Canon BubbleJet Waste Ink Full Error

Canon BubbleJet Waste Ink Full Error

Canon BubbleJet printers, like most inkjet printers, have one or more absorbent pad in the bottom of the printer that absorb waste ink. There is no sensor to detect when these pads become saturated with ink, so the printer is programmed to warn you after a specified number of pages printed. At this point, whether or not you replace the pad(s) (see note below), you will need to reset the EEPROM to avoid getting the "waste ink full" warning after every page printed.

The procedure for resetting the EEPROM is fairly detailed, and different for different printers, so we will not give it here. However, it can be found in the Service Manual for each printer. This procedure must be followed exactly, or the reset will not "take". In particular, it is critical that the printer be powered down properly after the reset procedure. See the appropriate Service Manual for details, but in most cases it is necessary to power down by unplugging the printer (and not by using the "power" switch). A few of the Service Manuals omit this important step, so if you follow Canon's instructions and the reset doesn't seem to work, try powering down this way after performing the reset.

Note: Even though you can reset the EEPROM without replacing the ink absorber pad, this should only be done when the pad obviously has some life left. Do not leave a saturated pad in the printer, as this will lead to ink leakage, a big mess, and possible damage to the main logic board (a very expensive item to replace).

-Dennis Kosterman

Mr. Kosterman has been a technical support representative at Parts Now! since 1991.