I changed the ink cartridge

My MFC-420CN acts up occationally. Remove the new cartridge, hold it as you would to install it, Rotate it to the right about 45°. Snap it with the back of a finger (dislodges any air bubbles in ink feed). Reinstall cartridge (ensure it is fully seated. This works for both Brother cartridges and the eforcity cartridges I've been using for the past couple of years. HTH
Lou

Hi Roxanne,

If you ran out of black cartridge and have not changed immediately, this is most likely what will happen. Remove first the new black cartridge and try using a canned air and blow on the nozzles in the print head. Chances are, the nozzles are filled with air and thus the sensor cannot detect the new black ink cartridge.

Good luck!

Hi roxannenjuan! I will be glad to assist you in this issue.. Your Brother machine is designed to stop ALL printing operations (printing from the pc, printing received faxes and printing copies or reports) when any of the ink cartridges are empty. This is to ensure the life of the print head and maintain premium print quality. If the unit were to continue printing, print jobs and cleaning cycles would suction air from the dry cartridge and damage the printhead. Even if you print in black only or change the print settings to MONO or GRAYSCALE to avoid printing in color, the programmed cleaning cycles would still suction the dry cartridge, because they are programmed to clean ALL the ink nozzles. The only way to continue printing is to replace the empty ink cartridge or cartridges.
While memory is available, black and white faxes will continue to be received into memory. If a color fax is being received, the Brother machines HANDSHAKE will request the fax be sent as black and white fax. All faxes received into memory will automatically print once the ink cartridge is replaced.
NOTE: Brother strongly recommends that customers do not use generic ink or refill their Brother ink cartridges. Using non-Brother supplies may affect the hardware performance, print quality and machine reliability since the ink formulation in genuine Brother ink cartridges prevent smearing and clogging of the print head. The Brother limited warranty does not apply to any problem that was caused by the use of unauthorizedthird party ink and/or cartridges.

NOTE:

*Brother strongly recommends that customers do not use generic ink or refill their Brother ink cartridges. Using non-Brother supplies may affect the hardware performance, print quality and machine reliability since the ink formulation in genuine Brother ink cartridges prevent smearing and clogging of the print head. The Brother limited warranty does not apply to any problem that was caused by the use of unauthorizedthird party ink and/or cartridges.

* DO NOT remove the ink cartridges from the Brother machine unless you intend to replace them. If you do, it may reduce the quantity of ink left in the cartridge, which may cause the Brother machine to miscalculate the amount of remaining ink.

* DO NOT shake the ink cartridges. If ink stains your skin or clothing, wash the affected area with soap or detergent immediately.

* DO NOT repeatedly insert and remove the ink cartridges. Doing so may cause ink to seep out of your cartridges.

* If you mix the colors by installing an ink cartridge in the wrong position, clean the print head several times after correcting the cartridge installation.

* Once you open an ink cartridge, install it in the Brother machine and use it up within six months of installation.

* Use unopened ink cartridges by the expiration date listed on the cartridge package.

* DO NOT dismantle or tamper with the ink cartridge. Doing so can cause ink to leak out of the cartridge.

I had this happen to me before try another then take the bad one back to where you bought it

Make sure the cartridge is not expired or dried out and is installed properly. If the ink doesn't flow the print head won't sense the new cartridge. Also make sure the print head is not filled dried out ink.

This happens sometimes. Brand new inks will show empty when installed. It's a defective ink cartridge. Return it to the store for a replacement. This happened to me 4 times in a row.

Hello, Roxanne. Do not be concerned. Your Faxes are not lost. This device will not print, scan or Fax if the cartridge is empty (or it thinks it's empty). From Brother support: This problem is typically caused by an incorrect selection made during the LCD prompting after a cartridge is replaced or the lock release lever did not snap securely over the ink cartridge when installing. Do the following to clear the message: Open the ink cartridge cover. Pull the lock release lever down and take out the ink cartridge for the color shown on the LCD. Reinstall the ink cartridge and lift each lock release lever and push it until it clicks, and then close the ink cartridge cover. The LCD should then display: Did you change xxxxxx? Yes No. The LCD should display this question for the color(s) that was replaced. BE SURE to select Yes using the up or down arrow key or Dial Pad. If Yes is not selected for the replaced cartridges, INK EMPTY will appear again. After all the correct selections are made, the machine will then go into a cleaning cycle. If the LCD displays "No Cartridge", there is a possibility that ink cartridges other than ones you replaced are empty. Follow steps below to check the ink volume. If there are empty ink cartridges, please replace them. Press Ink or Ink Management. * If your Brother machine does not have the Ink or Ink Management key on the control panel, please press Menu. Press the Up or Down arrow key to select Ink or Ink Management, and then press OK. Press the Up or Down arrow key to select Ink Volume. Press OK. The LCD shows the ink volume. Press the Up or Down arrow key to select the color (colour) you want to check. Press Stop/Exit. If the message "No Cartridge" does not disappear, unplug the machine from the AC power outlet and wait approximately 10 seconds, and then plug it back in. If the date and time appear on the display, the issue is resolved. Hope that helps !!

these printers have faulty ink sensors... a very common problem, using duct tape, or black electrical tape is a good bypass solution, but be careful, to watch ink levels, as the head will burn out if the printer is allowed to continue printing when ink has really run out.
Turn the printer off. take out the cartridge. on the end with the ink openings, in the middle is a small opening and a little plastic window. you've got to cover the plastic window with a small piece of duct tape. work the edges of the tape into the slot.

Evidently the machine senses ink levels thru that opening...
Be sure to wrap the tape down into the recess on each side of the narrow clear plastic projection in the middle of the opening in the back end of the cartridge. The sensor has two arms that fit into the opening and sense the ink level by looking through that plastic projection.

Regards Iversh