my printer isnt printing right…

here is what happened. I had a cartridge in my printer sitting in for days and days because I didnt need it. so I heard that there were ink refill kits and I thought it was a great idea. So I decided to buy one and yes, it matches the cartridge I use. so I followed their instructions exactly and when I tried to use it, it didnt work!!!
I tried troubleshooting and that didnt work.
Is there anything I can do to make my cartridge work without replacing it?