# [SOLVED] Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank



## ramrajg

Helllo guyss


i em having cannon mp160 Printer but it has a prb that it doesn't take an refilled Cartriage i have heard we have to resett the Cartraige for that we have to go in service mode can any one tell me how to go in service mode in Cannon MP160 model 

Thankx in advance


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## inuinu

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

yes this is a common problem I refilled about 10 times and than
error 5 appear! Its make me mad even my black ink tank is also a error 5 
I don't even removed this one!
I tried a lot to solve dis problem but nothing happend.
I m curious what is going on, I guess its a kind of refill protection!? 
Pls Who can solve this ?
Tanx in advanced


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

Canon MP150

1) With the printer powered off but connected to a power source, press the Power button while pressing and holding the Stop/ Reset button.
2) When the Power LED is lit, press the Stop/Reset button two times while pressing and holding the Power button.
3) When releasing the Power button and the Stop / Reset button (regardless of order), the printer will move into a service mode. (Waiting for menu selection)
4) When the LED lights in green, press the Stop/Reset button 4 times.

*The above will get you to Service Mode (and clear the Waste Ink Counter if you wish) and is supposed to work for MP160 also.
Caution if your waste ink pad is full you could overflow if ignored.*

Some of the new carts reportedly have fuses which blow if the ink gets too low, denying any further refilling.

To use refills, you will probably have to turn off your Status Monitor.
Go to your printer's Maintenance section.


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

thankx for your information 

but when i go in service mode & press 4 times Stop/Reset button nothing happens it not even restart so i have to manually restart the printer & at the end nnthing happens plzz helllppp
Thankx


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

Are you seeing the Menu ?

Are you seeing any flashing lights?
If so how many flashes and what color ?


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

No there is no menu & no flash lights 
only the power (green light) is ON and the 7segment display shows 0 number 
mine is Mp160 model 
when i press Stop/Reset button alternate light comes
1 time press orange light is ON & Green Light is OFF
2 time press orange light is OFF & Green Light is ON
and so on.....

Thankx


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

Let's step back and verify that the cartridges are good.
Can you test them in another printer ?

If you are trying to use commercially refilled cartridges I would exchange them.
The third option of course would be to purchase a new OEM set of cartridges.

Once we are assured that the carts are good, we can address any other problems the printer may have.


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

yeep both r working cartriage that's because it prints colour print outs 
but doesn't print black & white beacuse its empty(it was working fine before ) & then i refilled that now it shows empty cartriage


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

now i have put both the reiffeild cartridge 
now in the service mode the orange light (alram one ) is flashing
& power light is ON & there is no display in the 7 segment


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

While in *Normal Mode* and after replacing the cartridges with known good ones :

1. Is there anything (error code) on the LED screen ?
2. Are any lights flashing ?
3. Does a dialog box appear on your computer monitor ?


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

ok now from start
c when i brought my printer i got 1 black cartridges let us name as 'A' & 1 colour cartridges 'B'
now at first it was printing properly (but was having problem in the head of the black cartridges ) it was printing with a gap of 1 line so i called the person from cannon service center & he suggest me to change the cartridges & then i brought a new black cartridges 'D' after suppose 3 to 4 days i was getting an ERROR E-5 which is the indication of blank cartridges & my black ink Light & color ink light was flashing,at this time i was not knowing that we have to reset the cartridges so i brought a new color cartridges 
after putting that the ERROR was gone but it was indicating that the black cartridges is empty so then i refilled the 'A' cartridges & tried to experiment as u said 
Now u suggest me what to do should i refill the 'D' cartridges 

and 1 more thing what happens when i press 4 times the stop/reset button does the printer automatically restart or do i have to do manually 
& also how will i know in service mode that the cartridges has been reset


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

1. Let's forget Service Mode. I don't think that it is needed to resolve this issue.
To be certain that you're in Normal Mode unplug the printer and then replug.

2. The key to using refills with this printer is to understand that the printer will "read" a refill as though it's an empty Genuine cartridge.
You have to tell the printer to continue printing when it reports the refilled cartridge as empty.
With this printer you lose ink level monitoring with refills.

I asked an inkjet refill expert, Mikling, about this and here is his quote :

"You can't turn the ink monitor off but you can instruct the printer to continue printing with an EMPTY cartridge.
The buttons to push to do this varies by model.
To locate the instructions one needs to find the section where they instruct you how to Change an empty cartridge. Typically this can be found under Routine Maintenance. Within that section they will instruct you how to Continue printing with an empty cartridge. After the cartridge is refilled it is considered empty by the machine since the ink level indicator cannot be reset. The machine will be fully functional as with a new cartridge except that the ink level monitor will not work."

In your manual start reading at about pg 69.
If you don't have a manual D/L one here:
Click on Drivers and Downloads then:
Click on Product / Software Manuals
User's Guide
MP160 ug us V5.pdf
2.9MB
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/c...ortDetailTabAct&fcategoryid=238&modelid=13368


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

yeepppppyyyyyyyyyyyyy it works gr8 thankx for your information 
but tell me 1 think
now i have my refilled black cartridge & a new colour cartridge it work saying black is empty ok
but when i put my old refilled color cartridge along with the refilled black cartridge it gives an ERROR -E-5 & at that moment i can't press [ok] button because it doesn't function at that time so any help for that ????

anyways thankx for your information once again


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## jflan

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

From the Canon web site:

"E5: The ink cartridge(s) is not installed. / The ink cartridge(s) cannot be recognized.

The ink cartridge may not be installed properly, or an unsupported ink cartridge may be installed.
Install a recommended ink cartridge.

Make sure to install both ink cartridges even when you set the machine to use only one ink cartridge in printing.
If one of the ink cartridges is missing, this error can occur."

Your printer doesn't like that color cartridge.
You can try cleaning the electrical contacts on the back of the cartridge with Isopropyl Alcohol 90% and a clean, low-lint fabric such as part of a coffee filter.
If it still goes E-5, try remove/replace a few more times.
It's possible that this cartridge will not be usable.

During refilling, keeps fingers and ink away from these sensitive contacts.
This is a tricky printer to refill for, and you will lose a cartridge from time to time.

BTW, is there a *flashing light code* along with the E-5 error ?


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

yeep the both the black ink light & color ink light keeps on flashing
along with the alarm light


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## ramrajg

*Re: Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

any ways since it will not check the ink status i think it will never show that its empty or not
so i'll keep them refielld once in month or so

& BTW thankx very much bro


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## jimmyh

why does this thread imply that this problem has been solved ?
The printer MP160 and only MP160 not MP-holygolightly or some other model is dependant on these points:

1) The Chips that are built into the cartridges DO NOT sense the ink level they just count the number of printouts and either light when they THINK the ink level is low or flash when they THINK the ink level has run out. Refilling the cartridges does not affect this.

2) if only one cartridge light is flashing either black or the color, printing from both colors is possible.

3) if BOTH lights are flashing which would imply the error light is flashing also, (error E5) then game over the printer locks and printing or scanning is not possible

4) The solution is simply to replace EITHER the black or EITHER the color cartridge to continue printing. The new genuine Canon cartridge which contains the full chip will allow printing.

5) obviously replacing the black cartridge is the most effective method and simply refill the color cartridge when necessary which everybody as already probably done.

6) The service mode trick of resetting the ink level definitely does not work, for the MP160.

6) This ploy by Canon is simply to force people to buy their cartridges which is how they make their money from this business. 
NOT from a printer which actually costs less than buying both genuine cartridges.


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## nisei23

I have an MP160 with the same problem. I tried all of the above and none of them worked also ever since I've had this problem I haven't been able to use the scanner either, although I'm assuming this is an unrelated problem.

The printer is still under warranty and I took it back to the store and they sent it to Cannon and it came back exactly the same, have I invalidated the warranty by using refills?


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## Chode

Virtually all printer manufacturers will void your warranty if they find that the printer has been damaged by refilled, or after-market cartridges. Actually, this isn't just a manufacturer scam; I've seen printers that have been damaged by leaking no-name cartridges. So, yeah, you pay a premium price for OEM ink, but you save some grief too. Before you run out an just buy a printer everytime you need ink, you should be aware that most printers ship with "starter" (i.e. less than full) cartridges.


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## Andrea1993

I have this message : The following ink cartridge cannot be recognized. Black & Color.
Printing cannot be executed because the ink cartridge may not be installed properly or may not be compatible with printer.
I print 3,4month,and i dont tuch anything on printer!
Please help me,and sorry for mi english!
Mercy!


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## Chode

Andrea, sometimes you can get an error message like this if the contacts on the printer are dirty. You might try wiping them off with a soft cloth, or removing and then reinserting the cartridges.


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## LoveShin

Hi!
Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I just found this forum by searching for the problem on Google. 

I've had the same problem - just with a MP210 printer. MP210 and MP160 seem to run on the same firmware, and thus they'll show the same errorcodes. 

I'm a "refilling" guy aswell. First, I thought the printer mas malfunctioning, only had it for a few months, and I had to send it to a servicecheck - thankfully that wasn't necessary. I was forced to buy two new cartridges. 
So, if you encounter the flashing E5 problem, the problem is a, what I would like to call, "dead" cartridge. If just ONE of the cartridges is dead, the printer wont recognize any of the cartridges.

I bought two new genuine cartridges (expensive), replaced with the old ones. And at first sight, both the old cartridges were intact. But when I started to inspect the color cartridge closer, ink was leaking from behind where the contacts are placed.

So, to sum up: An E5 (E 5) error does not mean a malfunctioning printer - but there is no way around buying some new cartridges. And if you do, you could consider buying some "refill friendly" ones (if you're that type of person). 

Well, that's it. Problem is solved now I guess.

Best regards and nice to meet you.
LoveShin.


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## BigDaddyCmC

*Re: [ACTUALLY NOT SOLVED] Error in Cannon Mp160 after refilling the Ink tank*

Hi LoveShin,

Sorry, the experience I just had does NOT agree with your "just new to buy some cartridges" solve.

I have an MP160, and am also frustrated that Canon makes it so difficult to use re-manufactured or refilled cartridges. But here is what I just did...

Got the "E5" error with a BRAND NEW remanufactured color cartridge. The previous post about "disabling the Error Detection function " is correct. See Page 74 of the MP160 manual. What I did was:
1. Went to "Properties" on my printer,
2. "Maintanance" tab
3. Selected "Bottom Plate Cleaning"
4. Got the "pop-up" telling me about the problem with the ink tanks
5. I then opened the printer, and re-seated both ink tanks"
6. Clicked the "Enter" button to Cancel Printing, and that seemed to turn off the E5 errors.
7. Then I printed a full page of pictures, and everything works fine.

Hope this helps someone.:wave:


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## wrighttt

*[NOT SOLVED] Cannon Mp160 may be caused by Cannon INC.*

I am frustrated with the MP160...and of course really with Cannon. They have earned the distinction of getting on my NEVER PURCHASE again list forever. My list is not very big as most things are not this bad. Their customer support on Error 5 is blatently "in your face". So, I'll go out on a limb here and wonder if there is a class action suit that could make someone a lot of money that could/should be filed against Cannon. I wonder if the cartridges have a "creation date" or some sort of "CANNON only stamp" or "premature and unwarrented expiration date" in them that the software driver recognizes and then refuses to use for no good reason. The stupid reason that they have to protect a $60 printer (they are the ones selling the printers cheap!) by killing your $30-$40 cartridges over and over is ridiculous. I have had more than one occassion where I've had cartridges installed and working and then, after recycling power they suddenly stop working - and they have plenty of ink, and ERROR 5 has nothing to do with INK. Stupid reason - the software can't recoginze the hardware. Well, screw it, just print to it anyway - they provide that option for the "low ink" error. What's up with ERROR 5 and no option to "Ignore Error". Quit protecting my printer from your policies. There is no engineering reason for this, really. I am a EE and work in test engineering all the time. This really looks blatent. If FORD or GM had products that couldn't use after market parts they would be in court so fast head would spin. More likely CANNON is manipulating the market for printer ink which I believe is illegal. I'd love to see them and their cousins taken down on this. Their silence on help with Error 5 is very, very loud. If I were a lawyer I'd hire someone to look into it as I see many dollars - even to just shut you up. LOL. I can't imagine their defense. I'd love to see the engineering reason why all these electronics suddenly stop working. I really can see no valid reason. Protecting a cheep printer by making you purchase VERY VERY expensive cartridges (relative to the printer cost) is a laughable defense. I'm saving my cartridges for future forensic evidence. We need the CSI team here. LOL... All IMO...


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## wrighttt

*Re: [NOT SOLVED] Cannon Mp160 may be caused by Cannon INC.*

 Oh, one other thing to add to my rant.... Lol.. If ERROR 5 were really an incompatible cartridge then why in the world did it work to start with? It would be one thing if the cartridge were rejected right off the bat. But, it did work for a while ... so ... IT WAS COMPATIBLE! It cant just later get incompatible - all due to the passage of time? Does that make sense to anyone? If it were that incompatible then reject the dumb thing right from the start - never allow it to work and we'd all stop buying the secondary market cartridges.


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