topic Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK in Production Printing

imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

nik_lockett — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 12:25:36 GMT

My Canon-4000 PBK ink keeps running out immediately after loading in a new ink cartridge. The printer makes a gurgling noise after loading the new cartridge like the ink is going somewhere and draining from the cartridge. Then, next time I go to print something I get a message that the ink tank is empty. I loaded in two 160mL Canon PFI-1100 Photo Black Pigment Ink Tank cartridges and have experienced this back-to-back. When I run a test print page, all the ink tanks are printing. When I run a print job, the printer stops printing the job due to the PBK Ink showing empty. When I inspect the cartridge and shake it, it appears to be empty although full when I loaded them into the printer. Please help me understand what could be happening and suggestions on ways to resolve.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

jrhoffman75 — Sun, 11 Oct 2020 00:17:40 GMT

Give Canon a call 1-800-OK-CANON.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

EricNicephore — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 08:08:37 GMT

Hi,

i'm a french photographer with the same Canon Pro-4000 since three years.

it was always a good product that i'm very happy.

Since last week i had a the same probleme like you. My 700 ml MK cartridge will ended a little bit quickly. I don't think first there was a mistake. Today, four days after i put a new 700ml MK cartridge, i found the cartridge empty.

Waouuhhhh ! there is a big problem : 700ml of ink disapeared and nothing on the ground, nothing in the plastic covers !

So there is a similar problem between us and maybe a conception fail in !!!

ANd do you know today more about this problem ?? can you help me more precisely ? Do you find any solutions ? Where did the ink go ?

I wish you find the way to repair it and now i can repair it too.

THanks.

ERic

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

printmakersinc — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 15:39:38 GMT

I have the same problem, except with my PC cartridge. It looks like my maintenance cartridge is quite a bit fuller and suspiciously blue. However I have no idea how that might have occured.
Any updates on this? Hear anything from canon support? This is the only other forum post I've found similar enough to my issue.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

EricNicephore — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 20:57:25 GMT

You can find here a bit of response

https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/Office-Printers/problem-with-Canon-PRO-4000/td-p/311309

It'sa problem in the SUB INK TANK UNIT L ( that you can see here https://printcopy.info/?mod=pc&brand=Canon&model=imagePROGRAF+PRO+4000&page=5 )

I found more than 500ml of black matt ink (almost 300€ euros) that i cannot reused under that part.

My printer seller can sell me this part at 780€ !

I will search more on the old tank after i received the new one...

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

DupliCopie — Mon, 17 May 2021 14:48:48 GMT

Hello,

The same problem occured on our Pro-4000, two MBK cartridges were empty in a few days.

The tech came and showed us that the ink had been collected under the tanks.

He made a software upgrade and that's it! Since then no more problems.

What do you think about that ?

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

EricNicephore — Mon, 17 May 2021 15:50:23 GMT

planned obsolescence !?!

WIch software he upgraded ? On the computer or on the printer ?

Thanks !

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

DupliCopie — Tue, 18 May 2021 08:07:42 GMT

He upgraded the software of the printer. He said that if we had had a maintenance contract it would have been asked to upgrade automatically by the machine.
It seems to me if we don't have a contract or ask their service for maintenance the printer will sudenly "need" an intervention.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

EricNicephore — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 09:58:17 GMT

Hi,

i'm the same problem i solved in february with a tank replacement, but this is the SUB INK TANK UNIT R this time...

I should be interesting to now more about the software update... could you tell me the software version of your printer system. Mine is v01.14 !!!!

I'm too interesting by a response on that by Canon ???! Could you help us dear Canon ?

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

EricNicephore — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:23:07 GMT

And "DupliCopie" do you change in the same time the empty cartbridge ??

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

DupliCopie — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 08:37:43 GMT

Hello Eric,

They upgrade the printer software, version is 02.19.

After they changed the whole unit and all the left cartridges without charge for the spare parts.

But in the mean time after the software upgrade (3 weeks) the problem didn't occur.

Hope it will help.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

PROCAM — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 15:33:47 GMT

I updated the firmware, but now I suspect that I have (2) 700ml ink cartridges of ink pooling in that area. How did you get to that section in the printer?

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

garyetaylor — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:50:28 GMT

Sorry, but I don’t believe your issue was a leaky sub tank, a software update will not repair a leaking sub tank, it can’t be fixed, only replaced.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

garyetaylor — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:55:21 GMT

Think about it logically, how on earth can a software update repair a leaking sub tank, I don’t understand why people reply with bs just to sound like they know what they are talking about, all their doing is giving people a false hope, it’s a consumable part that can only be replaced, not reliably repaired, and no software update with fix a broken seal

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

drscotti — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 13:01:43 GMT

Anyone have a fix?

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

garyetaylor — Fri, 16 Aug 2024 15:02:47 GMT

Hello, the issue is with the grommet / valve on the underside of the sub ink tanks, gets weakened after the many cycles of use, causes a tiny hole which air gets in and allows ink to leak out, air goes into the cartridges so their not vacuum sealed which is why when you put a new cartridge in it empties in days “if your lucky” it’s a part that should cost pennies to fix I’ll attach pics of the culprit, either buy a wrecked machine and strip for grommets, or my solution I built an automatic ciss bulk ink system bypassing the factory sub ink system

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

Tscheidt — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:32:57 GMT

Solved it. The guy in this video found where the leak comes from and if you do the same break down then find the pin hole in the diaphragm you can plug it with some marine glue applied via toothpick to hole then reverse the process and rebuild. https://youtu.be/7W4Q5e7Ku18?si=ZUWA_VhJclt0kYPa

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

Tscheidt — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:34:49 GMT

Yah see above.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

Tscheidt — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:35:45 GMT

Marine glue and a toothpick to apply fixed it for me. Also using a leak hunt and tear down video I posted link to above.

Re: Canon Pro-4000 Immediately Runs out of Ink for PBK

leon_naffin — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:55:31 GMT

I would be very interested in what parts you have chosen to have a alternative ink system. I just took a pro 4000 apart and I have the same issue like in the very good YouTube „Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-4000 Ink Leak Hunt“ video. But I also found the reason why it’s breaking. No part is rubbing and also it’s not because of bad assembly but it’s by design. Now I’m in between writing to Canon and sending them details about how it broke. And to ask for a replacement. Or maybe I also try to glue it. But most likely it won’t last forever. Or to find a alternative solution for the ink supply like you did. But I would need more information on how that is archivable.

This one is close to braking. Everywhere are rubber particles.

here you can see the underside from the broken one. It’s obvious that the motion of the rubber is always going to cause a leak.

Did anyone try to get it fixed by Canon? I think it should be fixed because of goodwill. I did see a pro 4000 for sale and the guy send me the cost estimate from a canon technician. He wrote that canon is claiming this only happens because of old ink. But in my printer was never expired ink and also always original canon ink and as you can see it is obviously happening by design: