Canon S200 won't print

[PaulFXH]

Hi everybody
Using a three-y-o Canon S200 printer hooked up to a small 1.8GHz CPU,
256MB RAM, 20GB HDD (13GB free) computer with WinMe as OS.
The printer has been very lightly used throughout its life and has
performed well.
I recently alcohol-washed the print heads due to some poor quality
printing and also updated the driver from Canon.
However, now (about 4 weeks later) it has stopped printing.
The principal symptoms are:
1. First line of the Test Page prints(so both power and data from the
computer are reaching the printer) but then printing stops and an
error message advocating consultation of the User's Guide appears.
2. The User's Guide recommends little more than unplugging the power
cable, waiting 15 minutes and trying again. However, this does not
improve the situation.
3. When the front of the printer is opened, the print head device
(where the ink tanks are held) no longer moves to the middle to permit
removal of the tanks.
4. I re-installed the driver but no improvement resulted.

Can anybody suggest what options are open to me other than buying a new
printer?
TIA
Paul

 

[Davy]

Think we're looking at two faults, if not three here.

The heads are not moving to middle could be due to the sensor not
knowing if the flaps open or closed, more likely a micro switch
activated by some part or moulding on the flap, this could be the
cause of the error message if the micro switch is not in a close or
open position.

You've cleaned the heads and still won't print, so one could be right
in saying the heads are faulty.....I would assume so - but are
they..?

I wonder, have you tried a printer reset...? disconnect the power for
about 5 minutes and then try again.... it'll cost now't so may be
worth a try just in case the printers CPU's been on the booze and got
corrupted.

If you say what the error message is could provide a more exacting
clue.

Davy

 

[PaulFXH]

Davy escreveu:

Think we're looking at two faults, if not three here.

Hi Davy
Thanks a lot for your reply.

The heads are not moving to middle could be due to the sensor not
knowing if the flaps open or closed, more likely a micro switch
activated by some part or moulding on the flap, this could be the
cause of the error message if the micro switch is not in a close or
open position.

The switch that is activated/deactivated when the front flap is
opened/closed is not visibly broken but does nothing when moved
manually.

You've cleaned the heads and still won't print, so one could be right
in saying the heads are faulty.....I would assume so - but are
they..?

Just to correct one of the conclusions that you drew from my post:
actually, after cleaning the heads (about 4 weeks ago), the printer
worked perfectly for more than three weeks. So, I really don't believe
this is the problem.

I wonder, have you tried a printer reset...? disconnect the power for
about 5 minutes and then try again.... it'll cost now't so may be
worth a try just in case the printers CPU's been on the booze and got
corrupted.

I have tried several times the printer reset as you suggested, without
success.

If you say what the error message is could provide a more exacting
clue.

When I try to print the Test Page, the following error message is
shown:

An error that possibly requires a service call has occurred. Cancel
printing, turn off the power for a few moments, then turn it back on.
If this does not correct the problem, follow the instructions in the
User Guide [5200]

(Even though it says 5200, I believe it should read S200).

However, under the guide tab, a slightly different error message is
present which starts: "A problem has occurred with the printer
mechanism". Thereafter it is the same as the previous message.

I should also mention that, while the printer initially was printing
the first line of the test page (after the problem occurred about 4
days ago), it no longer even prints this first line. Therefore, despite
the fact that the cartridge holder did not move when the front flap was
opened, it obviously did move when printing the first line of the test
page.

I hope this clarifies things for you.
Paul

 

[Tony]

Hi everybody
Using a three-y-o Canon S200 printer hooked up to a small 1.8GHz CPU,
256MB RAM, 20GB HDD (13GB free) computer with WinMe as OS.
The printer has been very lightly used throughout its life and has
performed well.
I recently alcohol-washed the print heads due to some poor quality
printing and also updated the driver from Canon.
However, now (about 4 weeks later) it has stopped printing.
The principal symptoms are:
1. First line of the Test Page prints(so both power and data from the
computer are reaching the printer) but then printing stops and an
error message advocating consultation of the User's Guide appears.
2. The User's Guide recommends little more than unplugging the power
cable, waiting 15 minutes and trying again. However, this does not
improve the situation.
3. When the front of the printer is opened, the print head device
(where the ink tanks are held) no longer moves to the middle to permit
removal of the tanks.
4. I re-installed the driver but no improvement resulted.

Can anybody suggest what options are open to me other than buying a new
printer?
TIA
Paul

Paul
I am familiar with several Canon printers but have not seen this one, does it
have a LED indicator on the front or top? If so, do you get a number of orange
flashes associated with the failure? If so, the exact sequence of orange/green
flashes may help diagnose the condition, there are some common sequences used
in the "s" series and I may be able to help. Note the sequence may pause and
repeat so the precise sequence is important.
Tony

 

[PaulFXH]

Tony escreveu:

Paul
I am familiar with several Canon printers but have not seen this one, does it
have a LED indicator on the front or top? If so, do you get a number of orange
flashes associated with the failure? If so, the exact sequence of orange/green
flashes may help diagnose the condition, there are some common sequences used
in the "s" series and I may be able to help. Note the sequence may pause and
repeat so the precise sequence is important.
Tony

Hi Tony
Thanks for your reply.
Actually, I have only been using this particulat printer for the last 6
weeks (although it is nearly 3 years old) and there are no LED's
anywhere to be seen. Not even an old LED that used to work and doesn't
now.
So, that line of enquiry isn't going to help, as far as I can see.
Paul

 

[Tony]

Tony escreveu:

Hi Tony
Thanks for your reply.
Actually, I have only been using this particulat printer for the last 6
weeks (although it is nearly 3 years old) and there are no LED's
anywhere to be seen. Not even an old LED that used to work and doesn't
now.
So, that line of enquiry isn't going to help, as far as I can see.
Paul

Pity.
Many Canon printers report problems with flashing LED's and I was hoping this
one would.
Unfortunately service manuals for Canon printers are hard to come by.
Good luck
Tony

 

[Davy]

What about the PCB head connectors to the tank holder's... couldn't b
stained or mucky by any chance

Here have a peep at these error codes for the S400 I know it's not th
right printer but worth a try, even tells you how to reset-

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/canon/bj/s400.htm

Dav

 

[PaulFXH]

Davy escreveu:

What about the PCB head connectors to the tank holder's... couldn't be
stained or mucky by any chance.

Here have a peep at these error codes for the S400 I know it's not the
right printer but worth a try, even tells you how to reset-:

http://www.uktsupport.co.uk/canon/bj/s400.htm

Davy

Hi Davy
I owe you one--everything back to normal now thanks to your last post.
Having seen your list of possible errors for the S400 printer, I took
off the printer cover to check for any paper jam residues, signs of
anything broken or out of place or staining of PCB contacts.
Actually, everything was clean as a whistle.
Tony had earlier asked me about the presence of LED's from which the
nature of the error could be deduced. However, there are none. Likewise
there is no power button to try the reset procedure as described in the
link you sent.
I was literally on my way out to bring the printer to the local repair
shop when I decided to try a watered-down version of the reset (i.e.
without the power button, I couldn't do the full reset).
So, I held down the resume button. After about 20 seconds, the
cartridge holder miraculously started to move. Then tried the test page
(with the cover still off) and everything was normal.
Remarkably, there is no mention in the User Guide for this printer of
the use of the Resume Button to reset the CPU and thereby get things
moving again.
In addition, the two error messages I got (referring to the need for a
Service Call and that the "printer mechanism" had a problem) seem only
very vaguely related to what was the actual solution.
As a final thought, it is totally unclear to me how this little
difficulty arose. Is it just one of those things or can it be connected
with some operational peculiarity?
Very many thanks again,
Paul

 

[Davy]

Ah.... just that the printers CPU been on the booze and had hangover.

Davy

 

[Tony]

Davy escreveu:


Hi Davy
I owe you one--everything back to normal now thanks to your last post.
Having seen your list of possible errors for the S400 printer, I took
off the printer cover to check for any paper jam residues, signs of
anything broken or out of place or staining of PCB contacts.
Actually, everything was clean as a whistle.
Tony had earlier asked me about the presence of LED's from which the
nature of the error could be deduced. However, there are none. Likewise
there is no power button to try the reset procedure as described in the
link you sent.
I was literally on my way out to bring the printer to the local repair
shop when I decided to try a watered-down version of the reset (i.e.
without the power button, I couldn't do the full reset).
So, I held down the resume button. After about 20 seconds, the
cartridge holder miraculously started to move. Then tried the test page
(with the cover still off) and everything was normal.
Remarkably, there is no mention in the User Guide for this printer of
the use of the Resume Button to reset the CPU and thereby get things
moving again.
In addition, the two error messages I got (referring to the need for a
Service Call and that the "printer mechanism" had a problem) seem only
very vaguely related to what was the actual solution.
As a final thought, it is totally unclear to me how this little
difficulty arose. Is it just one of those things or can it be connected
with some operational peculiarity?
Very many thanks again,
Paul

Good one Paul and Davy.
I will write that little bit of information down for future reference.
BTW I have no doubt that it wasn't anything to do with the way the printer was
used, just a (hopefully) one off glitch.
Tony