HP 363 Ink Expiration Expiry Date Override to Continue Printing

Some HP cartridges have an ink expiration date added to the chip which eventually stops them from working.  The Hewlett Packard HP 363 cartridges have this information incorporated into the software.  Fortunately this is one of the models that let you over-ride the message and allow you to continue printing.

HP reasoning behind adding such technology to prevent indefinite use of certain ink cartridges use is that 'Air ingestion and water evaporation can cause ink to change over time. In printing systems where the printhead and ink supply are separate, older ink can adversely impact the printhead and the ink delivery components within the printer.'  However as these cartridges come in sealed units and if they are opened for the first time after the expiry date has been reached, then this explanation is floored.  Ink quality if stored in the correct conditions can be sustained for many years, well beyond any expiry date.

The warranty period for most HP cartridges and printheads is 24 months from the date of manufacture and HP ensure that the stock leaves their warehouse at least 12 months before the end date.  The date is usually stamped on the bottom or back of the box.  HP list 4 years as the maximum lifetime for most cartridges and 2.5 years if inside the printer.  Ink expiration is not warranty expiration, so this is why HP allow an override on most cartridge models.

HP state on their website that it is indeed possible to override the ink expiry message and continue to print, however they do not give any instructions as to how to achieve this.  Seemingly this would be hard to list as each printer model may require a slightly different solution.  Instead HP advise to follow the instructions on the printer, user manual, and computer screen monitor.  There should be a way to confirm to the printer that you wish to continue to print.  In practice however it appears that some owners have removed the cmos battery which is often located on the left side of the printer.  You will need to remove a plastic cover to expose the main board and see this.  Make sure that the machine is unplugged at the wall and leave the battery out for a few minutes so that the memory resets.  For most people though this is a bridge too far to travel.  Only the DIYer type of person will attempt this type of reset fix.