Canon Pixma Error Message
There's nothing quite like an unsolicited Canon Pixma error message when it comes to printers to make you want to either scratch your head in confusion or launch one of your limbs at a nearby wall.
Recently we've had a couple of our customers ask us about such an error message with their Canon Pixma inkjet printers, specifically the E04, E05, E14 and E15 error, Canon printer shut down error messages.
What's the deal?
Essentially, these Canon Pixma error messages appear when your Pixma printer is having problems recognising one or more of the cartridges inside it.
This could be caused by a few things. For example, the cartridge may not be inserted properly into your machine, or you may have excess dirt or ink on one of the cartridges which could prevent the printer from being able to read it effectively.
Additionally, the error messages could appear if you're trying to use a remanufactured cartridge. Don't worry- you can still use compatible cartridges in Canon Pixma printers! You might just need to give your printer a hand to recognise it, that's all.
Number/letter combinations
Most error codes begin with a letter, followed by 1, 2, or 3 numbers.
- E13/E16: The printer is out of ink or there isn't enough ink to print. Replace the cartridges.
- U162/U163: A cartridge problem. Hold down the Stop/cancel or Reset button for about 10-15 seconds. If this doesn't solve the error, the cartridges are empty.
- E5/E05: The printhead isn't (correctly) installed or it's broken. Open the cover of your printer and check whether the printhead is installed correctly.
- E7/E07: The cartridges haven't been properly installed. Reinsert the cartridges and restart the printer.
- B200: The printhead or the printer itself is broken. Please contact our printer Customer Service or that of Canon.
Number sequences
Other codes from Canon only consist of 4 numbers. See below which error codes exist and how to solve them.
- 5011: This is a general error message. Turn off your printer, wait a minute, and restart your printer. If this doesn't work, go through the process in the next paragraph to reset your printer.
- 5100/5200/5400/5700/6000: It's possible that there is still packaging or protection material in your printer. Check whether you removed all the foam and various pieces of tape from the printer.
- 1682: Your cartridges aren't recognized by the printer. Check if the cartridges are properly in place and if all of the protective material has been removed. Re-insert the cartridges and restart your printer.
Reset the Canon printer
If the above solutions don't help, you can reset the printer as follows:
- Switch on the printer.
- Press and hold the Stop/reset button.
- Press the button that you use to make a color copy and hold it down.
- Wait 5 seconds. Release the color copy button first and the reset button second.
- The printer now reboots and sets itself up.
- Does the printer indicate that the device needs to be calibrated? Press OK and let the printer do its job.
- You've reset your printer. Still no success? Please contact the Canon Customer Service.
