Canon Pro 1 Error Code B500

Freeradical

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Hello community ! I am a new member and need some advice on the error code B500 which has just killed my otherwise perfectly performing Pro 1. I print every weekend without fail. Saturday printed 34 A3+ colour and B&W, beautiful quality! Sunday started the next batch all going well, replaced four cartridges, it began it's loading process and I left it. Came back to see it was still doing something. This was now about 5 minutes when I get this error code. Did as instructed and nothing. What happened??? Can anyone advise me? Many thanks
 

The Hat

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Hi @Freeradical and welcome, I am afraid to tell you that you’ve hit a brick wall with your printer, and it is not possible to print another sheet till you remedy the situation.

7 Blinking LED lights and the B500 error is the waste ink full notice and that cartridge will need replacing and the EPROM waste ink counter will need resetting also.

There are two ways of solving this issue, one is to check and see if your printer will enter Service mode and the second is to bring the printer to a Canon service Agent and have them resolve the issue for you, yes I said bring because it’s unadvisable to use a courier for the job..

You didn’t do anything to break the printer, because when the waste ink gets full, shit happens and that’s the only way to describe this condition, and there is no easy way out because of the size and weight of this beast of a printer.

The first option is easy doable and costs just time and patience, the second one is the expensive way, but you do get back practically a new printer for your money. (Completely Serviced)

Below are the instructions on how to enter Service Mode, try out this sequence and see if it is possible to get your printer to respond, if it does then you can fix the problem yourself and if you can’t then returning the printer to Canon or using it as a door stop are the only two options left.. Sorry..
We can provide further assistance if you require it..
 

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Freeradical

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Canon Pixma PRO 1 / Epson 9900
Hi @Freeradical and welcome, I am afraid to tell you that you’ve hit a brick wall with your printer, and it is not possible to print another sheet till you remedy the situation.

7 Blinking LED lights and the B500 error is the waste ink full notice and that cartridge will need replacing and the EPROM waste ink counter will need resetting also.

There are two ways of solving this issue, one is to check and see if your printer will enter Service mode and the second is to bring the printer to a Canon service Agent and have them resolve the issue for you, yes I said bring because it’s unadvisable to use a courier for the job..

You didn’t do anything to break the printer, because when the waste ink gets full, shit happens and that’s the only way to describe this condition, and there is no easy way out because of the size and weight of this beast of a printer.

The first option is easy doable and costs just time and patience, the second one is the expensive way, but you do get back practically a new printer for your money. (Completely Serviced)

Below are the instructions on how to enter Service Mode, try out this sequence and see if it is possible to get your printer to respond, if it does then you can fix the problem yourself and if you can’t then returning the printer to Canon or using it as a door stop are the only two options left.. Sorry..
We can provide further assistance if you require it..
 

Freeradical

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Hello there 'The Hat', thanks for your quick response. I downloaded the link read through the instructions and as I was having a dry run with power off I started to wonder just how I arrived here and why was my printer inoperable. What stopped my printer, was it a mechanical failure, electrical or software issue? Software ! It has to be. PROGRAMMED OBSOLESCENCE! And an easy one to employ as it is a simple counting program. Get to a stated parameter and off. B500 indicates a full maintenance tank. How is that monitored. Is serviceable / replaceable like the printhead. Technically this timed stoppage (unless you print 24/7 for the first year) would happen outside the warranty liability for Canon, 1yr in NEW ZEALAND. So this is a hidden financial cost? Do Canon replace the maintenance tank and reset the clock to zero, does anyone know ? I am being had and in a head lock! I will call Canon and clarify the issue, the options and cost to release my printer back to me. Many thanks.
 

The Hat

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@Freeradical, there is nothing you could have done to stop this error message from activating, it’s part of the machine’s normal operation, when you use your printer it has to carry out daily or weekly maintenance and in time that will fill up the waste ink cartridge.

The waste ink has to go somewhere and is collected in the bottom of the printer in a box (Cartridge) which contains highly absorbent felt to soak up that ink and when full you get the warning message, you cant replace this box yourself.

The printer stops functioning before this cartridge overflows and spills into your working area, and you don’t want that to happen, it’s got nothing to do with Program Obsolescence, and it’s for your own protection.

The Pro 1 has a built in live active memory and as you say counts how much waste ink it has accumulated and stores that in memory, this counter can’t be turned off but can be reset.

Two things now must happen, you can reset the counter yourself and divert the waste ink to an external waste tank, or you must bring the printer to a Service Agent, the printer needs to be handled carefully and remain flat, and never turned on its side.

It is unfortunately a hidden cost and is designed not to happen in the first year and if it does it may be covered under warrantee, don’t quote me on that, there is no way out of this situation other than what I mentioned previous.

If your printer can enter Service Mode then you can carry out the necessary work yourself, if not it’s going to cost half as much as the printer costs originally to have it serviced...
P.S. Can you get your printer into Service Mode ?...
 

Freeradical

Printing Apprentice
Joined
Mar 21, 2019
Messages
7
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Printer Model
Canon Pixma PRO 1 / Epson 9900
@Freeradical, there is nothing you could have done to stop this error message from activating, it’s part of the machine’s normal operation, when you use your printer it has to carry out daily or weekly maintenance and in time that will fill up the waste ink cartridge.

The waste ink has to go somewhere and is collected in the bottom of the printer in a box (Cartridge) which contains highly absorbent felt to soak up that ink and when full you get the warning message, you cant replace this box yourself.

The printer stops functioning before this cartridge overflows and spills into your working area, and you don’t want that to happen, it’s got nothing to do with Program Obsolescence, and it’s for your own protection.

The Pro 1 has a built in live active memory and as you say counts how much waste ink it has accumulated and stores that in memory, this counter can’t be turned off but can be reset.

Two things now must happen, you can reset the counter yourself and divert the waste ink to an external waste tank, or you must bring the printer to a Service Agent, the printer needs to be handled carefully and remain flat, and never turned on its side.

It is unfortunately a hidden cost and is designed not to happen in the first year and if it does it may be covered under warrantee, don’t quote me on that, there is no way out of this situation other than what I mentioned previous.

If your printer can enter Service Mode then you can carry out the necessary work yourself, if not it’s going to cost half as much as the printer costs originally to have it serviced...
P.S. Can you get your printer into Service Mode ?...
 
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