Why won't my Canon waste ink error reset ?

[vaindioux]

Hi

I own a Canon S630.
I was getting 8 orange flashing lights. I went on the Canon website and it indicated a "Waste tank error" message.
I googled and found a site telling me what to do. I had to get the ink pad out, clean it, dry it and put it back, then reset the printer.
I did all that with success it seems, I started printing stuff. Then 2 days later my printer was blinking 7 or 8 times one morning. I reset it several times using different combinations, unplugged it but I can't get it to work.
I am hoping for a final tip before to trash it. I am suspecting a dirty/dead printer head maybe?
It is out of the question to buy a new head, they cost $40. How do I try to clean it, that should be my last attempt at salvaging the printer.

Thanks a lot

Patrick

 

[Lilla]

I can't get it to work

Please give us details. It's hard to tell if you mean it no longer powers on or just how far it gets in the power up process.

http://www.neilslade.com/Papers/inkjetstuff11.html

...snip... You need to do this after you get the WASTE TANK ALMOST FULL message and the printer continues to work, but BEFORE the WASTE TANK FULL message and the printer completely stops. I think. ;-)
...snip...
In some cases you may need to REMOVE THE PRINT HEAD FIRST or the reset code will not work. This was true of the S900 and i960 so, remove the print head first before doing this reset. ...snip...

Did you remove the print head first? If not, remove it and enter the reset code again.

Lilla

 

[vaindioux]

Hi

The printer powers up but nothing happened like no mechanical noise and right away the orange flashes 8 times. I know the Neil site that's the one I used to go through the cleaning process and reset.
I did try to reset "with" and "without" the printer head in there, I did several different combinations to reset and as suggested by the Canon site I unplugged everything from the printer waited and plugged back in to no avail.
When I do the reset the printer respond, it beeps and I hear mechanical work, in the end the light is green and does not blink, so I try to print and I get an error message on my desktop telling me that the document failed to print with a yellow exclamation mark in it.
I redo everything differently to no avail, eventually it starts blinking orange 8 times after a while.
It's frustrating as after the pad cleaning and original reset it printed fine.
About me waiting too long to clean the pad and reset well it gave me only one warning the day it started flashing orange 8 times, I cleaned right away as I couldn't print anything.

Thanks for your help

Patrick

 

[Lilla]

it gave me only one warning the day it started flashing orange 8 times, I cleaned right away as I couldn't print anything.

S630 Canon FAQ says...

Description : The power lamp blinks in orange [8 times]

The waste ink absorber is getting full.
Please press the Resume/Cancel button to clear the error.

Printing can be performed for a while, however when the waste ink absorber becomes full, printing cannot be performed. When this happens, replacement of the waste ink absorber and inspection of the printer are required.

(Memo) Waste ink absorber: A part inside the printer, which absorbs ink used in the cleaning operations, etc.

Can you perform (via Service Mode) the Service/Factory test printout (aka Extended Nozzle Check)? If so, this would tell us the printer is working, basically anyway, and it would tell us the D value. The D=__ value appears on the top line of this printout; it is the counter for the waste absorber.

The D=__ value also appears on the (Service Mode) EEPROM Info printout. However, if you aren't 100% sure that the codes you are using apply to your printer, then it is safer to get the D value from the Extended Nozzle Check (above) -- see Grandad35's Post #17 this link.

Post #9 this link by nifty-stuff.com tells us the D value is the counter for the waste absorber. Read also Grandad35's post #10.
Post #1 this link -- to view his Extended Nozzle Check, see his D=015.7 value on the top line.

 

[vaindioux]

Hi

<<Can you perform via Service Mode the EEPROM Info printout? What is your D value?

I do not know how to do that above can you help?

<<Can you perform via Service Mode the Service/Factory test printout?
If so, this would tell us the printer is working, basically anyway.

I tried to do a simple "test page", it won't print anything.

I did all the reset process without the head in. There was a beep and mechanical motion in there. The light at the end was solid green. I turned it off and back on and was getting now 7 orange flashes which is a bad head.
I turned it off as I had to leave home. This morning I turned it back on and am back at 8 orange flashes.

Thanks a lot

Patrick

 

[Lilla]

Patrick, You might need to buy a S630 Service Manual to get the correct codes for your printer.
Stevevo in Post #97 this link and Post #100 this link tells us...

I got my service manual from http://www.nodevice.com/manual/ It costs $4.95 per day with a 7 download maximum or $9.95 for a month with 7 download per day. They have manuals for most brands and also cell phones and other things. They don't tell you that the downloads are limited to 7 until you pay for it and then when you download it says only allow for 7 per day. You can check if they have the manuals before you pay which is nice.

Canon Waste Ink Tank Reset Procedures This site lists the reset codes for many Canon printers, including the Generic "S" Series, and a separate/different procedure for S600 shown below. Keep in mind that these instructions are not as trustworthy or complete as those provided in the Service Manual.

GENERIC S SERIES RESET CODE

Waste Ink Counter Reset.

(1) Turn off the printer.
(2) Press and hold the RESUME button, then press and hold the POWER button.
(3) Release the RESUME button, Next press and release the RESUME button two (2) more times in succession. Note: you are still holding the POWER button. The printer's carriage will reset" or move momentarily.
<If the above was properly performed the printer will enter the "Service Mode".>
(4) Press the RESUME button 4 times, this will select the clear waste ink counter function. The lamp will alternate (change) color with each key press.

1. Service/Factory test printout, including ink sensor check.
2. EEPROM - Info printout.
3. EEPROM Initialization.
4. Reset the Waste ink counter.
5. Printer model setting. (More selections beyond this point However it is best leave them unaltered You have been warned!)

After selecting the desired mode (eg 4), press the POWER button to "set" the change, and return to the top of the function selection menu. Press the POWER button again to restart the printer.

++++++++++

S600

Start with the printer OFF
1. Hold down RESUME and then hold down POWER
2. release RESUME
3. press RESUME twice, then release POWER
4. Let green light blink until printer is done futzing
Select function with RESUME press POWER to execute:
presses - light color - function

Number of presses - light color - function
0 presses - green - Test print
1 press - orange - EEPROM info print
2 presses - green - EEPROM initialize
3 presses - orange - Reset waste ink counter

---

Lilla's notes.

o roybales in Post #32 this link provides information on i550/i850/i960 codes from Service Manuals. See also related Posts 30-31.

 

[Lilla]

I did all the reset process without the head in. There was a beep and mechanical motion in there. The light at the end was solid green. I turned it off and back on and was getting now 7 orange flashes which is a bad head.
I turned it off as I had to leave home. This morning I turned it back on and am back at 8 orange flashes.

It appears you could be dealing with two problems, a print head problem (7 blinks in orange) and a waste reset problem (8 blinks in orange). If it were me, I would try to resolve the print head problem first. This post is about resolving the print head problem.

Take a deep breath, try to work slowly and methodically, as there might be something that is being missed in the frustration of it all. I'm speaking from experience here!

Regarding the 7 blinks orange, Canon S630 FAQ says...

Description : The power lamp blinks in orange [7 times]

The print head may not be set properly.

Please check the following:
1) With the print head installed, press the Power button to turn off the printer,
then press it again to turn on the printer.
2) Check that the power lamp lights in green.
3) If the power lamp does not light in green, re-set the print head.
See How to re-set the print head.
4) Close the front cover, and check that the power lamp lights in green.
How to re-set the print head (shown below)

How to re-set the print head
1. Check that the printer is powered on, and open the front cover.
Wait until the print head moves to the center.
2. Hold and slowly move the print head lock lever up and down several times.
Note: Avoid touching the print head during this operation.
<Raise the print head lock lever>
<Lower the print head lock lever>
3. Lower the print head lock lever to secure the print head.
Note: Holding the print head may cause it to not be seated properly.
Perform this step using only the print head lock lever.
4. Close the front cover.

If doing the above does not resolve the problem, you can do the things below.

o Clean the contacts on the back of the print head and try again.
Grandad35, in post #2 this link says...

Use a SOFT pencil eraser and gently clean the contacts on the back of the print head and make sure that you did not get any water behind the circuit board on the print head. If it might be wet, use a hair dryer set on low heat (under 120 degrees F) to dry it out.

o Check the pins that mate with the print head and try again.
Grandad35, in post #10 this link, writes...

This sounds like an electrical problem, not a clog.

Pull the print head. There are a number of spring loaded pins that push into contact with the gold contacts on the back of the print head. GENTLY, push on each pin - does each pin spring back out to the same position as the other pins? If one or more pins stick in, this is probably your problem.

If the pins all operate properly, gently clean the gold contacts on the back of the print head with a soft pencil eraser and reinstall the print head. If the problem still persists, the problem could be in the print head, the flexible cable that carries the signals to the print head or the printer's mother board.

o Clean inside the printer.
Lilla (me) in Post #5 this link lists a number of items you can clean inside the printer. For example, you can clean the ribbon cable mentioned above. If your problem persists, you have nothing to loose by cleaning all the items on this list, just in case it might help.

 

[vaindioux]

Lilla

Sorry to get back so late, it took me a little while to try everything, including cleaning the head and letting it dry.

It won't work, I have tried to reset so many times. I truly think the head is dead as I get often the 7 orange flashes after resetting. And if I turn the printer off for 1 hour or more, then it's 8 orange flashes that I get.

I did the following as per your instructions:

-I tried resetting the print head using the lever, it did nothing.

-I cleaned the print head in hot water, ran more water through it as I read on this forum, I let it dry before trying again. Upon putting it back in, the printer was very active mechanically and the light was always green,(I had great hopes at this point) so I tried to print and the light turned to 7 orange flashes.

-I checked the pins that hook to the print head as per your post, all seem fine, they all spring back into place.

-I used a soft eraser on the back of the print head and tried again to no avail.

-I reseted again another 15-20 times using different combos or head in or out to different results but no printing.

I wish someone that knows printer like you would be in Atlanta, I would love to see them run some test on it just by curiosity to see if they can get it to work.

What bugs me is that after the pad cleaning it printed fine but upon being shut down it would never work again.

Thanks for the kind help Lilla, I am off to bestbuy.com and compusa.com to start looking for a new one.

Best regards and thanks so much for all the help.

Patrick

 

[Lilla]

Thanks for the kind help Lilla, I am off to bestbuy.com and compusa.com to start looking for a new one.

Best regards and thanks so much for all the help.

You are welcome. Good work on checking everything!
It's possible that the printer suffered some electrical damage.

Happy shopping. Are you going to get another Canon? The Canon IP4300 seems to be the most popular one now. Hope you'll let us know what you decide upon for a new printer.

Lilla

 

[vaindioux]

Lilla

I am going for an affordable all in one and am starting a new thread. I am looking forward to your opinion.

Thanks again

Patrick