Brother shows a fault as a message on the screen, such as Print Unable, Machine Error or Scan Unable, followed by a code. Each code in the list below is four characters long, made of the digits 0 to 9 and the letters A to F, for example 0501 or 4F01. Everyday conditions show as plain messages instead, like Jam Inside, Toner Low or Replace Drum. Write down the message and the code exactly before you do anything else.
Before you call
- Write down the message, the code after it, and what the machine was doing when it appeared.
- If it is a jam, a cover, toner or a drum message, follow the instruction on the screen. Those are not faults.
- For anything else, switch off at the power switch, wait a minute, and switch back on. If the screen says to leave the machine for 15 minutes, leave it for the full time.
- If the same code comes back, stop there, especially for a fuser code in the 05xx range. Call us with the code and the model, and the technician will bring the parts it points to.
Brother codes by family
01xx to 04xx: motors and laser unit
The motors that drive the paper path, and the laser unit that writes the image onto the drum.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 0102 | The engine board lost contact with the motor driver, or the motor driver has failed. | A technician |
| 0201 | The paper feed motor could not settle at its working speed. A damaged fuser gear or fuser unit can cause this as well as the motor. | A technician |
| 0203 | The eject motor has failed or is not connected. | A technician |
| 0300, 0305 | The polygon motor in the laser unit did not report that it had locked on to speed. | A technician |
| 0401, 0405 | The polygon motor in the laser unit did not stay in step. | A technician |
05xx and 69xx: fuser unit
The fuser unit that melts the toner onto the page. It runs hot, so these codes stop the machine for safety.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 0501, 0502 | The fuser unit did not reach its working temperature in time. Often the heater, its wiring or the fuser unit itself. | A technician |
| 0503 | The fuser unit read hotter than it should. | A technician |
| 0504 | The fuser unit heated up normally, then dropped below its working temperature. | A technician |
| 0505, 0506 | The fuser temperature rose or fell faster than it should. | A technician |
| 0508 | The temperature sensor at the side of the fuser saw no rise while the heater was on. | A technician |
| 050A | A temperature fault was picked up by the hardware itself, through one of the fuser sensors. | A technician |
| 050B, 050C | The centre and side temperature sensors in the fuser disagree with each other. | A technician |
| 6901, 6902 | A fuser fault was found at power on or on waking from sleep. The machine rechecks it after a restart. If it returns, the fuser needs a technician. | A technician |
08xx to 0Bxx: temperature, power and high voltage
The machine's own temperature sensing, its power supply, cooling, and the high voltage that charges the drum.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 0800 | The internal temperature sensor has failed or come unplugged. | A technician |
| 0900 | The power supply has seen an irregular mains supply many times over. The power at the wall may need checking as well as the machine's power supply board. | A technician |
| 0A02 | The main cooling fan has stopped. | A technician |
| 0B01, 0B02 | The high voltage power supply reported a fault. A broken corona wire in the drum unit can cause it, so the drum unit is checked first. | A technician |
| 3801 | The external temperature and humidity sensor has failed. | A technician |
| 6F00 | Shown as Print Unable ZC. An irregular power supply was detected a small number of times. Switch off and on; if it keeps happening, check what else shares the power point. | A restart may clear it |
17xx to 1Fxx: lower trays and tower tray
The optional lower trays (LT) and tower tray (TT) under the machine.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 1701 | The tower tray fan has stopped. | A technician |
| 1801, 1802 | The machine lost contact with the control board in lower tray 2 or 3. | A restart may clear it |
| 1808 | The machine lost contact with the tower tray's control board. | A restart may clear it |
| 1901 | The tower tray motor has failed. | A technician |
| 1F00 | The tower tray's balance sensors are not connected properly. Shown as No Tray Attachment. | A technician |
| 6D00 | More lower trays are connected than the machine supports. Shown as Too Many Trays. Switch off and remove the extra tray. | A restart may clear it |
| 8B01 | The tower tray is not switched on. Check its power lead and switch. | A restart may clear it |
| 9400 | The machine's firmware is older than the firmware in an added tray. Shown as Firmware Update. | A technician |
45xx to 50xx: parts at end of life
Page counters for the parts Brother expects to replace during the machine's life.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 4500 | The fuser unit has reached its page life. Shown as Maintenance, Replace Fuser. | A technician |
| 4600 | The laser unit has reached its page life. Shown as Maintenance, Replace Laser. | A technician |
| 5001 to 5006 | A paper feed kit has reached its page life: 5001 for the MP tray, then 5002 to 5006 for trays 1 to 5. Shown as Replace PF Kit. | A technician |
| 4F01 | Shown as Cartridge Error. The machine could not confirm a new toner cartridge. Check it sits on a level surface and refit the cartridge; if the message stays, the sensor needs a look. | A technician |
Axxx: document feeder and scanner
The ADF unit and the scanning sensors that read each side of the page.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| A000, AD00 | The scanner could not finish processing a page because too little image data came through. Remove the original and switch off and on, as the screen asks. | A restart may clear it |
| A500, A600, AC00, BC00 | The white or black calibration of one of the scanning sensors was out of range. Dirt on the white strip in the document feeder is a common cause. | A technician |
| A700 | The colour settings stored in the machine do not match one of its scanning sensors. | A technician |
| A900 | An error occurred while the machine was processing a scanned image. | A technician |
| AE00, AF00 | The flatbed scanning sensor could not find its home position. | A technician |
Cxxx to Fxxx: network, memory and firmware
Scan to network settings, the fax modem, the touchscreen, and the main board's memory and firmware.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| C001 to C004 | Shown as Log Access Error. The machine could not reach a network server, a user name or password was refused, a folder could not be written to, or the date and time were wrong. Usually settings, not parts. | A technician |
| D100, D200 | The fax modem board failed to start or is not detected. D200 shows as Machine Error. | A technician |
| D800 | The touchscreen failed to start. Make sure nothing is resting on the screen; if it persists, firmware or the panel needs a look. | A technician |
| E000, E100 | A checksum or program error in the main firmware. | A technician |
| E500, E600 | A memory or settings chip on the main board could not be read or written. | A technician |
| E701, E702 | A system or read error in the flash memory on the main board. | A technician |
| E900 | The NFC card reader failed to start. | A technician |
| EC00 | Shown as Unusable Device. A USB device drew too much power from the USB port. Remove it and switch off and on. | A restart may clear it |
| ED00, EE00 | The firmware or stored settings failed their self test at start up. Switch off and on. | A restart may clear it |
| F900 | The machine's specification code was not set correctly, often after power was lost during a setting change. | A technician |
Messages that are not faults
The toner cartridge is running low, then empty. Not a fault: fit a new cartridge. On a service agreement, order it from the customer portal.
The drum unit is near, then at, the end of its life. Replace Drum still lets you print, but fit a new drum unit soon and reset its counter.
The corona wire inside the drum unit needs cleaning. Take out the drum unit and slide the green tab from side to side a few times. If the message stays, the drum unit may need replacing.
The machine cannot see the toner cartridge or drum unit. Take it out and refit it firmly.
The front cover, the back cover or the ADF cover is not fully closed. Close it firmly. If it is closed and the message stays, the cover sensor needs a look.
A paper jam. The message tells you where: inside behind the drum unit, at the back cover, at a tray, or in the 2-sided tray. Clear it gently, and call if it keeps happening in the same place.
The tray has paper but none reached the machine. Reload the paper and press Retry. If it keeps happening on the same tray, the paper feed kit for that tray is usually worn.
An original is stuck in the document feeder, or was longer than it can take. Clear it and try again.
The paper in the tray does not match the size or type the computer asked for. Load the right paper, or change the setting in the print driver.
The machine is too warm inside and is waiting to cool. Keep it away from heaters and direct sun. If it happens often in a normal room, call us.
Need it fixed?
Call 1300 922 260 or book online and quote the full code. In Brisbane, see Brother repairs in Brisbane. For toner and parts, see our Brother page.
Common questions
What do Print Unable and Machine Error mean on a Brother?
They are Brother's fault screens. Print Unable means the fault stopped printing, Scan Unable means it stopped scanning, and Machine Error is a more general fault. The code after the message points to the four character codes above. Write the message and code down before you switch anything off.
How do I reset an error on a Brother?
Switch the machine off at the power switch, wait a minute, and switch it back on. That clears some power, USB, tray communication and scanning errors. Fuser codes in the 05xx range can be tried once after the machine has cooled, but if the same code comes back, the fuser needs a technician.
What does Drum ! mean on a Brother?
The machine has detected discharge that points to a dirty corona wire on the drum unit. Take out the drum unit, slide the green tab from side to side two or three times, and put it back. If the message stays, clean the contacts or fit a new drum unit.
Why does my Brother keep showing the same error?
An error that comes back after a restart means the cause is still there. Write down the message and code, and book a technician. The code tells us which parts to bring.
Checked against the Brother service manual for the MFC-L5700DN to MFC-L6900DW and DCP-L5500D to DCP-L6600DW mono lasers. HL printers, colour lasers and inkjets use codes in the same style, though individual codes vary a little between models. DSA is an independent service provider. Brother is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to describe the machines we service.