My wife's Canon ip4000 became gostoppen.

[Osage]

I get a 12 alternating orange green flashes, a slight pause, and then 12 more. Not sure what it means, But I am getting contrasting advice when I google error 6A00

PeterBJ was gracious to provide a link to the Service Manual for your printer. It lists what the potential problem(s) are based on your description.

2-2. Service Call Errors (by LED Blinking in Orange and Green Alternately, or Lit in Orange)

LED alternate blinking in orange and green = 12 times

Error [Error code] = AP position error [6A00]

Solution (Replacement of listed parts, which are likely to be faulty) = Sheet feed unit (QM2-1220) and/or Logic board ass'y (QM2-1548)*1

Your printer appears to need new guts. Now you need to decide if you are willing to spend the money and the time to fix it. If not, consider giving it away or selling it locally for someone who might have need for the remaining functioning parts.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, I already know, the sheetfeed unit, which I assume is the lower tray is not needed for printing. If QM2-1220 is something else, it would help to know.

But then I am somewhat horrified to learn, that a defective logic board can screw up a good printhead, or a printhead ruined by a defective logic board can screw up a replaced logic board. The question is, is this merely a worse case scenario or something that always happens? And how can I tell?

As for me, I have a working ip4000 again, and I will not peddle my defective IP4000 to anyone if I could inflict this grief on someone else. But if I can repair my old ip4000, I will retain it as a spare. But that depend on knowing if or if not both the printhead and logic board needs to be replaced.

 

[PeterBJ]

One thread found on this forum suggests that the error 6A00 could also be caused by some blockage of print head movement. I think it is worth checking out : http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5434

Here is a description of what can happen when substituting print heads: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3975
main pcb = logic board

Canon print heads can fail after a long time of service, and may burn out the logic board when they fail, even when using only OEM cartridges.

If you want to test the defective printer you will need both a new print head and a new logic board, with no guarantee of success. If you can find the parts, my guess is that they will be prohibitively expensive.

I suggest spending no money on the defective printer, but check for mechanical blockages. You might be lucky.

Congratulations on finding a working Pixma 4000 for 70 $, which I think is much less than the cost of replacement parts for the other printer.

Peter.

Edit: A parts catalogue can be found here: http://piese-imprimanta.ro/pdfs/1294_PIXUS_IP3100_IP4000_PIXMA_IP4100.pdf
See page B-11 for the Sheet feed unit. It is not the cassette tray.

 

[Osage]

Thanks for all your help. As for my own existing troubleshooting, I can freely move the printhead assembly by hand back and forth, but it does not move by printer power. I did find a small piece of ripped paper in the track below the printhead, but removing it changed nothing. I will look closer and see if I can find busted belts or similar, but if I can't fix in myself, it looks grim for my old printer. At least I have a replacement that works.

But thanks to everyone who responded on this thread.

 

[mrelmo]

as you may hold on to the old 4000 for parts, you may also keep it around in case you need to replace the waste ink pad, it would be a good piece of equipment to practice taking apart if you ever have to work on the replacement printer