HP Officejet Pro 251dw Printer - Replacing the Printhead

note:

This video shows an HP Officejet 8100 (N811) printer, but the steps are the same for your printer.

1. Load unused, plain white paper in the input tray.
2. Press the Power button () to turn on the product, if it is not already on.
3. Open the cartridge access door and the product lid. The carriage moves to the center of the product. Wait until the carriage stops in the center of the product before you proceed.
   Figure : Open the cartridge access door and the product lid

   
4. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the product.
5. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
6. Remove the printhead. You can leave the cartridges in the printhead. Lift the lever on the back right corner of the printhead assembly, and then lift out the printhead.
   Figure : Remove the printhead

   
7. Dispose of the printhead:

   • If a postage-paid mailing label and a return envelope were included with the new printhead, HP would like to have the old part back for analysis. Please follow the instructions in Step four at the end of this document to return the printhead.
   • If no post-paid mailing label came with the new printhead, you can recycle the old part. Put the printhead (with the cartridges still inserted) into a plastic bag, then go to hp.com/recycle for information on recycling the old printhead and cartridges.

1. Remove the new printhead and cartridges from the plastic packaging.

     caution:

   Do not touch the electrical contacts or the nozzles on the printhead. Touching these areas can cause electrical failures or print quality problems.

   Figure : Do not touch the electrical contacts or nozzles on the printhead

   

2. Grasp the printhead on both sides with the electrical contacts facing the rear of the product, and then insert the printhead into the carriage.
   Figure : Insert the new printhead

   
3. Carefully lower the latch handle on the carriage to secure the printhead.

1. Remove the new cartridge from its packaging.
2. Slide the new cartridge into its slot, and then gently push it forward until it clicks into place.

   note:

   Make sure that the colored dot on the cartridge label matches the colored dot on the slot.

   Figure : Insert the cartridge into its color-coded slot

   

     caution:

   Do not lift the latch handle on the carriage to insert cartridges. Doing so could cause the printhead or cartridges to be incorrectly seated, which could damage the print mechanism and cause printing problems.

3. Repeat these steps to insert the other cartridges.
4. Close the product lid and cartridge access door.
5. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the product.
6. Plug the cord back into the wall outlet.
7. Press the Power button () to turn on the product.
   The product starts an initialization process, which takes a few minutes. It is normal for the product to make noises during this process. After the process completes, the product prints an alignment page.

note:

Not all customers will be requested to return the old parts. If the replacement printhead assembly came without a post-paid return mailing label, ignore the rest of this section.

1. Place the ink absorbing pad in the plastic package that the new printhead came in.
   Figure : Place the ink absorbing pad into the plastic package

   
2. Place the old printhead, with the cartridges still installed, in the plastic package and then close the package.
   Figure : Place the old printhead and cartridges in the package

   
3. Put the old parts and the form that came with the new parts into the box the new parts came in. If possible, also include a print sample showing the issue with the old printhead.
   Figure : Put the old parts, form, and print sample into the box

   
4. Close the box, apply the post-paid mailing label, and put in the mail.
   Figure : Mail the box back to HP