Brother 'Cannot Detect' ink cartridge: detection fault fix

What causes it

• The orange protective cap left on a new cartridge
• The cartridge not pushed in far enough for the lever to click
• Ink or dust on the cartridge chip or the contacts inside the machine
• A compatible or refilled cartridge the firmware will not validate
• A cartridge fitted in the wrong colour slot

How to fix it, in order

Work down the list and stop when the printer recovers. The steps are ordered from most likely and least invasive to last resort.

1. Open the cartridge cover and remove the flagged cartridge

   Open the ink cartridge cover on the front of the machine, press the release lever behind the cartridge showing the error, and lift it out. Have a piece of kitchen towel ready, because the ink outlet at the base will be wet and it marks anything it touches.

2. Check the orange protective cap is off

   New Brother cartridges have an orange plastic cap over the ink outlet at the bottom, and the machine cannot detect ink through it. Twist and pull it off before fitting. Do not touch the exposed outlet or the chip afterwards, and do not attempt to refit the cap once removed.

3. Wipe the chip and the clear window

   Look at the cartridge for a small chip and a clear plastic window on the side, which the machine's optical sensor reads through. Wipe both gently with a dry lint-free cloth. Ink smeared over the window is a genuinely common cause and takes seconds to clean once you know to look.

4. Clean the contacts inside the machine

   With the cartridge out, shine a torch into the empty slot and look for the metal contacts and the small sensor. Wipe them with a dry cotton bud, taking care not to bend anything, and blot up any pooled ink with kitchen towel. Let the slot dry before refitting.

5. Refit until the lever clicks

   Slide the cartridge into the correct colour slot, following the colour markings above each position, and push until the release lever snaps closed. The click is the point at which the contacts engage. A cartridge that is in but not clicked reads as missing every time.

6. Power cycle the machine

   Close the cover, hold the power button to switch off, wait 30 seconds and switch back on. The detection routine runs at power-on as well as at cover close, so a full restart gives the cleanest recheck. Watch whether the message returns immediately or the machine reaches ready.

7. Test with a genuine cartridge

   If the flagged cartridge is compatible or refilled, fit a genuine Brother LC cartridge for that colour and see whether the message clears. Brother firmware updates change chip validation, and compatibles that worked previously can stop being accepted with nothing else having changed.

Printers that show this code

Frequently asked questions