Canon BJC3000 blinks orange

[Gunasegaran]

Hello,
The printer blinks 8 times in orange and then green alternately.
According to the manual it means that the waste ink tank is almost full.
I have cleaned the so called waste ink tank (which is just a sponge)
with lots of running water and dired it with a blow dryer. Reinstalled
the cover and the printer still doesn't work. Apparently you have to
reset the waste ink counter in the flash memory. Can any one help me
with this?
Best regards.
Guna.

 

[SleeperMan]

Hello,
The printer blinks 8 times in orange and then green alternately.
According to the manual it means that the waste ink tank is almost
full. I have cleaned the so called waste ink tank (which is just a
sponge) with lots of running water and dired it with a blow dryer.
Reinstalled the cover and the printer still doesn't work. Apparently
you have to reset the waste ink counter in the flash memory. Can any
one help me with this?
Best regards.
Guna.

Yep, you must reset it. Try search with google for waste ink tank or similar
words and if you'r elucky, you'll get a site with info on this reset. Since
your printer is of old type, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding it.

 

[Gunasegaran]

I did a google search and came up with this procedure:-

1) When the power is turned off, while holding down the RESUME button,
press and hold the POWER button. The green indicator will light up.
2) While holding down the POWER button, release the RESUME button. Then
double-click the RESUME button and release the POWER button.
(The indicator blinks in orange/green every time the RESUME button is
pressed.)
3) The green indicator blinks while initial operations are in progress.
When the indicator lights (stops blinking), press the RESUME button to
select one of the followings.
(The indicator blinks in orange/green every time the RESUME button is
pressed.)

Press Indicator Functions
3 times Lights in Orange Waste ink counter reset

Execute the function you have selected by pressing the POWER button. The
indicator will light in green, and the operation will be executed.
(The printer will turn off after the operation has completed.)

I have done this procedure a dozen times already and the orange lights
are still blinking and the printer still doesn't work. In step 3 the
lights begin to flash orange and it never stops blinking. Am I doing
something wrong here or am I missing something?
Best regards,
Guna.

 

[SleeperMan]

I did a google search and came up with this procedure:-

1) When the power is turned off, while holding down the RESUME button,
press and hold the POWER button. The green indicator will light up.
2) While holding down the POWER button, release the RESUME button.
Then double-click the RESUME button and release the POWER button.
(The indicator blinks in orange/green every time the RESUME button is
pressed.)
3) The green indicator blinks while initial operations are in
progress.
When the indicator lights (stops blinking), press the RESUME button to
select one of the followings.
(The indicator blinks in orange/green every time the RESUME button is
pressed.)

Press Indicator Functions
3 times Lights in Orange Waste ink counter reset

Execute the function you have selected by pressing the POWER button.
The indicator will light in green, and the operation will be executed.
(The printer will turn off after the operation has completed.)

I have done this procedure a dozen times already and the orange lights
are still blinking and the printer still doesn't work. In step 3 the
lights begin to flash orange and it never stops blinking. Am I doing
something wrong here or am I missing something?
Best regards,
Guna.

I couldn't say for sure, since i never tried yet, but i did read these info
and on one site i've read that in step 2 when you hold power and
double-click resume, when you release resume for the second time, you must
release both buttons at the same time! So, you hold power, press resume
once, release it, press resume second time and release both resume AND power
at the same time. try and see, i hope it will work.
If not, i've read temporary solution, which works until power is lost:

I have a temporary fix (doesn't keep without power):

1:Unplug power and USB
2 Open door and hold power button.
3: Connect power.
4: Close door, then release power button

Connect USB and an press power to use.

I don't know if this works for you (if you have USB) though...

 

[Gunasegaran]

Hello,
I did the procedure as mentioned by you. The waste ink counter is now
reset. The printer continued to blink orange but now only seven times
which indicates a defective printer head. I replaced the printer head
and the ink tanks. The printer is now working well but the printer head
and the ink tanks are almost 75% the cost of a new printer....very
expensive. The next time the printer head gives up I will not buy Canon
anymore. Thanks very much for your help.
Best regards,
Guna.

 

[Gary Tait]

Hello,
I did the procedure as mentioned by you. The waste ink counter is now
reset. The printer continued to blink orange but now only seven times
which indicates a defective printer head. I replaced the printer head
and the ink tanks. The printer is now working well but the printer head
and the ink tanks are almost 75% the cost of a new printer....very
expensive. The next time the printer head gives up I will not buy Canon
anymore. Thanks very much for your help.
Best regards,
Guna.

You'd be buying a new printer anyway, so why not a Canon, since
whatever "fixed head" printer will cost the same to replace the head.

Or if you are worried about heads, buy one of the brands that the head
is part of the consumable cartridge.

 

[SleeperMan]

Hello,
I did the procedure as mentioned by you. The waste ink counter is now
reset. The printer continued to blink orange but now only seven times
which indicates a defective printer head. I replaced the printer head
and the ink tanks. The printer is now working well but the printer
head
and the ink tanks are almost 75% the cost of a new printer....very
expensive. The next time the printer head gives up I will not buy
Canon anymore. Thanks very much for your help.
Best regards,
Guna.

Well, any printer you buy will sooner or later have a defective head. Only
if you buy a printer, which head is replaced together with cartridge (like
Lexmark), which i don't recommend, since costs are very high and you can't
refill it forever, too.
So, for high head cost you can't blaim Canon. You rather see it this way:
you have canon, so you did replace head. If you would have Epson, this would
not be possible, as Epson head can't be replaced, so you would spend 25%
more for brand new printer. If you use HP, carts are more expensive than
Canon etc.
So, at last, it's still canon. After all, how old is your printer? 2-3
years? That is average life of any printer.
I did have two LExmarks (never again - too bloddy expensive inks), now i'll
buy only printer with separate ink tanks ( now i have i550). After extensive
search, i found out that Canon is the cheapest ink and quite excellent print
quality.

Think of it this way: Now you have new printer for 75% price!

 

[Happy Seeburg Olympian Owner]

i have the same bjc3000 printer it has been the best injet i have owned
i have only replaced the head twice since i have owned it <if you keep the
head in its plastic storage box when not in use> it last a long time with no
clogs the only time after repeated cleanings and the print quality is
less than desireable you change the head out

Jim W

 

[SleeperMan]

I have yet to know the longevity of my Canon, since it's only about 6-8
months old. But i must say that print is waaay better than that at Lexmark
z33. I mean photo print is really considering that this is not a photo
printer, but it's quite OK for occasional photos. Also i did my first refill
perfectly, which i can't say for Z33, which just didn't print well after
refilling.
Some says that Canon lasers are pretty good, too

 

[Ron Cohen]

Maybe you should have done a little bit of internet shopping. BJC-3000
printheads are available on eBay for as little as $6.50 w/o ink tanks. There
are even complete printers available starting at $4.99 +s&h. This printer is
an older model printer and other than eBay, I don't know where you'd find
another one. I don't know how much you spent on the printhead alone, but I
still have a brand BC-33E for my old BJC-3000. It cost about $40.00 at Best
Buy when I got it nearly two years ago. $40.00 may sound high, but it also
comes with a complete set of ink cartridges. At the time those cartridges
alone would have cost about $38.50 thereby making the real cost of the
printhead $1.50. That's pretty cheap IMNSHO. Even the Canon web site lists
the BC-33E at $49.95. While the printhead is unique to only a few older
Canon models, the ink tanks are the same BCI-3 ones as used on the i850,
i560 and a bunch of other Canon printers. Let's look at this one other way.
Assume the cost was $49.95 which would be full list. For that you get a new
printhead and 4 brand new BCI-3 ink cartridges. Compare that to the cost of
a set of cartridges for a Lexmark or HP inkjet. With those models you have
the pleasure of replacing the entire cartridge each time a single color runs
out. How expensive will that be? Canon still wins.

 

[Gunasegaran]

Hello,
Maybe you guys are right. I haven't got much experience using printers
other than Canon. I thought that Canon was bad but it looks like all
brands of printers are the same. They seem to sell the hardware cheap
but screw you tightly when they sell you the ink.
Best regards.
Guna.

 

[Gary Tait]

Hello,
Maybe you guys are right. I haven't got much experience using printers
other than Canon. I thought that Canon was bad but it looks like all
brands of printers are the same. They seem to sell the hardware cheap
but screw you tightly when they sell you the ink.
Best regards.
Guna.

Canon isn't so bad in that respect. Also, their lower/mid end consumer
printers aren't chipped. Compatible cartridges are cheap.

 

[Ron Cohen]

All brands of printers are definately not the same. In the case of HP and
Lexmark the printhead is built in to the cartridges making the cost per page
very high. Refilling will help bring down the cost but how long a cartridge
will last is problematic. Canon and Epson have replaceable individual tanks
although Epson's have chipped cartridges which are designed to prevent
refilling - a problem easily overcome with software tools available at
refiller web sites. Epson's have non replaceable printheads with a history
of clogging. Canon is a very consumer friendly printer. The ink tanks are
easily refilled and are not chipped. Low cost 3rd party tanks are also
readily available for those not wanting to refill. The print heads are user
replaceable, but that is usually not necessary since they do not have a
noticeable history of clogging.

 

[Gary Tait]

All brands of printers are definately not the same. In the case of HP and
Lexmark the printhead is built in to the cartridges making the cost per page
very high. Refilling will help bring down the cost but how long a cartridge
will last is problematic. Canon and Epson have replaceable individual tanks
although Epson's have chipped cartridges which are designed to prevent
refilling - a problem easily overcome with software tools available at
refiller web sites. Epson's have non replaceable printheads with a history
of clogging. Canon is a very consumer friendly printer. The ink tanks are
easily refilled and are not chipped. Low cost 3rd party tanks are also
readily available for those not wanting to refill. The print heads are user
replaceable, but that is usually not necessary since they do not have a
noticeable history of clogging.

And judging by the price of things, not cost effective to replace.

 

[Ron Cohen]

Quite true. Take the Canon s820 for example - a great photo printer. When
they first came out the list price was around $300. The price quickly
dropped. I bought mine over a year ago and the net cost was a little over
$120.00. The other day Staples.com had them for $50 with free shipping. Ebay
prices are sometimes lower and sometimes higher. I've purchased two
additional (for family members, not because mine was broken) off eBay. One
had a total price with s&h of $55.00 and the other was $65.00. The six ink
tanks alone are worth about $70.00. It doesn't make sense to purchase
replacement parts when an entirely new printer is less costly. Another
example is the i950. That model is still marketed, but it has also dropped
in price. Just not enough. It's been superceded by the i960 which sells for
less than most i950's are going for on eBay. Subtract the included
consumables from the purchase price and the net cost is about what a new
printhead would be.