A service call on an OKI shows as a line of instruction followed by a three digit number and the word Error, for example Inspection is required, 170:Error, or Power OFF/ON, 002:Error. Some are followed by two more characters, or by strings of figures, that pin down the exact cause. Write all of it down before you do anything else.
Paper jams and supplies messages show differently: as a plain message such as Paper jam has occurred, each with a three digit error number of its own, for example 391 for tray 1. The number says exactly where to look.
How OKI codes are sorted
Mostly software, timing and communication errors. The panel is asking you to switch the machine off and back on, and that usually clears it. If figures are shown with the code, write them down first.
The machine has found a fault in a part, such as the fuser unit, an LED head, a fan or a board. A restart is worth one try for some of these, but if the same number comes back, the part needs a technician.
Before you call
- Write down the three digit number and any figures or characters shown with it, and what the machine was doing when it appeared.
- For a paper jam, open the cover or tray the panel names and remove the paper gently. The fuser area can be hot.
- For a service call, switch the machine off, wait a minute, and switch it back on. Codes shown with Power OFF/ON usually clear this way.
- If the code comes back, or it is a fuser error from 167 to 177, stop there and call us with the code and the model. Repeated restarts will not fix the cause.
OKI codes by family
- 001 to 090
- 054 to 067
- 104 to 128
- 131 to 163
- 166 to 177
- 181 to 184 and 915 to 982
- 190 to 257
- 370 to 394
- 901 to 987
001 to 090: controller board, memory and firmware
The CU/PU board that runs the machine, its memory, its flash and its stored settings.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | A hardware fault was found on the main board, or the power supply to it is poor. | A technician |
| 002 to 012 | The program ran into an error it could not handle, or a watchdog timer ran out. Note the figures on the screen, then switch off and on. | A restart may clear it |
| 030 | The memory check on the main board failed. The RAM module is reseated first. | A technician |
| 040 | The settings memory (EEPROM) on the main board has an error. | A technician |
| 042, 043, 045 | The flash memory on the main board could not be read, is a version the program does not support, or would not format. | A technician |
| 052 | The image processor aborted a memory transfer. A restart often clears it; if it returns, the memory module is replaced. | A restart may clear it |
| 072 to 077 | Communication or image data errors between the controller and the print engine. Note the figures on the screen and restart. | A restart may clear it |
| 078 | Communication lost with the operator panel. | A restart may clear it |
| 080, 081 | The stored parameters could not be read, or failed their check. 081 needs the memory reinitialised. | A technician |
| 090 | An error at the stapler unit. | A technician |
054 to 067: scanner, hard disk and sleep mode
The link between the controller and the scanner, the hard disk, and the sleep mode supervisor.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 054, 057, 058, 059 | A communication error or timeout between the controller and the scanner unit, or an error in the scanner's own control section. | A restart may clear it |
| 055 | The controller cannot find the scanner unit. If a restart does not clear it, the connection between the scanner and the printer is checked. | A restart may clear it |
| 056 | The controller cannot find the hard disk. | A technician |
| 067 | A communication error with the sleep mode supervisor program. | A restart may clear it |
104 to 128: engine, options, power and cooling
The engine board, fitted options, the power supplies, the humidity sensor and the fans.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 104, 105 | The engine settings memory (EEPROM) could not be read, written or found at power on. | A technician |
| 106 | An error in the engine control logic. | A restart may clear it |
| 111 to 114 | A duplex unit, or a tray 2, 3 or 4, made for a different model has been fitted. | A technician |
| 120, 122 | The print unit cooling fan, or the low voltage power supply fan, has stopped. | A technician |
| 121 | An interface error with the high voltage power supply. | A technician |
| 123, 124 | The humidity sensor is not connected, or is reading out of range. | A technician |
| 126 | Condensation was detected inside, which happens when a machine is brought in from the cold. Leave it switched off until it has fully warmed to room temperature, then switch it on. | A restart may clear it |
| 127, 128 | The fuser fan, or another engine fan, has stopped. The two characters after 128 name the fan: belt cooling, fuser side, image drum motor, fuser intake, duplex or fuser exhaust. | A technician |
131 to 163: LED heads, image drums, belt and toner
The LED heads that write the image, the image drum lift, the fuses in the belt and fuser units, and the toner sensors.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 131 to 134 | An LED head is not detected: 131 yellow, 132 magenta, 133 cyan, 134 black. | A technician |
| 142 | The image drum unit did not move up or down as it should, going by the cyan drum position sensor. | A technician |
| 154 | The fuse in the belt unit has blown. | A technician |
| 155 | The fuse in the fuser unit has blown. | A technician |
| 160 to 163 | The toner sensor cannot detect toner: 160 yellow, 161 magenta, 162 cyan, 163 black. Check the cartridge is in and its lever is locked first. | A technician |
166 to 177: fuser unit
The fuser unit that melts the toner onto the page, and the thermistors that watch its temperature.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 166 | A thermistor in the high voltage power supply reads shorted, open, too hot or too cold. The two digits after the code say which. | A technician |
| 167 | A fault with a fuser thermistor. | A technician |
| 168, 169 | The fuser's compensation thermistor or upper side thermistor reads shorted, open, too hot or too cold. | A technician |
| 170, 171 | The heat roller thermistor is short circuit or open circuit. | A technician |
| 172, 173 | The heat roller went over temperature, or stayed too cold. | A technician |
| 174, 175 | The backup roller thermistor is short circuit or open circuit. | A technician |
| 176, 177 | The backup roller went over temperature, or stayed too cold. | A technician |
| 928 | The fuser motor is not running normally. | A technician |
| 980 | Paper has wrapped around the fuser unit, or the machine could not recover from a fuser fault. | A technician |
181 to 184 and 915 to 982: duplex unit and trays
The duplex unit and the optional paper trays.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 181 to 184 | Lost contact with the duplex unit (181), or with optional tray 2, 3 or 4 (182 to 184). | A technician |
| 915, 916 | The duplex unit thermistor is short circuit or open circuit. | A technician |
| 918 | The duplex unit fan has stopped. | A technician |
| 931, 933, 934, 935 | A processor clock error in the duplex unit or in optional tray 2, 3 or 4. | A restart may clear it |
| 982 | More trays are fitted than the machine supports. | A technician |
190 to 257: programs, RFID and security
Controller programs, the RFID reader that checks consumables, and secure erase.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 190 | The system memory overflowed. | A restart may clear it |
| 203 to 214 | Controller or print engine program errors, including a failed download of the custom media table. Note any figures shown and restart. | A restart may clear it |
| 230 | The RFID reader that reads the chips on toner cartridges and image drums is not detected. | A technician |
| 231 | An RFID reader error. The two digits after it say whether it is the reader board, too many chips, or the toner cartridge or image drum of one colour. | A technician |
| 232 | Two image drums of the same colour have been detected. | A technician |
| 250 to 257 | Secure file or secure disk erase failed, or an unexpected error when starting up in security mode or starting the hard disk. | A technician |
370 to 394: paper jams
Jams in the trays, the paper path and the duplex unit. The panel names the tray or cover to open.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 391 to 394 | Paper did not feed from tray 1, 2, 3 or 4. Pull out that tray and remove the paper; repeats from one tray usually mean worn feed and retard rollers. | A technician |
| 390 | Paper did not feed from the MP tray. | A technician |
| 380 | Jam at the feed stage of the paper path. Open the front cover. | A technician |
| 381, 382, 385 | Jam in transport under the image drums, at the exit, or with paper wrapped around the fuser. | A technician |
| 383, 384, 389 | Jam at the duplex entry or the upper output tray, or a page lost part way through printing. | A technician |
| 370 to 373 | Jams near the duplex unit: as the page reverses, as it goes in, as it feeds back out, or with more than one sheet. | A technician |
901 to 987: belt, drives, engine processor and toner chips
The belt thermistor, the drum drive, the engine processor, and the chips on the toner cartridges.
| Code | What it means | Who clears it |
|---|---|---|
| 901 to 904 | The belt thermistor is short circuit or open circuit, or reads too hot or too cold. | A technician |
| 923 | The black drum is not turning normally. | A technician |
| 941 to 944 | The engine processor hit a watchdog timeout, an undefined interrupt, electrical noise or a circuit access error. Restart; if it returns, the board is replaced. | A restart may clear it |
| 983 | Two toner cartridges of the same colour have been detected. | A technician |
| 984 to 987 | A toner cartridge chip does not match its position: 984 black, 985 yellow, 986 magenta, 987 cyan. Fit the correct cartridge. | A technician |
Messages that are not faults
A toner cartridge is running out. Not a fault: fit a new cartridge of that colour. On a service agreement, order it from the customer portal.
An image drum is near or at the end of its life, errors 350 to 353 and 560 to 567. For a while the panel lets you press OK to keep printing; at 680 to 683 it must be replaced.
The fuser unit has reached its count, error 354, and printing stops. Book a service to fit a new one.
The belt unit has reached its count, error 355. Near Life is a warning only; at Belt Unit Life printing stops.
Error 356. On these machines the waste toner is held in the belt unit, so the fix is a new belt unit. Opening and closing the cover buys a short run before it stops again.
Errors 610 to 613 and 544 to 547. Seat the cartridge, lock its lever, and make sure the protection tape is off.
The chip on a cartridge or drum is not one the machine accepts for its region or channel, errors 550 to 557, 614 to 623, 690 to 693 and 704 to 707.
Errors 400 and 401. Check the paper and the tray guides, then open and close the cover and the page prints again.
Need it fixed?
Call 1300 922 260 or book online and quote the full code. In Brisbane, see OKI repairs in Brisbane. For toner and parts, see our OKI page.
Common questions
What is a service call error on an OKI?
It is the machine reporting a fault it has found in itself, shown as a three digit number followed by Error. The line above it says Power OFF/ON for errors a restart usually clears, or Inspection is required for faults in a part.
How do I reset an error on an OKI?
Switch the machine off, wait a minute, and switch it back on. That clears most codes shown with Power OFF/ON, and some shown with Inspection is required. Fuser errors from 167 to 177, and codes that come straight back, need a technician.
What does error 231 mean on an OKI?
The RFID reader that checks the chips on the toner cartridges and image drums has reported a problem. The two digits after 231 say whether it is the reader board itself, too many chips being seen, or the cartridge or drum of one colour. When it names a colour, the cartridge or drum of that colour is the usual suspect; otherwise it is the reader. If it stays after a restart, book a technician.
What do errors 170 to 177 mean on an OKI?
They are fuser unit faults. The heat roller or backup roller thermistor is short or open circuit, or the roller went over temperature or stayed too cold. They are safety related, so a restart is worth one try at most, and the usual answer is a new fuser unit.
Checked against the OKI MC853, MC873, ES8453 and ES8473 maintenance manual. Other OKI models use a similar three digit system, though individual codes vary between models. DSA is an independent service provider. OKI is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to describe the machines we service.