the PCB housing. When doing so, it displaces the ribbon cable just enough to leave an open circuit with the cartridge.

I solved this problem by sliding the tip of a flexible plastic object (like a wire harness) behind the ribbon cable, then mildly forcing in the cartridge. This reset the position of the ribbon cable to close the circuit with the cartridge.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

thank you for this - I was going nuts.
all of a sudden after changing the cartridges,
the lights would not stop blinking.
I took a flashlight & sure enough both springs were off their tracks.
now to find a way to keep them ON their tracks!