Blinking Lights on the HP Deskjet 6830 and 6840 Printer Series

The printer lights indicate the printer status. These lights can be on, off, or flashing, depending on the status of the printer. The sections below describe the most common combinations of flashing lights, what they mean, and how to fix the issue.

note:

The light patterns described in this document are also described as blinking or flashing lights. Flash means the same as blink in this document. If the printer lights flash or blink, this describes the same symptom.

When the printer is first turned on, there is a period of approximately five seconds where there are no lights lit on the front panel. This is due to the printer initializing memory and preparing to function. If the Power light does not come on after approximately five seconds, the printer may need serviced.

If the Power light is flashing, the printer is preparing to print. The light stops flashing when the printer has received all data.

If the Resume light is flashing, check the following conditions:

• The printer might be out of paper.
  1. Place paper in the In tray.
  2. Press the Resume button.
• A paper jam might exist. For instructions on how to clear a paper jam, click here (c00186649) (in English).

Check to see if a print cartridge is low on ink. If a print cartridge is low on ink, consider replacing the print cartridge. If neither print cartridge is low on ink, press the Resume button. If the Print Cartridge Status light remains on, turn the printer off, then turn the printer on again.

1. Open the printer cover, remove the print cartridge on the right, and then close the cover.
2. Follow one of these steps:
   • If the light is flashing: Open the printer cover, replace the print cartridge, and then remove the other print cartridge. The light should quit flashing. Go to step three.
   • If the light is off: There is a problem with the print cartridge that you removed. Go to step three.
3. Manually clean the print cartridge. If the printer is used in a dusty environment, a small amount of debris can accumulate on the print cartridge contacts. To manually clean the print cartridge, perform the following procedure:
   1. Open the printer cover and wait until the print cartridge cradle moves to the right side of the printer and is idle and quiet.
   2. Remove the print cartridges and place them on a piece of paper, with the copper strips facing up.
      Figure : Print cartridge nozzles
      
      1. Ink nozzles

        caution:

      Do not touch the print cartridge ink nozzles. Touching the ink nozzles will result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

      Do not leave the print cartridges outside the printer for more than 30 minutes, as this may dry out the print cartridges.

   3. Moisten a cotton swab with distilled water and squeeze any excess water from the swab.
   4. Wipe the copper contacts on the print cartridge with the cotton swab. Repeat this process until no ink residue or dust appears on the swab.
      Figure : Copper contacts
      
      1. Copper contacts
4. After cleaning the print cartridge, reinsert the cartridge into the printer.
5. If the light continue to flash, either both cartridges have problems, or the printer is the problem. Replace the print cartridge or take the printer to an authorized HP repair center.

If the Print Cartridge Status light begins to flash after a new print cartridge is installed, this is known as print cartridge rejection. Print cartridge rejection occurs when an unknown or incorrect print cartridge is installed in the printer. If a print job is sent while the Print Cartridge Status light is on, a message stating that the print cartridge has been rejected and must be removed or replaced will open.

Follow the steps below to resolve this issue:

1. Verify that the right print cartridge type and color is installed in the proper place in the print cartridge cradle.
2. Try reinserting the print cartridge into the printer.
3. Remove the most recently installed print cartridge.
4. If the Print Cartridge Status light quits blinking, the print cartridge is defective.
5. Replace the print cartridge.
6. If the problem persists, repeat steps three and four with the other print cartridge.

If the Power and Resume lights on the printer begin blinking in unison, a carriage stall has occurred. Contact HP for further assistance.

The printer might need to be restarted.

1. Press the Power button to turn off the printer, and then press the Power button to restart the printer. Proceed to step two if the lights continue to flash.
   Proceed to step two if the lights continue to flash.
2. Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
3. Disconnect the printer power cord from the electrical outlet.
4. Reconnect the printer power cord to the electrical outlet.
5. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.

If the lights continue to blink, return the printer for repair.

The light on the power cord illuminates when electricity is flowing through the cord. If the light is off, then the cord is not receiving power.