Error message on my MX700 Printer: U052 This type of print head is incorrect.

[jdegann]

I got this after installing new ink - it worked just a bit and then when I turned printer off and on, got this msg.  I took out cartridges and head, put them back in, and no change.

[jasonventure]

People just removing the inks and reinstalling will not solve anything. No magic involved. Especiallly if the printer is years old with the "build up". Remove the head , remove the inks, CLEAN IT as I described earlier ! Take less than 10 minutes. Let it dry for 30 minutes. It's 91% alchohol($1 at walmart) it will dry fast or put a fan on it to be sure.

[jpdemers]

Cleaned the head thoroughly with hot water and then isopropanol (rubbing alcohol).  Dissolves the inks nicely, so it presumably works as well as ethanol.

Re-installed print head and inks - and now I have an Error Code 5200.  Machine won't even power up the printer head drive belt.  Argh!

[jasonventure]

i did not use ethanol . I used 91% alchohol(isopropanol)...often called Ethel(ethyl) grade. I suspect you did not let it dry enough. Or maybe things are not siiting "squarely".  A hair drier on cool setting holding head in your hand for a few minutes can work, or LOW heat. I let mine air dry for at least 24 hours. But it was probably okay after 4 hours as 91% dries fast. Mine has been working good for approx. 4+ months. They sent me the ability to get $$ credit or cash from Canon if I could show a receipt for a replacement. I cannot find that receipt on that printer my daughter is using.

[dgwarrick4]

I have this problem involving two Canon printers.

[ITgreybeard]

In my case the replacement printhead did not work, directly out of the package. I tried it on 2 Pixma MX860 printers, on each of which an old printhead worked fine. I was tempted to return it - especially because the printhead as delivered was wet with ink and some other fluid, but found that a printhead cleaning procedure enabled it to function well (for me, this time).

For the procedure you will need: 1. Water; 2. Glass cleaner such as Windex; 3. Rubbing Alcohol; 4. A dish or bowl (plastic or glass or ceramic (or metal?) whose diameter is large enough to accommodate the printhead; 5. A heat source to dry the printhead after cleaning.

Procedure: 1. Spray the printhead liberally with glass cleaner. You may want to direct the spray into the incoming and outgoing ink orifices; 2. Soak the printhead in a water+glass cleaner solution dish for an indeterminate time; 3. Swish the printhead around in the solution to extract from the printhead ink that was presumably used in manufacturer testing; 4. Rinse the printhead off with clean water. Pat its orifices with a towel or paper towel; 5. Dispose of the solution; 6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 until no ink seems to be leaching from the printhead either into solution or onto the towel; 7. Pat the printhead dry with a soft towel or paper towel; Do NOT let the printhead dry any further yet!; 8. Soak the printhead in rubbing alcohol in the dish. Swish it around with the goal of displacing water left in the printhead with the rubbing alcohol. Let it sit in the solution for an hour or more; 9. Repeat step 8 with new rubbing alcohol another time or two; 10. Dry the printhead with non-destructive heat. I used a combination of soft toweling, sunshine and forced air house heat; 11. Try it out again in the printer. I hope that it works for you.

[focuseval]

OMG - this worked. I thought we were going to have to run around the block backwards too, but amazing.

Thank you so much.

[BadCanon]

I am pretty pissed off about my Canon MX712 and Canon's customer service.

1. printer has been working fine for years

2. i printer very little

3. printer worked fine up to last week

4. got ths U052 errors, followed instructions, nothing, all inks are OEM canon and full

5. Canon says sorry you need a new printer, but we will sell you a new one at $30 over the retail price

6. if the print head has issues, why can't i use the rest of the printer? the scanner? you don't need to brick the entire thing simply because the print head as some mystery issue.

7. anyone need a really big paper weight?

8. i have another one of these...now just a ticking time bomb waiting......

9. i am sure nothing is wrong with my printer

[jpdemers]

Have you uplugged the printer (not just turned it off)?  Run the printhead under hot water until no more ink comes out, dry it, and re-install it while the plug is out. With the lid up, plug the printer back in, and press the power button five times in rapid succession.  That should get it running through a re-boot routine.

That's cleared up some errors for me that didn't go away with a simple re-start.

Lots of fixes and information here: http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/posts/71079

Failing that, the cheapest fix is to buy a new printhead ($30-$40 on eBay); if that doesn't do it, next-cheapest fix is a used printer (also bought on eBay; check Craigslist while you're at it.)  Canon can't repair a printer without charging more than the price of a new one, even without factoring in the cost of round-trip shipping.

[deekinb]

I understand there was a class action suit regarding this error.  My printer is giving me this same error.  I have followed the suggested self-repair and cleaning steps with no luck.

Please advise.

[jasonventure]

the class action thing...I think I got a mailer. But W/O your receipt of purchase ...your stuck. AS was I. But mine is still working after my cleaning using 91% rated walmart rubbing alcohol... guess it's been way past a year maybe 2. Because of this I told my daughter not to buy anything Canon. Her high tech DSLR camera is now Nikon. I also don't buy HP due to my father's top of line laptop video driver failure just past wrrty ...which was common issue on his model. No corp. gets a second chance with me.