background images dont show in IE

Hi all,
I am working on a webpage using joomla! and superfish menu system
i am trying to design a menu that uses images for its 1st level and plain text for sub-menus.

for that i have been tweaking the Superfish menu CSS file and got nice results in all browsers accept IE. in IE only the :over mode images are showing. regular images dont.

i dont knwo what to do and i have been pulling my hair at this for a few days.
the websites URL is : www.vaxilbio.com/index.php
my superfish css code is:
.....................................................

/*** ESSENTIAL STYLES ***/
.sf-menu, .sf-menu * {
padding: 0;
list-style: none;
/*background-image: url(../images/menu_bg.gif);
background-repeat: repeat-x;
background-position: bottom;*/
}
.sf-menu {
line-height: 1;
}
.sf-menu ul {
/*position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 10em; *//* left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
} /*{Eliad: this whole class was canceles because i wrote individual classes for each sub menu in my section} */
.sf-menu ul li {
width: 100%;

}
.sf-menu li:hover {
visibility: inherit; /* fixes IE7 'sticky bug' */
}
.sf-menu li {
float: left;
position: relative;

}
.sf-menu a {
display: block;
position: relative;

}
.sf-menu li:hover ul,
.sf-menu li.sfHover ul {
left: 0;
top: 2.75em;/*2.5em; match top ul list item height */
z-index: 98;
}
ul.sf-menu li:hover li ul,
ul.sf-menu li.sfHover li ul {
top: -999em;
}
ul.sf-menu li li:hover ul,
ul.sf-menu li li.sfHover ul {
left: 10em; /* match ul width */
top: 0;
}
ul.sf-menu li li:hover li ul,
ul.sf-menu li li.sfHover li ul {
top: -999em;
}
ul.sf-menu li li li:hover ul,
ul.sf-menu li li li.sfHover ul {
left: 10em; /* match ul width */
top: 0;
}

/*** DEMO SKIN ***/
.sf-menu {
float: left;
margin-bottom: 6px;
border-bottom-width: 1px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #6d6e71;

}
.sf-menu a, .sf-menu li ul a {
border-left: 0px solid #fff; /*ick - might wanna convert that 2nd statement to an independent class*/
border-top: 0px solid #fff;
padding: .75em 1em;
text-decoration:none;
}
.sf-menu a, .sf-menu a:visited { /* visited pseudo selector so IE6 applies text colour*/
color: #000000;
font-weight: 900;
font-size: 13pt;
}
.sf-menu li {
/*background: #FFFFFF;*/
}
.sf-menu li li {
background: #3AA600;
text-align: left;
line-height: 1.7;
}
.sf-menu li li li {
background: #3AA600;
text-align: left;
}
.sf-menu li:hover, .sf-menu li.sfHover,
.sf-menu a:focus, .sf-menu a:hover {
background: #FFFFFF;
outline: 0;
}

/*** arrows **/
.sf-menu a.sf-with-ul {
padding-right: 2.25em;
min-width: 1px; /* trigger IE7 hasLayout so spans position accurately */
}
.sf-sub-indicator {
position: absolute;
display: block;
right: .75em;
top: 1.05em; /* IE6 only */
width: 10px;
height: 10px;
text-indent: -999em;
overflow: hidden;
background: url('../images/arrows-ffffff.png') no-repeat -10px -100px; /* 8-bit indexed alpha png. IE6 gets solid image only */
}
a > .sf-sub-indicator { /* give all except IE6 the correct values */
top: .8em;
background-position: 0 -100px; /* use translucent arrow for modern browsers*/
}
/* apply hovers to modern browsers */
a:focus > .sf-sub-indicator,
a:hover > .sf-sub-indicator,
a:active > .sf-sub-indicator,
li:hover > a > .sf-sub-indicator,
li.sfHover > a > .sf-sub-indicator {
background-position: -10px -100px; /* arrow hovers for modern browsers*/
}

/* point right for anchors in subs */
.sf-menu ul .sf-sub-indicator { background-position: -10px 0; }
.sf-menu ul a > .sf-sub-indicator { background-position: 0 0; }
/* apply hovers to modern browsers */
.sf-menu ul a:focus > .sf-sub-indicator,
.sf-menu ul a:hover > .sf-sub-indicator,
.sf-menu ul a:active > .sf-sub-indicator,
.sf-menu ul li:hover > a > .sf-sub-indicator,
.sf-menu ul li.sfHover > a > .sf-sub-indicator {
background-position: -10px 0; /* arrow hovers for modern browsers*/
}

/*** shadows for all but IE6 ***/
.sf-shadow ul {
background: url('../images/shadow.png') no-repeat bottom right;
padding: 0 8px 9px 0;
-moz-border-radius-bottomleft: 17px;
-moz-border-radius-topright: 17px;
-webkit-border-top-right-radius: 17px;
-webkit-border-bottom-left-radius: 17px;
}
.sf-shadow ul.sf-shadow-off {
background: transparent;
}
/*/////////////my tweaks/////////////////////////*/
.item1{
width: 64px;
}
/*.active.item1 > a:link, .active.item1 > a:visited,*/
.item1 > a:Link{
background-image: url(../images/menu_item1.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
padding-left: 1px;
text-indent:-9999px;
}

.item1 > a:visited {
background-image: url(http://www.vaxilbio.com/modules/mod_superfishmenu/tmpl/images/menu_item1.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
padding-left: 1px;
text-indent:-9999px;
}

.item1 > a:hover {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item1_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item1 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 190px; /* left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
}

.item1 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item2{
width: 129px;
}

.item2 > a:link,
.item2 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item2.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item2 > a:hover, .active.item2 > a:link, .active.item2 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item2_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item2 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 200px; /* left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
}

.item2 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item3{
width: 110px;
}

.item3 > a:link,
.item3 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item3.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item3 > a:hover, .active.item3 > a:link, .active.item3 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item3_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item3 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 240px; /* left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
}

.item3 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item4{
width: 103px;
}

.item4 > a:link,
.item4 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item4.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item4 > a:hover, .active.item4 > a:link, .active.item4 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item4_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item4 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 240px; /* left offset of submenus need to match (see below) - this is submenu width!!!*/
}

.item4 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item5{
width: 139px;
}

.item5 > a:link,
.item5 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item5.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item5 > a:hover, .active.item5 > a:link, .active.item5 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item5_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item5 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 240px; /* this is submenu width - left offset of submenus need to match (see below) - */
}

.item5 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item6{
width: 178px;
}

.item6 > a:link,
.item6 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item6.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item6 > a:hover, .active.item6 > a:link, .active.item6 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item6_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item6 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 240px; /* this is submenu width - left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
}

.item6 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.item7{
width: 109px;
}

.item7 > a:link,
.item7 > a:visited {
text-decoration:none;
padding-top: 0.75em;
padding-bottom: 0.75em;
padding-right: 3px;
text-indent:-9999px;
background-image: url(../images/menu_item7.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;

}

.item7 > a:hover, .active.item7 > a:link, .active.item7 > a:visited {
background-image: url(../images/menu_item7_over.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left bottom;
}

.item7 ul {
position: absolute;
top: -999em;
width: 240px; /* this is submenu width - left offset of submenus need to match (see below) */
}

.item7 ul li.last-child{
border-bottom-width: 32px;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-bottom-color: #3aa600;
}

.sf-menu a:hover, .sf-menu a:active { /* visited pseudo selector so IE6 applies text colour*/
color: #3AA600;
font-weight: 900;
}

.sf-menu a:active {
color: #3AA600;
font-weight: 900;
}

.sf-menu li li a, .sf-menu li li a:visited {
color: #FFFFFF;
font-weight: normal;
font-size: 13px;
}

.sf-menu li li a:hover {
color: #3AA600;
font-weight: bold;
font-size: 13px;

}
..................................................................

note especially the classes marked "item#". these are the menu's main level items. i am trying to tweak "item1" for start and when that works i will apply the code to all the rest.
does anyone has any idea whats wrong and why only the :over images show in IE?