Error message: Service error 5100 on my new Canon MP160 Printer

Error Code.........Description
5000 ...................Home position error
5100 ...................Carriage control error
5200 ...................Head temperature sensor error
5400 ...................Printer temperature sensor error
5600 ...................No cartridge error
5C00 ...................Purging operation error
5200 ...................Scanner cartridge error

As a technician, I have worked on tons of printers. This particular error had stumped me for a while, but I finally found the cause. As others had pointed out before, it can have alot to do with some obstruction in the print path, the gears, or ink on the clear plastic encoder strip. You're on the right track - I found the the purge cap (the white sliding mechanism that the print head parks to when it's not in use) was not lubricated well enough from factory. If you lubricate the sliders with some white grease (don't get it on the small wipers or the black caps) the mechanism can now slide more freely, and the unit can park the head properly without giving you the dreaded head homing error 5100 (or E-2-2 on the LCD display) Keep in mind that this repair will probably require you to remove the right panel off of the printer to gain access to the purge mechanism. There are two screws behind the printer, and two in front for each corrosponding side panel (the front screws are behind the grey front panel of the printer - open the top cover to see the clips which hold the front cover on) Hope this helps some of you out.
good luck (^_^)

Hi, everybody! This I must share with you all: I also had an error 5100 pop up this evening, and of course I took off straight to canon's official website in search for a solution, thinking what on earth could a 5100 error be. Anyway, I read that one of you suggested shaking the cartridges a little. So, I immediately lifted the cover and guess what I saw? A piece of candy wrapper was stuck in under the cartridges! Of course, I know who the guilty one is: it's my younger grandson (15 months) who adores jamming things into opens, like the VCR for instance. So, be sure first there weren't some sticky little fingers involved before you start registry cleaning! Good luck. Eva from Slovenia

Hi there, problem with error 5100 solved by itself. After many attempts to clean heads, bottom plate, rollers, I changed ''Ink cartridge settings'' to ''Black only'', hit the ''Cleaning'' button again and the printer began shaking and sounding like a machine-gun.It stopped only after hitting the power off button. Restarted the printer, changed back ''Ink cartridge settings'' to ''Both black and color'' and that was all. Now all works like new (my pixma IP 1600 is approx. 3 years old).
It's worth trying. Good luck. Vlad from Romania.

The problem on my iP4300 was traced to an idler wheel bracket at the left end of the belt which moves the print head. The wheel is mounted on a plastic bracket which fits into a slot on the frame. Tension is maintained on the belt by a spring which fastens on to a plastic hook on the back of the bracket. THe plastic hook had broken off. 

Where are the screws on the front of he printer

My printer ever error 5100, when I open cover then cartridge go to replacement position but cartridge can't remove from printer, it stuck, the holder cartridge position not correct, I push the holder cartridge till i can remove the cartridges, remove cartridges, turn off printer, turn on again, put the cartridges again. Then everything going to normal. just that. Try to find something wrong with cartridge position or something wrong with your paper roller. Good Luck. Ibrahim Noor from Indonesia.

Yes it is a cartridge problem. the same thing happened to me and i actually came to this website looking for a solution. all i wound up doing was taking out both ink cartirdges, shaking them, and replacing them. problem solved.

Carriage problem