Canon MX860 repeats B200 error code -- brought it back to store , they couldn't fix it.

[csheehey]

Canon MX860 has error code B200, have cleaned and removed printer head

code still blinks.

[Roger32]

I had this problem, I read all the posts that said to do this or do that, the ones with 5 or 6 possible solutions, the you tube video where the solution is to throw the printer off the 2 floor balcony to the concrete below also sucked me in....!!

However, after searching on and off for 2 weeks I found this... and it works.... and it's simple.

All credit to "Tom" (whomever he is).  This is his very valuable post (go to his website, for the original post visit:  

http://www.tomshardware.com/faq/id-1963504/workaround-b200-error-canon-printers.html

It worked for me and it has structure that you can repeat whenever you need to:

Do this:

1. Turn OFF Power
2. Open the print head bay (as though you were about to change inks)
3. Turn ON power
4. Wait for print carriage to start moving to the left and let it go past half way
5. Before print carriage reaches left hand side (but after going halfway across) shut the cover.
6. Leave the Printer turned on
7. Good to go.

(Very occasionally I have had to do this twice in a row to get past the error)

I just wanted to spread the joy...

Good luck.

[streetgirl]

After over a year of having this issue, this finally did the trick. Thanks a million! batteryheadbill you're awesome! I too signed up on this site to thank you

[derocherl]

rickajr, THANK YOU! Your solution worked for me. So grateful for your easy fix and for this forum.

[Sarabobera]

This was the greatest advice- I did exactly this, except I cleaned the print head with cotton balls and alcohol- I then replaced everything as instructed and left it unplugged for 15 minutes. It is working perfectly again.

[BetsyRogers]

@rickajr, Thanks for the suggestion. I've tried several of the earlier suggestions, including the "move it to the left" trick that worked for many people, but so far no luck. I have an MP560, not MX860 (as in the original question), so maybe that's part of the problem? But the error code is still B200, and it shows immediately after powering up...

I'm trying the suggestion (above) that you posted from TomsHardware (p.s. I love that site!). But my printer carriage never moves far enough to the left to get to the point of "just past half-way to the left" (steps 4 and 5). It actually stops by itself just *before* it gets halfway to the left. It just stops about 1/3 of the way to the left. Even if I push it all the way to the left before turning on (as others have suggested), when I power up it still goes all the way to the right like it's supposed to, and then it again goes about 1/3 of the way to the left and just stops. I even tried closing the cover (step 5) as soon as it starts moving left, since I know it'll never get halfway, but still no luck getting rid of the error message.

It's almost like the print carriage gets phsycially stuck on something and can't keep going to the left. But there's nothing in the way, and I've wiped any residual ink off the carriage "track".  As far as I can tell, none of the cables to the print carriage are loose, but some of them are hard to see without taking the printer apart. (which I'm willing to do, if absolutely nothing else works).

I'm pretty bummed. I loved this printer, and I told lots of people to consider buying Canon printers, specifically the ones where the color inks are in 3 separate cartridges. ( I can't stand throwing away a 3-ink combo cartridge just because one color has run out). But if this issue with the" B200 error" is a common problem, then I don't want to risk spending money on a 2nd Canon printer that will have the same problem. 😞   😞   😞

I may decide to check out HP printers instead. I didn't like the HP printers as much, but they do have several models w/ 3 separate color ink cartridges, which is a "must" on my list of specifications for a new printer. I've also heard good things about the Brother printers, but I really do like (love!) my Canon Pixma printer... until now. 😞

[merrill321]

@Batteryheadbill- Thank you! Your solution worked for me were other solutions failed!

[manishishah]

Thank you @batteryheadbill, this worked like a charm with my century old mx860 ! At least I don't have to buy a new printer right now.

[manishishah]

OK, I thought this had fixed my printer, but it stopped after a couple of pages. And repeating the cycle ended up with the same result. This process seems to be just resetting the error code that reappears after a print or two. Finally I bought a new printer head from Amazon and it solved the problem. At $75/-, I have hopefully extended the life of this 4 year old printer for another 2 years. Since the rest of the machinery (scan, copy and fax) works well, it would be waste to be throwing this away just for the printer head replacement.

[BetsyRogers]

@ manishishah: Thanks for the info. I have a feeling that I'll end up having to order a new printer head and/or print carriage.

Would you mind posting the details (and/or a link, if it's allowed) for specifically which item you ordered from Amazon?  Sometimes it's hard to be sure an item is really compatible with the machines that the seller claims it is. It would be nice to know which one you ordered, since it sounds like it worked with your printer.

Thanks!

[manishishah]

@BetsyRogers , I ordered "QY6-0073".  You should land there if you search for MX860 printer head on amazon.