Canon shows these as E followed by three digits, then a dash and a four digit detail code, for example E001-0000. Some panels pad the main code with zeros, so E000001 is the same code as E001. Write the whole code down, detail code included, before you do anything else.
Canon also sorts what the panel shows into three kinds of code: error codes, jam codes and alarm codes. Fixing assembly errors are held in memory until a technician clears them in service mode, which is why switching off and on will not clear them even when it looks like it should.
How Canon codes are sorted
The E codes. The machine has found a fault and stops the function involved. Some clear with a restart. Fixing assembly errors stay locked until a technician fixes the cause and clears them in service mode.
Paper has stopped at a sensor. The code names the sensor and the tray the sheet came from. Some jam states clear by opening and closing the door or restarting; if the same one keeps coming back, the machine raises an error code instead.
A function is not working as it should, or a supply needs attention, but the machine may keep running. Toner, waste toner, staples and punch waste all report as alarms.
Before you call
- Write down the full code, including the four digits after the dash, and what the machine was doing when it appeared.
- Switch off at the main power switch, wait a minute, and switch back on. Some reader, document feeder and controller codes clear this way.
- If it comes back, or it is a fixing assembly code such as E001 or E003, stop there. Repeated restarts will not fix the cause, and the fixing area runs hot.
- Call us with the code and the model. The code tells the technician which parts to bring.
Canon codes by family
E001 to E014: fixing assembly
The fixing assembly, Canon's name for the fuser, with its film unit, pressure roller and drive.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E001-0000, E001-0001 | A temperature sensor in the fixing assembly read far too hot. The machine locks for safety. | A technician |
| E001-0003 | The over temperature protection in the fixing assembly tripped. | A technician |
| E003-0000, E003-0002 | The fixing heater was switched on but the fixing assembly stayed cold, or a sensor reads as disconnected. | A technician |
| E003-0001 | The fixing assembly fell well below its working temperature while paper was feeding. | A technician |
| E003-0004 | The fixing assembly did not finish warming up in the time allowed. | A technician |
| E004-0000 | The fixing assembly connection is not detected. It may not be seated, or a connector is loose. | A technician |
| E004-0001 | A relay feeding the fixing heater has stuck on, which means a board replacement. | A technician |
| E009-0000, E009-0001 | The fixing pressure did not engage or release when expected. | A technician |
| E009-0002 | Fixing pressure cam fault, most often caused by grease spread over the cam. | A technician |
| E014-0001 | The fixing motor is not turning at the right speed. | A technician |
E012 and E061: drum units and drive
The drum units, one per colour, the motors that turn them, and the ITB motor.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E012-0101 to E012-0406 | A drum motor or its encoder sensor is not turning or reporting correctly. The second digit of the detail code shows the colour: 1 yellow, 2 magenta, 3 cyan, 4 black. | A technician |
| E012-1000, E012-1001 | The ITB motor is not turning at its set speed. | A technician |
| E012-2000 to E012-3002 | The drum motors for all colours, or the drums and the ITB together, failed to turn or report. | A technician |
| E061 | Abnormal current at a drum unit during its start up check. Often the drum unit itself or its earth contact. | A technician |
E013 to E027: developing and toner supply
The developing assemblies, their motors, the toner containers and the recycle toner system.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E013-0001 | The recycle toner stirring motor is not turning at the right speed. Sometimes the recycle toner container is overfull. | A technician |
| E020-0011 to E020-0024 | The patch sensor reading for one colour is out of range, pointing at the developing assembly, the drum or the patch sensor. | A technician |
| E020-0130 to E020-04B1 | The toner density sensor in a developing assembly failed its check, or the toner to carrier ratio is out of range. | A technician |
| E021-0100 to E021-0400 | A developing motor for one colour is not turning at the right speed. | A technician |
| E025-0100 to E025-04C0 | A toner container fault for one colour: the container motor has locked, or the bottle seal or cover was not detected opening or closing. | A technician |
| E027-0100 to E027-0400 | Toner is not being supplied into a developing assembly as expected. | A technician |
E074 and E075: ITB and primary transfer
The ITB, the intermediate transfer belt that carries the image from the drums to the paper.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E074-0001, E074-0002 | The primary transfer rollers did not move into or out of contact with the ITB. | A technician |
| E075-0002, E075-0005 | The ITB steering could not find its home position. | A technician |
| E075-0003, E075-0103 | The ITB has drifted fully to the rear or the front. The belt must be realigned or replaced. | A technician |
E1xx: laser scanner units and engine boards
The two laser scanner units that write the image, and the boards inside the printer engine.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E100-0100, E100-0300 | A laser scanner unit, on the yellow and magenta side or the cyan and black side, did not give its start of line signal. | A restart may clear it |
| E112-0000 to E112-0002 | The dustproof shutter over the laser did not reach its position. | A technician |
| E197-1001 to E197-1004 | A board in the printer engine is disconnected: the feed, drum, cassette feed or high voltage board. | A technician |
E2xx and E3xx: reader and scanner
The reader on top of the machine and the scanner units that read your originals.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E202-0001, E202-0002 | The scanner unit did not find its home position. | A restart may clear it |
| E227 | A 24 volt supply error in the reader at power on. | A restart may clear it |
| E248-0001 to E248-0003 | The memory on the reader controller board failed at power on. | A restart may clear it |
| E280 | Communication lost between the reader controller board and a scanner unit. | A restart may clear it |
| E301, E302 | Scanner light level or shading calibration failed. Often the reading LED, a cable, or a dirty shading plate on the reading glass. | A technician |
E4xx: document feeder
The document feeder on top of the reader.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E400-0001, E400-0002 | Communication lost between the reader and the document feeder. | A restart may clear it |
| E400-0003 | The flat cable between the reader and the document feeder board is disconnected. | A technician |
| E401-0001, E401-0002 | The document feeder pickup unit did not move from or return to its home position. | A technician |
| E407-0001, E407-0002 | The document feeder tray lifter did not reach its position. | A technician |
| E413 | The motor that releases the document feeder rollers did not move. | A technician |
E5xx: finishers
Staple, booklet and inner finishers, and the hole punch.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E500-0000, E500-0001 | Communication lost between the machine and the finisher. | A technician |
| E503-0002, E503-0003 | Communication lost between the finisher and its saddle unit or punch unit. | A technician |
| E509-0001 | The finisher fitted does not suit the machine. | A technician |
| E531, E532 | The stapler, or the motor that moves it, did not leave or return to its home position. | A technician |
| E540, E542 | A finisher output tray did not lift or shift as expected. | A technician |
| E590, E591 | The hole punch did not find its home position, or its punch waste sensor failed. | A technician |
E6xx: hard drive, memory and options
The hard drive, image memory, the fax board and the print server.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E602 | The hard drive was not recognised, or a partition on it could not be read. The detail code shows which part of the drive. | A technician |
| E604, E613 | Image memory on a main controller board is faulty or not enough. | A technician |
| E674 | Communication error with the fax board. | A technician |
| E677-0003 | The print server failed its check at start up. | A restart may clear it |
E7xx: controller, communication and firmware
The main controller boards, their links to the engine and finisher, and the system software.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E710 to E713 | Communication error between the machine and the finisher. | A technician |
| E730 | An error in the printer language software, or its version does not match the main system software. | A technician |
| E733-0000 | The controller could not talk to the printer engine at start up. | A technician |
| E744-0001, E744-2000 | Firmware or language file mismatch, typically after an incomplete update or a hard drive taken from another machine. | A technician |
| E747-1201 | An image processing error tied to one print job. A restart usually clears it, but sending the same file again may bring it back. | A restart may clear it |
| E748-2010 to E748-2012 | The flash board that holds the start up program could not be read. | A technician |
| E753-0001 | A system software update failed, sometimes because it tried to update an option that is not fitted. | A technician |
| E760-0001 | Internal error on main controller board 2. | A restart may clear it |
E8xx: fans, power and sensors
Cooling fans, the mains supply sensing, and the environment sensors.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| E805-0000, E805-0001 | A fixing heat exhaust fan is not running correctly. | A technician |
| E806, E807 | A delivery fan, the secondary transfer exhaust fan or a process cartridge fan is not running correctly. | A technician |
| E808-0000 | Zero cross error: the machine lost the mains signal while the fixing relay was on. The AC driver, or the power supply at the wall. | A technician |
| E811-0000 | The fuse that marks a drum as new did not cut off as expected. | A restart may clear it |
| E880 | A controller cooling fan has stopped. | A technician |
| E890 | An environment sensor stopped communicating or read out of range. | A technician |
Messages that are not faults
A toner container is empty, but toner left in the machine lets printing carry on for now. Not a fault: fit a new container. On a service agreement, order it from the customer portal.
That colour has run out and the machine stops until a new container goes in.
The waste toner case is nearly full. Printing continues, so have a new one ready.
The waste toner case is full. Not a fault, but the machine will not print until it is changed.
Alarm codes 61 and 62 mean the stapler has run out; 65 means the punch waste box is full. Refill or empty it and carry on.
A paper jam. The four digit jam code names the sensor where the sheet stopped, and the pickup code shows where it came from: 01 and 02 for cassettes 1 and 2, 05 for the multipurpose tray. Clear it following the panel, and call if it keeps happening in the same place.
Alarm 31-0008. The hard drive is reporting signs that it may fail soon. Not a fault yet, but book a call so the data can be backed up before the drive is replaced.
Need it fixed?
Call 1300 922 260 or book online and quote the full code. In Brisbane, see Canon repairs in Brisbane. For toner and parts, see our Canon page.
Common questions
What is an E code on a Canon?
An E code is the machine reporting a fault it has found in itself. The three digits after the E say which area of the machine it is in, and the four digit detail code after the dash narrows it to the exact condition. E000001 on some panels is the same code as E001.
How do I clear an E code on a Canon?
Switch the machine off at the main power switch, wait a minute, and switch it back on. That clears some reader, document feeder and controller codes. Fixing assembly codes such as E001 and E003 stay locked until a technician fixes the cause and clears them in service mode.
What does E001 mean on a Canon?
A temperature sensor in the fixing assembly, the fuser, has read far too hot, so the machine has locked for safety. It will not clear with a restart. A technician checks the temperature, replaces the film unit or other parts as needed, and clears the code in service mode.
What does E602 mean on a Canon?
E602 is a hard drive error in the controller: the drive was not recognised, or part of it could not be read. The four digit detail code shows which part. It needs a technician, and data on the drive may need to be restored after the repair.
Checked against the Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE C5255, C5250, C5240 and C5235 service manual. The same E code system runs through other imageRUNNER ADVANCE models, though individual codes and detail codes vary a little between models. DSA is an independent service provider. Canon is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to describe the machines we service.