HP 940 & 940XL Quick Tips / Ink Cartridge Errors troubleshooting
Installation
Following HP 940/940XL cartridge installation, your printer/computer may show “Low Ink” or “Empty” messages. Press ‘OK’ to dismiss this prompt and resume printing. Additional alert messages, such as “non-genuine cartridge”, “counterfeit, or “fraud” may also be displayed. Press ‘OK’ or ‘Dismiss’ to bypass these prompts. For other error messages, see below. Refer to important NOTE at bottom of page regarding the use of non-genuine/original ink cartridges.
Usage Tips
NOTE: “Empty” and “Low Ink” alerts are COMPLETELY NORMAL for original/genuine HP 940 & 940XL ink cartridges which have been refilled! While at first, this may be an unusual workflow, it does allow print operations to proceed. After refills, the printer cannot track the ink level. The ink level indicator will falsely signal empty.
Continue to print until the print quality fades. When the cartridge ‘truly’ is out of ink the printer will stop printing and display a ‘replace cartridge’ error message or similar. NOTE: there is a sensor within the base of the cartridge that detects the presence of ink.
If any streaks or missing colors appear on prints the cartridge may be suffering from an air bubble within the internal ink spout. Initiate a “Clean Printhead” procedure, via the printer control panel Setup/Tools or Maintenance menu. You may need to activate it 2 or 3 times to reprime the ink port and PRINTHEAD.
If you cannot identify which color cartridge is empty, print a test page via 1) your printer control panel or 2) via the “Test Prints” button below.
A faded/missing color indicates empty.
Cartridge Errors (no printing allowed):
As the electronics in the ink cartridge and the printer communicate with each other, sometimes the printer will incorrectly identify an ink cartridge as unrecognized or non-functional. Following ink refill, if the HP 940 ink cartridge(s) is not initially recognized, then the check cartridge to printhead connectivity (remove and reseat the ink cartridges).
If the problem persists then verify the HP 940 smart chip is present (see photo below for correct positioning) and ensure gold contacts are thoroughly clean. No ink residue should be on contacts – clean with a lint-free towel and isopropyl alcohol as necessary.
Keep a spare set of ink cartridges, for convenience. As an in-printer cartridge is depleted, remove it for a refill. Insert the spare into the printer and save the refill as the next spare. If you observe an “Expired black ink cartridge”, this error may be bypassed by performing either of the following:
1. Press and HOLD the printer’s ‘Reset/Resume’ button for five (5) seconds.
…OR….
2. – Press and HOLD the Power button, press the Resume button 3 times, then release the Power button (older HP 8500 models only).
