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Epson - Items That Have Reached the End of Their Life

baissaoui Posted messages 496 Registration date   Status Webmaster Last intervention   -  

Initial document created by jmp59

The problem

After a certain number of prints, 2 LEDs (varying by model) flash and in the "Status monitor" a message indicates "Printer elements have reached the end of their lifespan", in other words: "Throw your printer in the trash and buy another one"!

The solution

This is false. In the printer software, there is a page counter. Once a certain number is reached, depending on the model, Epson blocks printing and displays the message.
To continue printing, you just need to reset the counter to 0!

Download the utility

To do this, you first need to download http://www.ssclg.com/download/sscserve.exe (Free).
By clicking on the icon of the downloaded file (sscserve.exe), you launch the installation of SCC Service Utility.
When this program is closed, a printer icon appears in the taskbar next to the clock.

Using the utility

Right-click on this icon; different choices are offered, including "Protection counter". Hover the mouse over this choice and click on "Show current value".
At this point, you get the information "Current value" with the number of copies made and "Maximum value".
If the number indicated in "Current value" is greater, likely by 1, than that indicated for "Maximum value", it proves that the problem is indeed the number of printed pages.
Choose "Protection counter" again, click on "Reset protection counter" and then on "Clear Counteroverflow".

By repeating the first step, "Current value" should indicate Zero.
If this is the case, the problem is solved. Just shut down the PC and restart it.

Notes

Cleaning the pad

Additional tip proposed by Budleya:

I accidentally discovered the ink absorber pad in my Epson Stylus Photo R300, and to clean it, here is my "alternative" technique:
I soaked it in 90° alcohol then pressed it like a sponge (over the drain of my stainless sink!) to extract the (black) juice, rinsed it with clear water (since alcohol and water are miscible), pressed it again and put it back in a bath of alcohol... By repeating the operation several times, I managed to clean it (it is grayish now). Be careful: when pressing the foam pad, avoid twisting it so as not to deform or cut it, as its shape is quite complex.

Three advantages to this technique: 1) with alcohol, the drying of the foam is faster and only a little is needed; 2) alcohol dissolving the ink, I avoided getting ink all over my fingers and staining my sink; 3) I avoided using a roll of paper towels.

That said, I don’t know how, in the long run, the foam reacts with alcohol... But at worst, you can rinse it with water to eliminate any traces of alcohol and let it dry between two sheets of paper towels before placing it back...