Four flashing lights issue on Pro 100

[Paul Verizzo]

I've not used the printer for five years, decided to fire it up again. I installed a set of generic cartridges, and I get four flashing orange lights. Canon says in different ways, it's about ink cartridge readings, Nothing enlightening. https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART152997

All cartridges light up as normal.

Any insights?

 

[The Hat]

and I get four flashing orange lights. Canon says

The printer doesn’t recognise the 3rd party ink cartridges..

Quote ”Install the appropriate ink tank.”
Or.. Flood the purge unit with Windex and run a cleaning cycle, the wiper may be stuck..

 

[Paul Verizzo]

The printer doesn’t recognise the 3rd party ink cartridges..

Quote ”Install the appropriate ink tank.”
Or.. Flood the purge unit with Windex and run a cleaning cycle, the wiper may be stuck..

Not about to spend $116 on a set of Canon cartridges to test that theory. I've never had issues with knockoff cartridges in other printers.

As to the purge suggestion, I honestly have no idea what you mean.

 

[The Hat]

As to the purge suggestion, I honestly have no idea what you mean.

I didn’t mention anything about buying OEM carts, that’s was a Canon recommendation, the purge unit is where the print head sits when not in use..

To clean this unit, let the printer start up as normal and then pull the power plug when the print carriage moves toward the centre, this will allow you to push the print carriage all they to the left side.

While using a flashlight and large syringe squirt lots of Windex onto and over the purge unit, don’t be afraid to drown the unit in liquid, leave to sit for a few minutes, then power back on the printer, this may clear your error message..

 

[Artur5]

If the printer flashes in orange 4 times then it's a problem with the chip cartridge(s), not being recognized, either because there's no cart installed, or because the chip is defective or the contacts are oxidized. If the blinking was alternating orange/green lights then it would be purge unit error, but you said it was orange lights only ?
Best scenario for you is dirty/oxidized conctacts ,because you can fix that. Now and then I have this problem with my Canon Pro10 cartridges. I've been refilling those for 7 years and they're well past their prime days. I clean the contacts with a tiny dab of tissue soaked in alcohol. Sometimes, before the alcohol I rub them with a small fragment of sandpaper.
If cleaning the contacts won't fix the issue then you'd need new carts.
Open the cover of the printer and you'll see which carts are giving trouble,. maybe it's only one or maybe all of them.
I expect that in the maintenance tab of the driver you'll get this information too.