Epson 'the scanner unit is open': clearing a false open-cover message

What causes it

• The scanner unit resting slightly proud at one corner rather than latched
• A cartridge sitting too high and holding the scanner section up a millimetre or two
• Something trapped under the scanner unit, such as a wrapper or a sheet of paper
• The small plastic actuator tab on the underside of the scanner unit broken off
• A failed cover switch inside the chassis

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 scanner unit fully and close it again

   Lift the scanner section until it holds itself open, then lower it in one smooth motion and press down gently on both front corners. Do not slam it. Half of all cases are simply a lid that came to rest a hair short of the switch, and a deliberate open and close fixes them.

2. Check the cartridges are all pressed down

   With the scanner unit open, look along the row of cartridges from the side. Any cartridge sitting higher than its neighbours will foul the underside of the scanner section and hold it open. Press each one down until it clicks and check the row is level before closing.

3. Look for anything trapped underneath

   Inspect the printer chassis under the raised scanner section for cartridge wrappers, torn paper, pens or the plastic strips from new cartridges. Even a thin piece of packaging in the wrong place is enough to keep the lid a fraction open. Clear everything out and close again.

4. Find the actuator tab and the switch

   Look along the underside edge of the scanner section for a small plastic peg or tab, usually on the left or right, that presses into a slot in the printer body. Check it is present and not snapped off. Then find the corresponding slot in the printer body and shine a torch in to confirm nothing is jammed in it.

5. Test the switch manually

   With the scanner unit open and the printer on, press gently into the switch slot with a plastic stylus or the blunt end of a pen and watch the display. If the message clears while you press, the switch works and the problem is the lid or the actuator not reaching it. If nothing changes, the switch itself has failed.

6. Power cycle after any change

   Turn the printer off with the power button, wait 30 seconds and switch it on with the lid properly closed. The cover state is re-read at power-on, and some models latch the error until the next boot even after the lid is closed correctly.

7. Improvise a fix if the actuator is broken

   If the tab has snapped off, a small piece of folded card or a blob of hot glue in the right place can press the switch reliably. This is a workaround rather than a repair, and it defeats a safety interlock, so only do it if you understand that the carriage can move while the lid is open.

Frequently asked questions