I got a canon pixma tr4520 from a technologically challenged relative, who told me they couldn’t get it to print and it was mine to try and fix. I worked out that it didn’t have an ink cartridge in it (not even an empty), bought a replacement, and got it printing. But now it has vertical alignment issues and paper jams. I can’t afford a new printer right now, and I would love to fix this one. My fear is that I’ll sink half the cost of a new one into it between the ink I already bought and replacement parts, just for it to come out not working anyway. Is it worth my time to try and fix or should I cut my losses and start saving for a new unit?
BEWARE THE SPONGE!!!
Inkjets waste tons of ink into a sponge-diaper with every cleaning cycle, that over time gets saturated and become prone to leaks. You DO NOT want ink from it spilling all over wherever you put it.
Other than that, it’s hard to tell. If you can get the nozzles clean, and it doesn’t have software/firmware issues, a general disassembly, cleaning, and assembly, can bring a printer back to life. It usually takes an amount of time and effort that makes it not worth it… but if you have more spare time than change, it might be worth a shot.