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.

[MattSchoch]

I'm referring to how you were able to get a free replacement . . .

[afmoffa]

I've just gotten the dreaded U052 reminder for my Pixma MP610 Printer. Okay, I'll call on Monday and we'll see how that goes, but I'm not expecting miracles.

Yes, I have removed the print head, I have unplugged the printer, etc. 

That so many people have this problem over so many years makes me wonder about Canon printers, but my s520 was such a champion (a decade ago) that I'll make a good-faith effort to get my MP610 back on track.

[afmoffa]

It is stunning how many people have gotten this error message. If Canon is reading these forums, I hope they know there are YouTube videos with 100K and 200K views about printers with these errors. That means thousands upon thousands of people have encountered problems with these printers and print heads.

This is not new technology. This is ink on a page. I had Canon bubblejets in the 1990s that lasted me for 5 and 10 YEARS. What is up with these newer printers that they go south so quickly?

[thezillionthsue]

Afmoffa,  could you post the links to the youtube videos about these errors here, or else tell me what to google to find them?

Thanks!

[Aardvark]

It is so, so easy to find info on this problem. Almost any Google search that includes "Canon", "error U052", or even "lawsuit" will take you there. Anything more specific is always deleted from this thread. Canon does know about the error. They just choose to ignore it.

[seadog]

Ive had my Canon MG5250 printer about 2 years, its had very little use but yesterday I started to get the U052 error.

I agree with some of the other posts that say its a built in a failure mechanism to entice people into buying new Canon Printers or expensive Printer heads and thats why there doing nothing to resolve the issue and
I will never understand how a new printhead can cost more than the actual printer
And the cost of the inks is truly beyond belief.

[puppylove]

For anyone that bought a new printhead or printer recently -

First, see if you are within the return policy of the store, even if it says no returns - could be considered a defective item and those normally are exempt from that policy. Usually a manager will override if its within a month

If that doesn't work, most credit cards have "return protection" within 90 days - see your card details online - this allows you to return items to them if the store wont take them back.  Purchase protection is another feature - covers damaged or lost items within 90 days but this might cover damaged items too. Chargebvack is your last resort but would deflintely cover it.

And for items that are more used, but less than 2 years old - most cards have extended warranty, which covers items from the day after the manufacturer warranty ends, doubling that warranty (so 1 year becomes 2 year, the 2nd year covered by your card.)

[TonyB]

I bought a replacement print head advertised as "New Print head QY6-0073 for Canon IP3600 MP560 MP620 MX860 MX870"  via ebay (seller "longyue2012"  from Hong Kong for $A49.99  (about$US 38) delivered post free. Price has gone up $A5 since.  I figured I had nothing to lose.  Took 10 days to arrive.  I fitted the new head and have been working the printer hard since.  The printer died with a U052 message just after I had bought a couple of packs of cartridges so I figured that for $A49.99 extra I had little to lose.  I'll drive the printer until I have used the cartridges, and if its still going after that, I'll htink about what to do next.

Maybe its not necessary to pay top $$ tobuy from a Canon dealer.  There is a fair chance that this printer head comes from the same factory as the original head.

I suspect that the unhelpful U052 message comes up because Canon forgot to include a message: "Print Head worn out - replace it".

That has been my experience, your experience may vary.

Tony B

Hobart, Tasmania

[Aardvark]

Pleased to see you have found a solution that you are happy with. It doesn't however fully explain why people have been having the same issue with very lightly used machines when just out of the waranty period. And the fact that after some posters above have paid a much higher price for a new printhead from Canon the problem still remains. All they offer is a pitiful "loyalty discount" on a new printer that can be bought cheaper on Amazon.

[Benick]

Thanks Aardvark.  I did call Canon Tec Service when this happened.  Got through quickly and the tech was as helpful as he could be but, of course, could not resolve the problem.  His suggestions were the same as I found online.  I've only used Canon cartridges.  I removed all, cleaned the head contacts - both sides.  Returned all the cartridges.  No luck.  Tried a second time, no luck. I haven't tried putting in all new cartridges because it seems such a waste if it is the print head.  At first I thought it was a software thing since I had just installed a new driver update almost immediately before the failure but I'm thinking that was pure coincidence now.  Also put in a few new cartridges a couple of days ago.  I'm going to bite the bulled and buy a new machine.  Probably not Canon.  I've used Epson before and was happy with their product.  I've found one that seems a bit more efficient on ink and the total cartridge replacement price is less.  Also, while I value new technology, it seems a pity that each year the inkjet manufacturers revamp their lines and obsolete their previous products.  I can't buy a new machine that uses the 225/226 cartridges of my MG5220.  I would probably do that if one was available - even if a different model.  But what I will end up doing is changing brands.