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.

[chfbyrtroy]

My Pixma MX892 is less than 2 years old and has officially shut down with this dreaded U052 error message.  I took the print head out and put it in another working Pixma MX892 and the print head worked fine.  It's not the print head no matter what Canon says.  I have all the proof one can provide.  And for the record, I carefully cleaned circuit contacts on the Canon oriignal print head and on contact boad in the carriage bay, etc.  I turned off power and unplugged the printer for more than an hour.  Then, held down the power button for several minutes, then while holding power button plugged cord back into maching as one tech advisor from Just Answers.com suggested.  Still same error msg.  Super frustrating.  This was a $200 printer.  I will not buy another Canon product if they don't do something about this when I call.  At least give me a credit of some kind, but I really don't want to buy another Canon product if they are engineered to fail in the name of replacement profit.  So irritating!!

[RenuNergy]

Let's see if this post doesn't get deleted. I'm continuing to see posts with a hopeful anticipation
Of Canon fixing this problem. It's not going to happen. This defect that's causing the U052
Error is clearly not a print head malfunction as stated by the previous contributor.
This could be a planned obsolescence failure to increase Canon Printer sales or
Simply a procurement or design defect. Whatever the cause it's not getting fixed
From my point of view.
To Canon. You're loosing many customers who we're buying your replacement printer
Catridges that the entire printer industry has decided to inflate to increase profits. It
Doesn't make any financial sense to pay half the price of a printer for new ink catridges.
But you and the other printer manufacturers had a captured audience who payed the
Inflated catridge price as long as they had a working printer. Now your printers
Are earmarked with a bad reputation and it's sprinkled all over the internet.
That's a very stupid decision. Consider human factors when attempting profit
Increasing schemes like this with the advent of social media. It's not
Going to work.
Former Canon Printer loyalist.

[ReverseEMF]

UPDATE 8/20/2014: I'm not laughing anymore!  My MP530 will not print for nothin' [persistant U052 error!] -- anybody wanna buy some ink cartridges?!  😛

"Ha!" -- that's me getting the last laugh.  Here's why: I stopped paying "half the price of the printer" for ink jet cartridges, because I no longer buy Canon cartridges.  I purchase the TonersDC cartridges from Amazon for FAR less money.  The first round had problems but the second round [and subsequent rounds] work fine!  My theory is that the ink from the first cartridges flushed out the Canon ink, which, apparently isn't compatable.   Once the Canon ink was flushed out, the printer produced fine results with no trouble -- at least, not until the U052 problem--but, cleaning the cartridge contacts with denatured alcohol fixed that (see my ealier post:
http://forums.usa.canon.com/t5/Personal-Printers/Call-to-Arms-for-the-dreaded-U052-Wrong-Printhead-E... ).

[ThrowAwaySoc]

I have had the U052 problem with a MX870 some weeks ago. Well, I could not read all of the comments here, but what is different with my printer: I got it back to work ! Tried several things, getting Print Head and Inktanks out, cleaning it, switching it on and off, and at last it worked again.

When the error came back during the last weeks I switched it off, waited for an hour or so, then it worked again... And each time it worked it worked fine and WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM ! I first got the impression the problem appeared because of high temperatures in my bureau (nearly 30°).

Since yesterday now the error is permanent.

As I saw that it worked fine when it worked I do not believe that there is a real problem with the print head. And as Canon does not admit to use the printer (not even Fax or Scan !!!) despite of the U052 I come to the conclusion, that this is a "fault by intent". We all know, that also Canon lives from the sale of hardware, don't we ?

This time it is Canon, but be sure, there are lots of other products that work the same way. That`s how it goes nowadays: Things are planned to work just for the time of the guarantee. And we can do very little to defend ourselves.

[tired]

I had the same problem. Right in the middle of printing without warning of impending doom.  Canon offered me discount on new printer.  Thank you very much, but no thanks!  Count me in!

[Bankstyler]

20% off of a printer that you can still buy for less on Amazon!

Ridiculous.  I think Canon is on their way to become the next Kodak.....

[realfoneguy]

I too have a Pixma MP560 that has been working great as a replacement for a HP printer when HP could not get its software off my PC. That printer had to be tossed as it would not work after a widows upgrade. So I bought the Canon MP560. Yep, I have a error that says I have the wrong printhead in the unit. Well, I did not even know I had replaced it withg the wrong one as I have never replaced a printhead, only the ink cartridges. So I purchased a print head. Lucky for me it was less than $25.oo Easy as pie to install only to find that the eroor it produces is the fact there is something wrong internally in the printer and to call customer service. I have tried everything others have tried except the paper jam issue as that sounded rediculous.

So I will call service and raise my blood pressure for someone at the other end who will seem surprised I am having an issue. Wish me luck. By the way I love my Canon camera so I don't think any hate to canon will pertain to my camera.

So lets see if I can get an email from canon for a replacement printer. First Off do not offer me a replacement for some outragous amount. That will not happen. I am quite frustrated that the printer is bad in this way anyway because I have done nothing to make it this way. So I will put Canon on notice, this is your blog and I am signed in. I want a suitable replacement for my printer or I want it fixed for free. Send me a new control board and I will put it in. I repair industrial equipment all day, so it won't be hard for me to do. Why would you make my printer go bad after such a short time? I will enter as part of a class action suit if you do not respond to my demands., My email is ballen ate  frontiernet dot net. I will be lkooking for a response.

[realfoneguy]

Please ad a MP560 to your list and a new printhead does not fix the issue.

[shoresheppard]

Pixma MX700.  Happened out of the blue.  Tried everything suggested, to no avail.

[workingmum]

MP 610 now a brick. I just want to use it for scanning but nope, the printer head error U052 will not allow a workaround. Annoyingly last time I used it the printer was fine. It just ... stopped. I have tried all the fixes short of buying a new printer head, and have just put a bunch of new cartridges in, which was a waste of money and time. Very frustrating. Canon have lost me as a customer too now, this completely sucks.