Can a lexmark 100a cartridge be refilled?

Answer 1

Yes. Any Lexmark cartridge with the A at the end of the cartridge number is a refillable cartridge. If it does not it is a "return program" cartridge that will "kill" the electronics once it reads empty causing the printer to reject the cartridge no matter the level of ink in it.

recently Lexmark upgraded the software for the printers that take the 100 series cartridges.

This was in effort to stop the after market counterfeit products that had counterfeit chips in them, or so they said......... was only part, in reality, it was to stop the consumers that had figured out that the 100A magenta cartridge chip was actually the same as the 100a Black cartridge chip. A black 100a cartridge was always more that the color ones. and it was the SAME EXACT CHIP.

so they made the software to identify the place that cartridge was placed into, in other words that cartridge until is INSTALLED has no idea if it is black or color. Since all the A series cartridges can be REFILLED by you the consumer, you still have the ability to buy a new 100a color and change it out to a regular 100 OR 105XL cartridge, but it must be done BEFORE it is ever used in the printer.

and yes the 105 Cartridges are the EXACT same cartridge in size shape and molding.

so buy a 105XL take your smaller capacity 100A black cartridge chip out and place it in the 105XL , you have a NEW cartridge that cost you 5$ band new and now from now on you can get NEW cartridges for 5$ each and never have to refill again.

Just keep changing the chips out every time you buy a new 105.

to remove the chip, simply CAREFULLY peel back the label and CAREFULLY remove the chip transfuring it to the brand new 105 cartridge. NOTE ! the center of the chip has a hot melt plastic pole that goes thru the center of the chip, it can be removed with out breaking the chip board if you do it carefully! GENTLY using a flat smooth butter knife or something similar, sliding it under the Chip board and GENTLY pry it up.

THROW AWAY the 105 chip so you don't get them confused.

You still have the ability to use a color cartridge chip that is a 100A, in a Black cartridge, but it MUST be done before that color cartridge is installed in a printer, so remove the chip , don't throw away the color cartridge, you can still re chip it with a cartridge chip that has been in that colors cartridge that was already installed in your computer as long as it too was a 100A chip. You are in fact buying the chips for the price of the color cartridges about 10$ and being able to get a refillable Black XL cartridge for 10$ rather that $35-$39.

Once you have a full set of 100A chips , you are set, and if a black cartridge fails simply buy another 105 rechip it as before, and Waa Laa , you have beat Lexmark at their own game.