New Canon IX6820 Blinking Yellow

[Inkstaind]

Hello, and thank you in advance for any advice you can lend.

We are kind of in a panic as we rely on this printer, heavily.  While we don't use it much, we use it for every job we do so we are in basically down until we find a fix.

We just purchased this Canon IX6820 printer new in June.  We have maybe used it 30 times.  Yesterday I went to use it and noticed the yellow and white light alternating 12 times before a short pause.  I disconnected the power as instructed online, didn't work, the alternating yellow light returns immediately.  I uninstalled and reinstalled, no success.  I checked for paper jams and ink cart issues.

Any ideas where we go from here?

Thank you!

[Stephen]

Hello!

I’m sorry to hear that you’re having trouble with your printer. To help the community assist you better, we need a bit more information:

- Are you seeing any error messages?
- Which version of Windows or macOS are you using?
- How do you connect to your printer: via USB or Wi-Fi?
- Have you installed the current Canon software and drivers from our site? If not, please visit https://canon.us/iX6820setup on the device you want to use with the printer, and follow the prompts to install/reinstall/re-pair your printer.

Any additional details you provide will help the community better understand your issue.

If you are in the United States and need urgent support, please click HERE to visit your My Canon Account for personalized support options.

If you are outside the USA, please click HERE to find support options for your country.

Thank you, and have a great day!

[Inkstaind]

Thank you, Stephen. 

- Are you seeing any error messages? - No, but I might be looking in wrong place.  Would it be in the queue?
- Which version of Windows or macOS are you using? - Windows 11
- How do you connect to your printer: via USB or Wi-Fi? - USB, but tried Wi-Fi last night as well

- Have you installed the current Canon software and drivers from our site? - No, figured since was new we had the    latest so we'll take a look.

[DerrickL]

Understanding the Blinking Yellow Light on Canon PIXMA iX6820

Meaning of 12 Blinks

A blinking yellow light on the Canon PIXMA iX6820 that flashes 12 times usually indicates a specific issue related to the printer's operation. This pattern typically points to:

• Paper Feed Issue: There may be a problem with the paper being fed into the printer.
• Print Head Alignment Problem: The print head may not be properly aligned.

Troubleshooting Steps

To resolve the issue, follow these steps:

1. Check for Paper Jams:
   • Open the printer cover and inspect for any jammed paper.
   • Remove any stuck paper carefully to avoid damaging the printer.

2. Check Print Head Alignment:

   • Ensure that the print head is correctly aligned. Refer to the printer's manual for specific alignment instructions.

3. Reset the Printer:

   • Turn off the printer.
   • Hold the Stop and Power buttons simultaneously.
   • While holding these buttons, press the Stop button four times.
   • Release both buttons and turn the printer back on.

Additional Tips

• Regularly check and maintain your printer to prevent future issues.
• Ensure you are using compatible paper and ink cartridges to avoid operational problems.

• On a Canon PIXMA iX6820, 12 orange/yellow flashes usually indicate a paper-size or paper-type mismatch, especially when the printer is trying to print a nozzle-check pattern or perform print-head alignment. It can also occur when the printer detects that the loaded paper doesn’t match the print settings.

  Try this:

  1. Press RESUME/CANCEL once to clear the error.
  2. Load A4 or Letter-size plain paper in the rear tray.
  3. Check that the paper size selected in the Canon print dialog matches the paper loaded.
  4. Make sure the front tray/output support is fully open and there is no paper jam or obstruction.
  5. Turn the printer off, unplug it for about 60 seconds, reconnect it, and try again.

  If the light still flashes 12 times, check whether the POWER light and orange Alarm light alternate. That pattern can indicate a service-level error rather than a simple paper mismatch. Since the printer is only two months old, avoid disassembling it—use the warranty or contact Canon support if the steps above don’t clear it.

[Inkstaind]

I've tried some of these tips, no success.  

Although, after attempting a test print while the orange light was still blinking the error I am seeing now is mainly that the printer is not connected.  A few things are more apparent with that in mind.  Recently I connected a printer inside our house, this printer is in our garage.  This printer with the issue is connected via USB, the printer in the house is WiFi.  I wonder if this PC is picking up that signal, etc... I tried holding the power and stop button at the same time, then pressing the stop button 4 times as a reset and I noticed some times the blue WiFi light comes on when it should not since it's connected by USB?  Any thoughts?

[Inkstaind]

Something else worth mentioning is that I figured I'd try another USB cord and noticed that when unplugging either the existing or alternative USB I'm not hearing the da-dank noise you normally would.  ???  I tried some of the other USB ports, same thing, silence.

[DerrickL]

To reinstall your Canon IX6820 using a USB cable, connect the printer to your computer with the USB cable, and the printer driver should be automatically detected and installed. If it doesn't install automatically, you may need to download the driver from the Canon website here:

https://www.usa.canon.com/support/p/pixma-ix6820

[Inkstaind]

Ok, this is crazy.  I did a complete uninstall and reinstall, including driver, etc...no success, still blinking yellow light.  I did note the error 6A81 this time, which advises several possibilities, which includes stuck print head.  I entered that on youtube and watched several videos.  A couple had one thing in common, these guys were pulling the ink carts to the side and sticking their hand near the cleaning pads and sliding some white rail that can get stuck with spilled/excess ink.  I stuck my hand in there and sure enough the white slide was stuck and suddenly broke loose and slid forward and back.  I restarted the printer and the yellow blinking light stopped.  It still would not print, so after several print head alignment maintenance and deep cleaning it finally started printing again.  What!!!! So lucky!  I'm fairly sure this printer was headed to the repair shop then maybe to the dumpster.  

Thanks everyone for lending a hand!