Brother MFC-J1800DW - Error and Maintenance Messages

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Error and Maintenance Messages
As with any sophisticated office product, errors may occur and supply items may have to be replaced. If this
happens, your machine identifies the error or required routine maintenance and shows the appropriate message.
The most common error and maintenance messages are shown in the table.
You can correct most errors and perform routine maintenance yourself. If you need more tips, go to your model's
FAQs & Troubleshooting page at support.brother.com/faqs.
Related Information references are at the bottom of this page.
Error Message Cause Action
B&W Print Only
One or more of the color ink cartridges
have reached the end of their lives.
You can use the machine in black & white
mode for approximately four weeks
depending on the number of pages you
print.
While this message appears on the LCD,
each operation works in the following way:
• Printing
If the media type is set to Plain Paper
and you selected Grayscale in the
printer driver, you can use the machine
as a black & white printer.
• Copying
If the paper type is set to Plain
Paper, you can make copies in black
& white.
• Faxing
If the paper type is set to Plain
Paper, the machine will receive and
print the faxes in black & white.
Replace the ink cartridges.
See Related Information: Replace the Ink
Cartridges.
Although the Cause column lists options
for using the machine after this error
appears, you may not be able to use the
machine until you replace one or more of
the ink cartridges under the following
condition:
If you unplug the machine or remove the
ink cartridge.
Cannot Clean ##
Cannot Initialize ##
Cannot Print ##
The machine has a mechanical problem.
-OR-
A foreign object, such as a paper clip or a
piece of ripped paper, is in the machine.
Open the scanner cover and remove any
foreign objects and paper scraps from
inside the machine. If the error message
continues, disconnect the machine from
the power for several minutes, and then
reconnect it.
See Related Information: Paper is
Jammed Inside and in the Front of the
Machine (Jam Inside/Front).
If you cannot print documents and
received faxes, transfer them to another
fax machine or to your computer.
See Related Information: Transfer Your
Faxes or Fax Journal Report.
Cannot Detect
You installed a new ink cartridge too
quickly and the machine did not detect it.
Take out the new ink cartridge and
reinstall it slowly and firmly until it locks
into place.
See Related Information: Replace the Ink
Cartridges.
An ink cartridge is not installed correctly.
The new ink cartridge has an air bubble. Slowly turn the ink cartridge so that the
ink supply port is pointing downward, and
then reinstall the cartridge.
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