WASTE TANK ALMOST FULL or FULL ERROR MESSAGE PROBLEM
This is true with many Canon Ink Jet Printers: Eventually, you'll get an error message "Waste Ink Tank Almost Full, Contact Your Canon Repair Center". Canon is totally sly about this, and is actually a pretty ridiculous design flaw that they should be ashamed of- planned obsolescence. Anyway, don't let this problem discourage buying an otherwise fantastic Canon printer.
This problem will also be indicated by flashing orange lights on your printer. Different flashes for different models.
LOOK IN YOUR PRINTER MANUAL TO KNOW WHAT NUMBER OF FLASHES INDICATE. In any case, your computer printer software will also tell you exactly what is going on.
You need to do this after you get the WASTE TANK ALMOST FULL message and the printer continues to work, but BEFORE the WASTE TANK FULL message and the printer completely stops. I think. ;-)
Here's the fix:
The waste ink take is actually just a felt pad that sits under the printer mechanism inside the case and absorbs the ink from your cleanings. From what I gather, its both a time consuming and expensive proposition to take to Canon to fix. And they won't tell people how to do it themselves. Well, I WILL. And this works.
Remember of course, you've got to cycle the cleaning process a huge amount of times to get this to occur.
But when it does, there is a fix-it-yourself solution that is both safe and effective for the printer, and free. You have to be slightly mechanical to do this. If you get this message and you've never used a screwdriver and are all thumbs, well, Canon gotcha. But give it a shot even then, or give it to someone halfway coordinated to do this for you.
You may RESET the printer code first if you like or do it after you clean the pad
In some cases you may need to REMOVE THE PRINT HEAD FIRST or the reset code will not work. This was true of the S900 and i960 so, remove the print head first before doing this reset.
This is the correct code for the S and I (like i960) series of printers. (M series below this)
1) Power off printer
2) Hold RESUME button then press and hold POWER. (The beeper MAY sound once, or may not depending on your model.)
3) Hold POWER and Release RESUME.
4) Press RESUME twice then release both POWER and RESUME buttons.
5) When the indicator lights steady, press RESUME 4 times (for the S900, 3 times for the 8200 apparently).
6) Press power to set data.
7) Print away!
For other codes for other printers and more info go here to this big forum (but try the above first) Fix Your Own Printer Generally many of Canon's models use exactly this same code, the i models use the same code, all the s models use the same code.
Now, for the PHYSICAL CLEANING OF THE WASTE TANK PAD....
• 1) Figure out how to open the printer by removing the side and inside top plastic panels. Just look at the thing and use your brain. Its all pressure clipped in place, no screws (at least on the S900 and similar models, probably still the same on this years models.) Look for slots and triangles on the 960.
• On the i960 you'll have to remove the power buttons assembly on the front- take out the two screws, unplug the internal white electro connector plug CAREFULLY, then you can undo the last clip that holds the top in place.
• 2) No need to remove the ink cartridges in this process- so don't. The mechanism is held down in place in the case by two screws at the very bottom on the outside bottom of the metal chassis inside. Remove these screws then lift up the mechanism. It should lift out fairly easily, but remain attached by wires-- just place it on the top edge of the case.
• 3) You'll see the blackened (from waste ink) felt pads on the bottom. WEAR GLOVES-- this is skin indelible ink, the only thing that will get it off your hands is CLOROX. Period. There are two skinny pads that sit on top of a larger pad. Note how they fit together.
• 4) Lift the pads out and rinse out thorough in a sink until very little or no ink comes out. There's no need to use chemical or soap cleaners, just use plain water from the tap and the spray nozzle. Keep rinsing and squeezing the pads, but don't twist them like a towel, squeeze and fold in half however to really get the ink out.
• Lay flat in the sun for a few hours to dry. Use a hairdryer to get the last bit of moisture out then replace in the printer, and put everything back together.
• 5) RESET the printer electronics, so you won't get the stupid "waste ink tank full" message any more. Do an online web search if this doesn't work for your model, although this works (or slight variations0 for many, including the 8200, the S800, and S900, and the i-series like the i869, i950, i960, etc.Two main buttons on the top of the printer- Power and the Resume:
If you've reset the code first, then cleaned the pad, you're now ready to print again.
If you've cleaned the pad first, go back and reset the printer, and then print away.
It is NOT recommended to continue printing (although you could for a while) after just resetting the code, because you will over-saturate the waste tank pad, and eventually destroy your printer.
