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.

[bdreese]

I originally posted here a few months ago when I first got the dreaded U052 message.  Was at first hoping for guidance on fixing the problem, then when that failed hoped for guidance on a possible Canon fix/replacement.  I quickly realized there was no hope to this and went out and bought a new Epson (that I am quite happy with)

But by posting here, I have been getting continued updates of everyone continuing to add posts about this issue.  What really amazes me is the number of people that seem to have made this issue a vendeta on their part, hoping to shame Canon into doing something about this.

My recommendation.  Get over it.  Do like I did.  Resolve that you will never again puchase another Canon printer, tell all friends and associates that Canon printers are crap.  Then go out purchase a different brand printer and go on with your life.  No one is reading this forum other than people like yourself that have already had this issue.  Continuing to respond to posts here will have no effect.

If you want to have an effect. Go to a site like Amazon where people actually go to review ratings prior to purchase and blast away at Canon there.  

But even if a bunch of us did that and somehow had some effect on the overall rating of Canon printers, the best that might happen is that Canon might take the time to correct this issue in future printers.  They will never open the pandora box of admitting fault (or as some of you have accused, planned obsolesence)

On the subject of planned obsolescence.  No printer company will ever purposly design a printer to fail within a certain time period.  We all know that printers are like razers.  All print companies sell their printers for very close to cost.  They make their money off continuing to sell you overpriced ink over the years that you own that printer.  They would rather you hold onto that printer for many years, continuing to buy ink (that in many cases costs about 1/3 of the cost of the printer) year after year.  If the printer fails, there is a possiblity that the owner may decide to purchase a different brant of printer the next time, cutting off their ink sales.

So with that I am now going to unselect the "email me when someone replies" so that I stop getting these replys and get on with my like.

[wiredefx]

Wow. 12 posts were deleted? I will never again buy another canon product. I'm selling everything I have with canon on it, and it is quite a bit. This is crap.

[ImStillHere]

I read those last 12 comments. They were good!  I wonder if the guy actually got banned.  This place seems to be run by an elementary school hall monitor.  "No running!"

[Iowakim]

Actually something good is happening. Too bad you U subscribed and won't have a chance at a solution.

[Iowakim]

Geez they deleted me again. They certainly don't want the truth to come out!

[ed-be]

There has to be someone out there ho knows what exactly is wrong or broken in those printers. They are beyeng refurbished.

So it seems to be unlogical that there is no one ho shares this info or tutorial to repare these printers oure self. Sorry for my crappy english , i am from Belgium. And yes , This misserable anoying and sick making U502 message has made me dicide to change printer brand. But i still have 2 pixma printers that i can't fix . So if there is annybody out there.......................HELP.

..

[Iowakim]

Yes it would be nice if I could at least use the scanner. Very frustrating when you cannot afford to replace the printer.

[videodude]

Add me to the list of unhappy Canon printer owners.  I have had a Canon MP560 which has been EXTREMELY reliable up until about 6 months ago.  I got a U200 error.  Cleaned the print head, replaced the ink tanks (which were all fairly new) with new ones, and the error went away.  Yesterday, out of the blue, my wife can't print.  When I looked at the printer, it had the dreaded U052 error.  I removed the ink tanks, cleaned the print head, cycled the AC, replaced everything and still had the error.  Not one to give up easily, I cleaned the print head (the original one that came with the printer) again, put NEW ink tanks in the printer, cycled the power again, and still got the U052 error.  Undaunted, I REMOVED all the ink tanks, cleaned the print head contacts with alcohol, cycled the AC power AGAIN, replaced the print head and DID NOT install the ink tanks.  Guess what?  I STILL GET THE U052 ERROR!  It isn't the ink tanks.  I pulled the print head, cycled the power, removed the print head, and get a U051, which would be the correct error.  Replace the print head (empty), and the U052 comes back.

The printer KNOWS that the print head is installed.  It "thinks" that it's the wrong one.  I agree with other posters on this forum; this is a main board/firmware failure, NOT a printhead failure.

My printer has always produced outstanding images, both graphics and photos.  I love it when it works.  The new ones that I have seen don't have the features that the 560 has.  I am networked, using a USB print server that also drives my HP LaserJet.  I don't use the wireless function.  Canon's "assistance" and suggestions for recovering from this error are pathetically useless.  It is painfully obvious that they KNOW there is an endemic problem, but what are they doing about it?  I'm now stuck with having to find another printer which has the quality of my old, dead Canon, that has similar features, all without spending $500 or more.  And I'm also stuck with a boatload of ink tanks that are totally USELESS!

Canon, step up to the plate and fix my problem.  Or lose me as a customer.  Happy customers tell at least 10 other people how pleased they are.  Unhappy customers tell EVERYONE they meet how unhappy they are.  And Canon makes a lot more products than just printers, but the public doesn't care - they see the name "Canon" and relate it to the "bad experience" they had, or heard, with an unrelated product line.  Like it or not, it's human nature and the way the world turns.

Fix my printer.

Videodude

[westoned]

I would give mega kudos for stating clearly what seems to be a genuine problem. There is chatter indicating the need to initiate a class action. This needs to be done!

[Aardvark]

You haven't done your homework. There already is a class action being prepared. Several postings above mention it but when they give specific contact details they are deleted. Google is your friend though and you will find what you are looking for. This problem is worldwide and there are unhappy ex-Canon posters from many other countries besides the US. Canon can't ignore this and remain a big player on the world market.