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.

[Juljoh]

Agree. Canon I want my error fixed with no out of my pockets expense. You obviously must have known about this problem . What are u doing to fix it

[Juljoh]

So what other brands can people re commend. Please

[jr2001jr]

I've found HP to be excellent and still have an HP that 12 YEARS old and has never had a problem or needed service even though I have used "ink refills" from numerous suppliers. I also still have my Nikon F2S which I used as a journalist in rough environments...and it still works...even though 25+ years old! My Canon's I've disposed of.

[Aardvark]

"I just went through the same thing...and am so enraged at Canon which says they cannot fix my printer, even if I send it to them, and says they don't have "parts" so I can't fix it either! THE RESULT: I threw the damned thing out the window (AFTER having bought a new print head that didn't resolve the problem) and then got my THREE Canon cameras and sent THEM flying! From now on, it will be NIKON cameras and HP printers for me...and I'm a pro...so these are not insignificant items. Canon - stinks in my book. Very unprofessional service...and SERVICE is EVERYTHING to me! Jim " Such a shame you didn't manage to read the previous postings where several people have wasted money on a new printer head that didn't solve the problem.

[jr2001jr]

I just went through the same thing...and am so enraged at Canon which says they cannot fix my printer, even if I send it to them, and says they don't have "parts" so I can't fix it either! THE RESULT: I threw the damned thing out the window (AFTER having bought a new print head that didn't resolve the problem) and then got my THREE Canon cameras and sent THEM flying! From now on, it will be NIKON cameras and HP printers for me...and I'm a pro...so these are not insignificant items. Canon - stinks in my book. Very unprofessional service...and SERVICE is EVERYTHING to me!
Jim

[Lynn50Nelson]

Totally agree.

[hskillman]

I agree- I have bought two new cartigdeges thinking that wa shte case so that was already a 100.00 investment

[johnmd50]

I too have this error, which has appeared suddenly after printing several documents quite normally. Reading through many Forum notes, it apears that several thousand Canon Printer Users have experienced the same problem, which canon have failed to properly address. One member suggests a Class Action legal suit, which I am not sure is available in the UK, but I would certainly add my details in any similar type UK Action. I am a very, very angry Customer.

If it wasn't bad enought that I lost many of thge excellent features on my MP600R, such as duplex facility when I upgraded my Apple OS to Yosemite (not supported by Canon) I now have this issue rendering my Printer completely useless.

[KBCANON]

I did find evidence of a class action suit in the US but the window closed on it, I think, April 2016. I think it said people got either $50 clear and free or $75 to spend on Canon. Most took the $50 instead. I did get mine working again <fingers crossed> by combining some different approaches I found in different messages combined with info Canon had posted. I think this is what I did (really the only addition was to reset the electronics):

• Turn printer on
• Remove each ink tank
• Raise the print head lock lever.
• Tilt the print head slightly towards the front of the machine and lift out
• Now put the print head back in and lock it
• Re-insert ink tanks into the print head; make sure each one lights up red
• Close the inner cover and the scanning unit/printer cover.

Now reset the electronics:  (you may just want to try this first)

• Turn the printer off
• Once it has completely turned off, remove the power cable (don't just unplug it from power although I don't know if it really matters)
• Leave it off for at least 15 minutes
• Reconnect the power cable and turn the printer back on.

I also had a point and shoot Canon camera about 10 years ago (great camera) that got an error similar to this right after the warranty ended. Same types of discussions online "the dreaded ______ error". That one hurt more because I had like two cases for it and an extra battery... investments! I've had this printer for what seems like forever. When they first came out. At least 15 years I would guess.

To make matters worse, after a recent windows update, I lost the printer completely (no longer showed up to print to). I don't remember where in this mess this happened. The problem with that is that Canon did not update my printer driver (MP960) for Win 8 so my bluetooth gadget doesn't work with Win 8. But I finally got all that going too.

[Gijsbos]

i didn't read the whole thread.

I can only tell what worked for me for a MG7550.

I got the printhead error. Took out the cartridges and put them back in. Nothing changed.

I then moved the printhead/cartridges by hand to the center of the printer. I restarted the printer. It made terrible noises and I thought I had broken it. It kept making a rather deep grumbling noise and the motor kept running.

However, after restarting the printer and fiddling a bit, it now prints again as new.

Use this tip at your risk!