# Brother MFC-240c Replace Cartridge Notifications



## oblueyeso

Hello,
I purchased 80.00 worth of brand spankin new Brother ink cartridges. Suddenly, and after no problems in the last year and a half it says, Near Empty Yellow, Near Empty Black, Near Empty Mgnta, Replace Ink. Sometimes, it changes it's mind and only says Install Cyan (like just now it said nothing about cyan until I opened the door.) Only the Cyan was in when it was displaying the other commands. 

Any ideas? I tried to clean it a little but I am inexperienced and feared further problems. After a discussion with Brother, their suggestion was to buy another Brother printer so my cartridges didn't go to waste. I am more than a little ticked.

Will all this in and out of the printer damage the cartridges as well? Any ideas on how to fix the error messages? When I do the menu, mono start and up 4x's the message it displays along with flashing lights is no cartridge.....even if there is one in there....or not. 

Please Help! Thanks!


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## oblueyeso

oblueyeso said:


> Hello,
> I purchased 80.00 worth of brand spankin new Brother ink cartridges. Suddenly, and after no problems in the last year and a half it says, Near Empty Yellow, Near Empty Black, Near Empty Mgnta, Replace Ink. Sometimes, it changes it's mind and only says Install Cyan (like just now it said nothing about cyan until I opened the door.) Only the Cyan was in when it was displaying the other commands.
> 
> Any ideas? I tried to clean it a little but I am inexperienced and feared further problems. After a discussion with Brother, their suggestion was to buy another Brother printer so my cartridges didn't go to waste. I am more than a little ticked.
> 
> Will all this in and out of the printer damage the cartridges as well? Any ideas on how to fix the error messages? When I do the menu, mono start and up 4x's the message it displays along with flashing lights is no cartridge.....even if there is one in there....or not.
> 
> Please Help! Thanks!



Well....thanks for looking.


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## yanchun

Hi,

I have the exact same problem as you. I just bought the MFC-240c less than 2 months ago, and everything was ok.

But recently it came out with the messages you mentioned. And the most surprising thing is that we don't even print much with this printer. All in all i think less than 20 pages of black & white prints and less than 5 pages of color pages.

And when I removed the cartridges out, I can still see visibly that there are still quite an amount of ink there.

Does the ink cartridge it comes with lasts only so little pages?

Another thing, this printer only allows you to print (anything at all) only when the all the cartridges are not empty or low? As I've spoken to Brother and they mentioned that all inks must be installed. 

Meaning if I wanted to just print black and white (which most of us only print documents) it is not possible with only a black cartridge? Felt conned.... :upset:


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## wlweger

Turn the printer off. take out the color cartridges. on the end with the ink openings, in the middle is a small opening and a little plastic window. you've got to cover the plastic window with a small piece of duct tape. work the edges of the tape into the slot. 

Evidently the machine senses ink levels thru that opening. I found this solution on another site and applied it to my machine. It worked. Yes, I would have been steamed at having to replace all the color carts when I only needed black.


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## yanchun

Thanks for the tip... wlweger. But i've already purchased some refillable inks... anyways, will try it when the ink is low... as I know it'll be quite soon, as the printer keeps on cleaning itself and sucking away all the inks... sigh...


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## b_davis

I had the same problem with a message constantly saying "replace yellow cartridge", after only having the printer for about 3 months and having done very little printing I was getting very frustrated with the "New" printer.
Luckily, before I went out and bought a new cartridge, I found the "duct tape" tip, which fixed the problem.
Thankyou very much


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## inkinawink

Yes, these printers have faulty ink sensors, using duct tape, or black electrical tape is a good bypass solution, but be careful, to watch ink levels, as the head will burn out if the printer is allowed to continue printing when ink has really run out.


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## jr21

inkinawink said:


> Yes, these printers have faulty ink sensors, using duct tape, or black electrical tape is a good bypass solution, but be careful, to watch ink levels, as the head will burn out if the printer is allowed to continue printing when ink has really run out.


didn't help mine. but it has to be the sensors. anybody have outher ideas?
thanks


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## Nusa

The duct tape solution (actually I used black electrical tape) works fine for me. Be sure to wrap the tape down into the recess on each side of the narrow clear plastic projection in the middle of the opening in the back end of the cartridge. The sensor has two arms that fit into the opening and sense the ink level by looking through that plastic projection.

Some people have reported that pulling out the horseshoe shaped sensor located at the back of the ink cartridge slot in the printer and clipping the wires also works. With no light source and no sensor to receive the light shining through the plastic the printer thinks the cartridge is full. Luckily the tape worked for me and I did not have to go to this extreme.


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## gfaz95608

After trying all the fixes for the mfc-240c low ink or no cartridge,
and before I threw it out. I broke out the little black U shaped sensor as well as the little white plastic sensor to the right of it.
Unplugged and plugged it back in. IT WORKED.
Vice grips were my precision tool.


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## jtfuel

wlweger said:


> Turn the printer off. take out the color cartridges. on the end with the ink openings, in the middle is a small opening and a little plastic window. you've got to cover the plastic window with a small piece of duct tape. work the edges of the tape into the slot.
> 
> Evidently the machine senses ink levels thru that opening. I found this solution on another site and applied it to my machine. It worked. Yes, I would have been steamed at having to replace all the color carts when I only needed black.


Thank you. Never though I'd have to hack my printer :-S Works like a charm! (waiting for my new cartridges to arrive)


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## computer_dave

Taping up the those windows worked great for me, now I will only need to buy black carts. Excellent ray:


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