Ink collector almost full - you can do that
Problem: Your print job aborts with the error message “The waste ink container is almost full”. The printer then refuses to work.
Solution: Ink collectors are sponges that absorb the ink that the printer uses in cleaning processes. Canon’s Pixma range in particular is known for its numerous cleaning processes. A counter is stored which records the number of nozzle cleanings.
Usually the ink catcher is generously dimensioned. Nevertheless, it is possible to reach the maximum number saved early. But that does not mean that the sponges can no longer absorb ink.
As a temporary solution, you first want to have the blocked print job carried out. As a rule, simply press either the “OK” or “Resume” button. However, the error message can appear again with the next print job.
At the latest, however, when you start the device after switching it off, it appears again and causes the printer to stop. It is therefore worth resetting the counter.
To do this, you have to activate the service mode of your printer. Usually a certain key combination and sequence is necessary for this. With many Canon models, you can enter maintenance mode by simultaneously pressing the “On” and “Resume” buttons for five seconds on the switched-off device.
Then release the “Resume” button and press it two or five times in quick succession before you also release the “On” button. You can recognize the maintenance mode by the fact that the display does not work and that the operating LED changes from green to orange and back to green beforehand.
To reset the counter for the ink collector, first press “Resume” four times and then “On” once. The printer should then output a page indicating that the counter has been set to zero – for example with “D = 000”. To exit maintenance mode, simply switch off the printer by pressing the “On” button again. If the error message has disappeared during the next commissioning, the counter has been successfully reset.
On some Canon Pixma printer models, the ink collector counter cannot be reset using a key combination. Some users therefore use the “Service Tool V3400” software.
However, this is not an official Canon program. Its use is therefore not entirely risk-free. If you download it directly from the Internet, be sure to check it for viruses or Trojans as a precaution.
The program recognizes many Pixma models from the IP, MP, MX and MG series. For the tool to work, the printer must be connected to a computer via USB and be in maintenance mode. The function for resetting the counter can be found under “Ink Absorber Counter”.
