Canon PRO-10S suddenly stuck in alternating orange/white blink after maintenance

[Spetzbob]

Hi everyone,

I recently was given a used Canon PIXMA PRO-10S and have been trying to restore it. I have experience repairing electronics and network equipment, so I’ve approached this methodically, but now I’ve hit a wall and would really appreciate expert guidance.

Background

The printer is used and initially had several issues:

- Multiple missing channels in nozzle check
- Red channel was especially problematic
- Internal ink mess / waste ink residue
- Signs that a previous owner had opened the printer before

After a lot of work, I actually got it printing very well again:

- Full nozzle check
- Excellent print quality
- Original Canon cartridges installed and working
- Head strikes traced to internal ink debris / dirty foam strips, which I cleaned

So mechanically and print-quality wise, it was becoming a success story.

What happened next

This is where i f*cked up…

I opened the top cover/chassis to continue cleaning internal waste ink residue. (It was a lot)

While doing this:

- The top section was removed
- The small CR2032 battery was disconnected
- The Wi-Fi module was disconnected

Current problem

Since then, the printer no longer initializes normally.

Behavior:

1. White power light blinks a few times like normal startup
2. Wi-Fi lamp comes on
3. Then orange and white lights alternate 26 times
4. No mechanical movement
5. No carriage movement
6. No motor sounds
7. Just endless 26 times alternating orange/white flashing

Important notes

- Before this, the printer was printing well
- This happened immediately after powering on after the battery/module disconnected
- Everything has now been reassembled correctly (as far as I can tell)
- Still same error state
- i can reach it on my network where it says error 6700


I’m not convinced the EEPROM is “dead.” It seems more likely the printer entered some sort of latched hardware/configuration/state error.

I’ve seen another PRO-10S threads mentioning error 6700 after battery removal, so I’m wondering if this model stores some state that now needs reset or reinitialization.

What I’m looking for

1. Has anyone seen this exact behavior on a PRO-10 / PRO-10S?
2. Does disconnecting the CR2032 battery cause a recoverable error state?
3. Is there a known reset sequence?
4. I’ve tried different versions (newer versions) of service tool and it gives me error 006 on all button presses in the program.
5. Could this simply be cover sensor / carriage position / service station state?


## Final note

The logic board seems alive because the Wi-Fi light activates during boot.

When connected to service tool via USB and doing the service mode sequence but releasing at 4 presses it starts to initialize and starts up. It even says in the program to wait for the printer to initialize.

It also displays the model and serial number in the header of the program.

So I’m hoping this is recoverable in some way or I am just going to cry all the way to the store and buy myself a PRO-310 instead.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I’d really like to save this machine after putting so much effort into bringing it back.

Edit: I’ve just talked to Canon, they basically told me “good luck, it’s not supported anymore, we won’t touch it”

You guys are my last hope!

Thanks in advance.

 

[The Hat]

See if this helps...

https://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/canon-pro-100-cabinet-removal-procedure.14918/post-129909

 

[Spetzbob]

Thank you, but I’m not sure I understand how that would help. Seems to be mostly about dis/re-assembly.

I think I need to sync the internal clock or something as I have error 6700. So far I have not managed.

Saw something in that thread though about my “neighbor” in Denmark @PeterBJ being the “Service Tool King” maybe he knows something I’m missing?

 

[PeterBJ]

Here is a thread confirming that the Pro 10 can have the RTC clock set from service mode. I think that also applies to the Pro 10 S model.

I don't know what version of the service tool is needed for your printer, but as it looks like you can enter service mode the version must be OK. A too old version (too low version number) will block access to service mode.

The service tool has a tab marked "Other" and a button marked "Set Time". I think that's what is needed to set the RTC clock.

Here is a service tool v 4718, click to enlarge:

 

[Spetzbob]

Here is a thread confirming that the Pro 10 can have the RTC clock set from service mode. I think that also applies to the Pro 10 S model.

I don't know what version of the service tool is needed for your printer, but as it looks like you can enter service mode the version must be OK. A too old version (too low version number) will block access to service mode.

The service tool has a tab marked "Other" and a button marked "Set Time". I think that's what is needed to set the RTC clock.

Here is a service tool v 4718, click to enlarge:

View attachment 18457

Thank you,

I have tried this with ST 5103 and I even bought a copy of 6310 all they do is give me error 006... as I am a technician by trade I logged the whole session using sub-cap with only listens on the USB session and outputs a log and then analyzed it with Wireshark. I can see that the printer and PC is communicating and the printer is accepting commands from ST but when I press the buttons like EEPROM or "SET TIME" I get error 006 and from the log I can see that the printer is rejecting those commands...

I'm thinking maybe it's a version mismatch.

My printer is on the firmware 1.03

Hmm, don't know if relevant but, sometimes when doing the service mode "button dance" I get these results:

5-press: this it not every time but some times it hangs on either white or yellow light, I left it for a while, never recovers or repsonds to anything.
4-press: printer initiates and goes into some kind of service mode but is not reachable by usb.
6-press: same as 5 press, it hangs.

so some times when I try 5-press it appears with printer model and serial number in ST and I can verify communication via usbpcap.

ill try ST4718 and hope for the best!

I'll be back.

 

[PeterBJ]

Don't download and use the version 4718. The Pro 10S model is newer than the model Pro 10. Newer version (higher version number) service tools are needed for newer model printers. The use of a too old version of the service tool will block access to service mode so the version 4718 could cause that.. Stay with the version 6310 that you bought as it is claimed to support your printer.

There is a problem with the procedure in the service manuals to enter service mode. You cannot release two parallel switches at the exact same time, one will always be opened before the other even if the difference is only milliseconds.

If the stop/release button is released before the power button you can trust the number of times you pressed the stop/resume button. if you released the power button first then the number of presses of the stop/release button registered by the printer will be one less than your count.

I have edited the procedure from the service manuals slightly to make it more clear and remove the uncertainty about the number the stop/resume button was pressed. Here is the revised procedure, LED colours might be different for different model printers:

i. With the printer power turned off, while pressing the Resume/Cancel button, press and hold the Power button. (DO NOT release the buttons).
ii. When the Power LED lights in green, while holding the Power and Resume/Cancel button, release the Resume/Cancel button. (DO NOT release the Power button.)
iii. While holding the Power button, press and release the Resume/Cancel button 5 times, and then release the Power button. (Each time the Resume/Cancel button is pressed, the Alarm and Power LEDs light alternately, Alarm in orange and Power in green,
starting with Alarm LED.)
iv. When the Power LED lights steadily in green, the printer is ready for the service mode operation.

The printer being unresponsive with the error light constantly lit is a symptom of locked service mode. Maybe the version 5103 caused that. If so the only way to unlock service mode is to re-flash the EEPROM with an uncorrupted firmware from a same model printer. The response after six presses of the stop/resume button could actually be the response of the five presses of the button caused by the uncertainty of which button was released first.

The response after four presses of the stop/resume button could be the printer entering a factory mode. See this post and on.

Sadly I think the access to service mode has been locked.