Ink and paper led lights flashing

I have a brother MFC 3240C. My Black ink stopped printing(initially printed horizontal faded lines and gradually got worse), the other colors were printing fine. I tried cleaning numerous time( 50 -100 times over 1-2 weeks ). Still no improvement. The way I print now is:
1. I go to Printer Properties
2. Change Media type from "Plain Paper" to "Inkjet Paper".
3. Change Quality to "Photo".

This takes a long time to print 1-2 minutes per page. However, this works for me since this is my Home printer and use it for printing only few pages here are there.

Good Luck
RK

I have a brother MFC 3240C. My Black ink stopped printing(initially printed horizontal faded lines and gradually got worse), the other colors were printing fine. I tried cleaning numerous time( 50 -100 times over 1-2 weeks ). Still no improvement. The way I print now is:
1. I go to Printer Properties
2. Change Media type from "Plain Paper" to "Inkjet Paper".
3. Change Quality to "Photo".

This takes a long time to print 1-2 minutes per page. However, this works for me since this is my Home printer and use it for printing only few pages here are there.

Good Luck
RK

I have a brother MFC 3240C. My Black ink stopped printing(initially printed horizontal faded lines and gradually got worse), the other colors were printing fine. I tried cleaning numerous time( 50 -100 times over 1-2 weeks ). Still no improvement. The way I print now is:
1. I go to Printer Properties
2. Change Media type from "Plain Paper" to "Inkjet Paper".
3. Change Quality to "Photo".

This takes a long time to print 1-2 minutes per page. However, this works for me since this is my Home printer and use it for printing only few pages here are there.

Good Luck
RK

I have a brother MFC 3240C. My Black ink stopped printing(initially printed horizontal faded lines and gradually got worse), the other colors were printing fine. I tried cleaning numerous time( 50 -100 times over 1-2 weeks ). Still no improvement. The way I print now is:
1. I go to Printer Properties
2. Change Media type from "Plain Paper" to "Inkjet Paper".
3. Change Quality to "Photo".

This takes a long time to print 1-2 minutes per page. However, this works for me since this is my Home printer and use it for printing only few pages here are there.

Good Luck
RK

I have a brother MFC 3240C. My Black ink stopped printing(initially printed horizontal faded lines and gradually got worse), the other colors were printing fine. I tried cleaning numerous time( 50 -100 times over 1-2 weeks ). Still no improvement. The way I print now is:
1. I go to Printer Properties
2. Change Media type from "Plain Paper" to "Inkjet Paper".
3. Change Quality to "Photo".

This takes a long time to print 1-2 minutes per page. However, this works for me since this is my Home printer and use it for printing only few pages here are there. Better than throwing the printer.

Good Luck
RK

Hi. The reasons listed in the manual that cause the LED to flash normally are:

Front cover is open
Close the front cover of the printer.
Back cover is open
Close the back cover of the printer.
Paper jam
Clear the paper jam. See Paper jams and how to clear them on page 6-5.
If the printer does not start printing, press the Go button.
No paper fed manual feed slot
Put the paper in the manual feed slot. See Printing on plain paper, bond paper
or transparencies from the manual feed slot on page 1-10 or Printing on thick
paper, labels and envelopes from the manual feed slot on page 1-13.
Memory full
The printer memory is full and the printer cannot print full pages of a
document. See Solving print problems on page 6-15.
Print overrun
A print overrun occurred and the printer cannot print full pages of a document.
See Solving print problems on page 6-15.
Drum Error
The corona wire needs to be cleaned. See Cleaning the corona wire on page 5-14.

If you check out page 6-5 it tells how to clear the paper jam from the rear of the machine! A point often missed.

Check out the website below if you don’t have a copy of the instruction manual =

http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/BSC/public/files/dlf/doc002089/US_Eur.pdf

If all else fails, try a reset of the printer Drum & Page counter:

1. With printer tuned on.
2. Press and hold the “internal button” behind front cover, until all LEDs illuminate.
3. Make sure Drum light is off, then release and close front cover.

Hope some of this helps………..Please post a response back here and let us all know if it works?............Regards, Cornwellnet (UK)

When cleaning doesn't help, you need a new printhead. Around $89.00 now and then you add labor. They sell a new MFC 490 for around $120.00 with a year warranty.

Manual Feed Command.
1. Press the Job Cancel button to cancel the print job. Delete the print
job in the print queue on the computer. You can quickly access the print queue by double clicking the Printer icon in the task
tray or dock.

2. Turn the printer power switch OFF on the right side of the printer.
Check that the front cover is closed.

3. Turn the printer power switch ON while holding down the GO button
until the Toner, Drum, and Paper LEDs are lit.

4. Release the GO button. All LEDs will be off.

5. Press the GO button 8 times. The green Status LED will flash briefly
while the printer is reset. After the printer is reset the Status LED
will be lit green.

6. Print the Print Settings by pressing the GO button three times. If
the Print Settings pages do not print and the Paper LED is on again skip
to the next section - No Paper in the Paper Cassette.

If the Print Settings pages print, the problem is isolated to printing
from your computer. The Paper Source of the Brother printer driver or
program you are printing from may be set to MP Tray or Manual, instead
of Auto Select, Tray 1, or Tray 2 (if the optional paper tray is
installed). To check the Paper Source setting of most programs, click
File and Page Setup or Page Layout. You may need to click the Paper
Source tab or Paper tab depending on your software application. Verify
that in the Paper Source section does not list MP Tray or Manual. Choose
Auto Select, or another relevant source such as Tray 1. Click OK. Try printing the document again.


No paper in the paper cassette.
1. Pull the paper tray completely out of the printer.

2. Insert the letter or legal size paper into the paper tray with the
top edge of the paper first and the print side down. Make sure that the
paper is flat in the tray and below the maximum paper mark. If using a
paper size other than letter or legal, the paper should be loaded in the
MP Tray. The MP Tray can print on paper from 2.75 in. by 4.57 in. up to8.5 in. by 16 in.

3. While pressing the blue paper-guide release lever, slide the paper
guides to fit the paper size. Make sure that the guides are firmly in
the slots. For legal size paper, press the lever located at the back of
the tray and pull out of the back of the open tray.

4. ReinstalI the paper cassette back into the printer. Press the GO
button. If the alarm clears, no further troubleshooting is needed. If
the alarm continues, follow the steps below.


Paper Jam at Paper Pick-up.
1. Turn the printer power switch OFF on the right side of the printer.

2. Remove the paper cassette from the printer.

3. Elevate the front of the printer slightly to locate the jammed
paper.

4. Gently remove the jammed paper.

5. ReinstalI the paper cassette back into the printer.

6. Turn the printer power switch ON. If the alarm clears, no further
troubleshooting is needed.

Sounds to me like the word doc's page size is not set to the same as your printers tray.

In word, file , page set up. page size/paper size is set to "letter" in US I think is standard, it's A4 in Oz

On printer driver check page size setting too

Contral panel, printers and faxs, RIgHT click on brother printer icon, properties, printing preferences, page size

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