U052 Printhead Problem MX870

[chdevers]

Stopped printing while in the middle of a big job with full ink tanks, then when turned back on, gave the dreaded U052 print head error message.  I have tried everything given by Canon to re-start the printer, nothing works.

It dawns on me that maybe my ink tank stopped feeding ink despite the tank being full- the vent hole might not have been open all the way to allow ink to pass through.

I'm wondering whether this could somehow mess up the printhead, maybe it needs ink to keep it cool during operation or something??

It's completely aggravating that it stopped as it has and now that prevents even the scanner or fax from working-- this seems like a bad design.

Does anyone know whether the print head can be messed up if the tank stops feeding ink while in the middle of a print job?

Thanks!  And if you know that answer, then what do you do to get printer working again??

Thanks!

[Michael]

Please try the following to see if we can resolve your issue:

1.  Open the cover of the printer.

2.  Remove all ink tanks from the printer.

3.  Lift up the gray locking lever on the side of the ink tank holder.

4.  Gently remove the print head from the carriage unit.

5.  Place the print head back in and lock the lever down.

6.  Place all of the ink tanks back in the printer.

7.  Close the cover and turn the printer off.

8.  Unplug the power from the printer.  Leave the power unplugged for about 5-10 minutes.

Plug the power back in and turn the printer on.  If the error persists, please contact our support group using the link below for additional assistance.

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/contact_us_consumer

[chdevers · Accepted solution]

This "solution" DOES NOT WORK.  I have tried it 15 times, the printer still comes up with that same error message.

What's worse, it DISABLES THE ENTIRE PRINTER -- I can't use any other function.  I have been left high and dry because I have desperately needed to send scanned contracts out and there is no way to do it.  I have had to rely on my partner to send me photos of the contracts so I can continue with business.... Canon has produced a terrible product because a simple failure puts the entire machine out of service, not just the failed print head mechanism.  Horrible design, terrible software or hardware installed control system. 

You even told me that purchasing a new print head won't fix the crazy thing.  Who the heck designed this crazy piece of junk?

How do I get it it replaced or repaired?   Moderator Note:  Removed personal phone number per forum guidelines.

[Jason]

Hi chdevers,

Your service options will vary on a few factors, but we'll be glad to help!  Please drop us a line through this link to get the process started: Contact Us

Thanks so much!

[chdevers]

OK, I received your e-mail and need to

D

  R

    O

       P

Y

  O

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A

L

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OK, line is now dropped!  What do I do to get this started?

Thanks

[Jason]

Hi chdevers,

Please click on the "Contact Us" link in the previous post.  You'll be redirected to a page where you can email our techs directly.  We'll need to provide you with your service options from there since we're going to need some personal information.  Thanks so much!

[eddytsang]

I have a similar issue on my MX860.  What are the other options here?

[technomaster]

It's 2023 and I have a circa 2011 Canon MG6120 printer. We print pretty infrequently (a few pages every few weeks), and use the copy/scan functionality even more rarely. Given the relative light use in my household, I've been intent to squeeze every last bit of life. When I got the U052 error, I was extremely frustrated since my ink cartridges were pretty new. But given that the alternative was buying a new printer, I decided to try to fix the problem, and it worked. Here's what I did:

1) Remove the print head. It's pretty easy. Watch some videos online. First remove the cartridges, then flip the lock, then maneuver the head out. 

2) Clean the print head. In a bowl or plastic bin, pour enough 99% isopropyl alcohol in to dunk/submerge the print head and leave it in there for 2-5 minutes. You can shake the print head around and watch the ink come out. If there's still color on parts where the cartridge makes contact, repeat. Then let the printhead dry for a few hours. 24 hours is probably ideal, though a couple of hours might be fine. (the alcohol evaporates pretty quickly and shouldn't damage the electronics bits. And even if it did, just think that the printer was already broken beyond repair anyway!)

3) Clean inside the printer. While you're soaking the print head, unplug the printer so the guide remains in place. With 99% isopropyl alcohol and a rag/microfiber cloth/sturdy paper towel, wipe up the metal contacts in case some excess ink or oxidation formed on the contacts (pretty unlikely, but keep reminding yourself that the printer is basically garbage at this point)

4) After 24 hours, reinstall the print head, first without ink. You may still get U052 again, or perhaps a new error message (No ink cartridges found or something like that).

If you still get U052, turn it off, and wait another day. If it just asks you for ink cartridges, insert the old ink cartridges and see if you get past U052. If you get that error again, try installing BRAND NEW ink cartridges (you can try 3rd party ink - remind yourself that the printer is basically unrepairable garbage, so you want to invest a minimum amount to see if you can get it to work).

5. Congratulations. If you're like me, your printer will initialize like normal and be ready for printing. At first, my black ink didn't print. So I ran a deep clean cycle. Voila! That did the trick. My printer has been working perfectly for about a week - I've made a point of printing a few pages every day since and it continues to work.

It's really not a lot of work. Taking out the printhead takes about 1 minute. 99% isopropyl alcohol can be purchased cheap at most drug stores or dollar stores. Soaking doesn't take much effort at all. You're mostly just setting and forgetting. And if it works, you just saved yourself $50-200, depending on your model Canon inkjet printer. Good luck!

[renfru]

I tried this on my mx860 and no results. This seems to be a problem that occurs on all Pixma printers at some time. Why hasn't Canon owned up to this problem, with no reasonable solution and recall these printers to a local dealer for a software update or firmware update. Apparently Canon and other inkjet printer manufacturers like these unfixable problems so that they can sell more printers.

[morlaine]

They have your money, that ended their caring about the customer. They won't own up to anything or take responsibility for anything.