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.

[realfoneguy]

Yes, your printer just out of warranty from the year they provide may have been sitting on a shelf for two years. Would it be so bad to spend a lousy $30 to find out that the head is defective. They really don't have to do anything even by law. You have contacted them and they have proven they will not. If $30.00 would do the trick and fix the issue, is that not better than spending $200 for a printer of equal value?  This is a throwaway society. It is time we take a few minutes and purchase worn or defective parts and fix what we have rather than give more dollars to china and other overseas manufactures. Think of all the goods that have been tossed just because it is easier to buy a new one rather than to take a screwdriver to thaones we have. If it turns out that my printer is defective I guess it will have to be OK then, but I work in a field that repairs broken equipment by using defective gear with parts that are good. It's not that hard to figure things out if one tries. if it's a basket case, so be it. I don't know of any printers made in the USA at the price we pay. So one either tosses the unit or finds a way to fix it.

[puppylove]

Well, just wrote a whole reply and guess what - deleted.  Funny...it was just about fixing stuff yourself vs. getting a good deal on a new unit and having 2 yr warranty on your Amex or CC.

Sigh. Off to wash my mouth out lol!

[mathman54481]

Where do you keep entering this information. In this thread?

Rick

[realfoneguy]

Is that 2yr warranty, it will come to an end and after 2 years and 2 months the printer dies. You are in the same boat and out the cost of both printers and have none now. Great solution.

[puppylove]

I replace them before the 2 years is up, selling the old one and using that $ for the new.  (This was an exception as it didn't have the 2nd y plus I had a death in the familiy and everyting else took a back seat.)  I'd rather put that $ into the new one and start with something current/more features/2 year coverage, than into something old/already having problems/zero coverage going forward.

Of course, that is just my situation. For others it would make sense to do the opposite.

[ReverseEMF]

"If $30.00 would do the trick and fix the issue, is that not better than spending $200 for a printer of equal value?"

If you peruse the commments on this thread you will see that many have tried that and failed [thus their solution will likely cost $230 -- to use your accounting].  The whole point of the outrage on this thread is that none, have yet arrived at a solution or satisfaction from Canon.

"Think of all the goods that have been tossed just because it is easier to buy a new one rather than to take a screwdriver to thaones we have. "

Again, contained within this thread are numerous testaments to the desire and attempt to resolve this problem--so far to no avail.

"I work in a field that repairs broken equipment by using defective gear with parts that are good. It's not that hard to figure things out if one tries."

It sounds to me that you haven't experienced this particular problem.  But, if you ever do run accross it, and find a solution, then I [and I'm sure we] would love to hear about it.

[ChrisReay]

The dreaded U052 print head error has arisen on my MP 610 printer. The error message is not even logical: "You have the incorrect print head". A cover for what appears to be temperature sensor defect that should not affect the other functions.

Cleaning and restarting does not help.

Canon, supported by Partserve in South Africa, does not stock the print head parts any longer. If they did, their own service rep advised that it was so expensive, it pays to buy a new printer!!

All the functions of the printer are dysfunctional as a result of this. An absolute waste of a good unit that appears, from the considerable like experiences on this forum, to have obsolescence planned into the product plan.

I am not impressed by their attitude, and the obvious firmware defect that seems to exist across most of the printer range.

As a consequence, I will never buy another Canon product, and will ensure the word gets into the network.

Mass action makes sense. It has my support.

[Tavistock]

Same problem as all the other contributors, printer is an MP610 with the UO52 error code. I followed the Canon recommended 'fix' which doesn't work plus I cleaned the head and changed the inks.

When I put the 'faulty' printer head in my older Canon MP 600 everything works and I don't get an error message; so I can only conclude there is a software issue. The 'good' printer head in the '600' comes up with an UO52 in the 610.

[ChrisReay]

Having read through most of the postings on this U052 error problem, it is clear that Canon has programmed a time or usage based instruction into the software to disable the printer and all its functions.This is supported by their complete lack of response to the multitude of unhappy customers.

Its the epitomy of planned obsolescence by big corporate.

Think of the huge waste and impact on the environment, but it must be the most myopic marketing strategy that has no place in a competitive market. Big bucks quickly, and to hell with the longer term impact and the growing resistance of the customer to this sort of outdated philosophy. 

We need  a sort of Asian Spring movement to address this. Mass action is necessary or it will simply be repeated by big business. I will ensure my own network of not inconsiderable engineering users will hear about this. Canon for me is  out.

[tomhock]

I have not checked every model that has been reported with the "dreaded U052 wrong printhead" error, but I think they are all multi function printers with a built in scanner. Are there any non multi function, stand alone, printers that have this problem?  I suspect it is not some planed obsolesent trick by Canon, but maybe some component failure in the scanner circuts causing the problem.  The failure of my MP530 printer happened after less than a total page print count of 400, and Canon would never set the life of the printer that low.