Call to Arms for the dreaded U052 Wrong Printhead Error

[macnicol]

This is a "call to arms" for all of you Canon customers who have had this problem and have had their printers disabled because of it.  Please respond with the model of your printer and if you were able to fix it, what you did to fix it. 

We need to put pressure on Canon to respond this product defect.  It appears to be bad firmware that does not allow the user to override the problem and to continue to use the printer even in a degraded mode.  From my investigations the problem is NOT a printhead issue - no way one can be printing fine and then have this error alert without having changed the printhead or ink cartridges!

Canon, PLEASE take this issue seriously and provide a solution across the affected models.  If nothing else there should be a trade-in allowance for those printers that have been affected by this product defect.

I have had many Canon printers because they have superior functional specifications. I want to be able to continue using Canon products but only if I can have confidence that this product defect will not destroy my investment.

If Canon is unresponsive our next step should be to aggressively publisize this product defect on social media and on major product vendor outlet sites as negatives reviews.

Forum Users, please reply with your affected model number(s) and with details of any succdessful fix procedure.

[Pipotron3000]

Because greedy ppl destroyed their own system being too greedy. There is no limit to a single one greed. Trouble is we are sinking with the boat, and it is ALREADY sinking, and for years and years.

“The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for anyone's greed.”

Mahatma Gandhi

PS : "Working job" is a dead concept since the 80's, when stock exchange market won over investments and salaries.

And most of us are paying this error everyday since. Everything else are just excuses to maintain this system.

[HaloU052]

Ok, so I've located the replacement print head that my unit requires....(QY6-0080-000B) and it's 20% more than the cost of the printer itself. I understand that these are finely tuned machines and instead of having to have a print head calibrated by a technician it is far more practically to have a new one just installed. To any of the canon gods if you happen to be listening. Could it be people using off brand ink replacement cartridges that's triggered the error? And if so, is it some sort of proprietary failsafe(to ensure the quality and lifespan of the product) although it feels like a 150 dollar finger being aimed my direction. Is it possible to get assistance? I'm willing to purchase a new print head(although I believe an exchange program
wouldn't be outside the realm of reasonable and fair) but I would hate to "break" the new print head in the process of installing it . [MOD NOTE - REMOVED EMAIL PER FORUM GUIDELINES] I hope you can help me. Thank you

[cfed]

Hi Halo,

I too received the error after using aftermarket ink cartridges. However, I am not convinced this is the root cause as other folk posted in the forum that they only used canon cartridges and got the dreaded error. I don't know if the root cause is software or hardware that's causing it.

[SAYNOTOCANON]

Hello and Welcome.....

[SAYNOTOCANON]

......(deleted, deleted, deleted).......

[Susanne]

I'm also a victim of that dreaded error message. Model PIXMA MP520. I am in Germany.

I have always used the Canon ink partridges. The error came after nothing had changed, I had not replaced the ink in months, never even opened the hood, and one day out of the blue it says the printhead is incorrect. How can it be?

The idea to inform consumer magazines in print and television is good.

German TV actually already showed a report about exactly this kind of occurrence, that out of the blue a printer doesn't work anymore. Unfortunately, this was not only true for Canon, but for other brands as well. I hope Brother was not among them. It seems that Brother gets the best reviews here.

The sad thing is, I was going to buy an expensive new camera and was wavering between Panasonic and Canon. I've had only Canon cameras so far. I was inclinded to stick with the familiar, but now I am in serious doubt. I need a brand that offers good customer service. I had a minor problem with my canon printer before, and never got a reply from their service center about it. Bad customer service is the best way to lose customers.

If it is true what the German TV program reported, this is not a problem of the printhead, but an in-built error to induce the consumer to buy a new printer. So all the repairwork in the world is not going to fix this.

I feel very helpless as a consumer, but would endorse any steps as writing reviews, informing consumer rights organisations etc.

Susanne

[cfed]

Hi Susanne,

Is there a link to the German program discussing the printer errors?

[htid]

My perfectly working MP600 has just encountered the U052 error in between print jobs for seemingly no reason. I'm extremely disheartened that there seems to be little I can do after reading this thread.

I have tried the suggested 'fixes' provided by Canon to no avail. I wonder if they are finding a fix as they said they are earlier in this thread.

[Susanne]

Hi cfed,

I've googled the german key words "geplante obsoleszenz", there are many results. Apparently, various TV programs have since broadcast reports about this. It doesn't only concern printers, but all sorts of electronics. I'm sure, the key words planned obsolescence will give you plenty English results.

The French/German public station ARTE has a prize-winning documentary "Buying for the trash bin". "Kaufen für die Müllhalde." It's from 2011. It was broadcast in 25 countries. (Check wikipedia if interested.) The link to the more than 1-hour program is here

http://www.arte.tv/de/kaufen-fuer-die-muellhalde/3714422,CmC=3714270.html

You can find various programs on you tube as well. Stern-TV from the channel RTL also had a report about this in 2012, with the founder of "Murks-nein-danke.de".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiH4Dh2jSWc 

I found a 10 min. video on youtube where someone explains exactly how this specific Canon printer error message about the incorrect printhead comes about - very informative, but alas, no solution.It explains how the Canon printer uses up ink even if you don't use for months.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuqfC8BEM7A specific about Canon printerin German or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6oRIBraoaE in English.

However, and that's the sad thing, unless consumers stand up and bring action to the manufacturers, there seems to be no solution. I wish it was just Canon and I could switch to a competitor and that would be the end of it. But if all the brands do the same thing (and apparently they do), what choices do I have as a consumer?

By the way, from the documentaries I watched, high-priced products are just as bad as low-priced ones. So buying "better quality" won't protect you from the planned obsolescence.

Just out of principle, I will stay away from Canon products now. Maybe one or two manufacturers will find this as a niche to market their products: New - no in-built obsolescence in our products - buy our brand!

Susanne

[jimheller]

I've just encountered this problem on my MP830. Had'nt printed for a few weeks (not unusual) and the cartridges were all running low. Tried to print something and got a fatal error msg on pc. Printer alarm light is lit, and screen msg says incorrect print head installed. printer won't do anything with alarm lite on.  Only way to clear the alarm is to restart printer. Alarm has come back on/eventually after every restart. Doing a nozzle check printed all colors. Printing a spreadsheet printed only words in blue/cyan (email address items on doc) no black. Attempt to print all black document gave me blank sheet. Did a nozzle check and it printed all colors, seemed ok. I copied a brochure and it seemed to print all colors fine. Did a print head aligment print and it looks ok I think (printed blocks w/cyan, magenta, & black in 2 shades but no yellow).

During all this had to restart a few times because of alarm lite. Removed and re-installed the print head several times.  Still prints only the cyan (email addresses) from the spreadsheet. And nothing for a all balack tex doc.

All very confusing to me.