Canon Pixma Printer F16 Error Code Fix

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What This Error Means

F16 on a Canon Pixma means “Ink Level Detection Error” – the printer believes a cartridge is empty, wrong, or unreadable. Under the hood, the chip on that cartridge isn’t sending a good ink-level signal, so the printer locks out printing until it thinks the problem is gone.

Official Fix

Canon’s official line is: check the cartridge the printer is complaining about, and replace it if anything looks off. Do this:

  • Power the printer off, wait 10 seconds, then power it back on. Sometimes F16 is just a bad read on startup.
  • Open the top cover and wait for the carriage to slide to the middle.
  • Look at the display or blinking LEDs under the cartridges – the one flashing or highlighted is the troublemaker.
  • Press down and remove that cartridge.
  • Confirm it’s the correct cartridge model for your Pixma, not from a different Canon or a random compatible that doesn’t list your exact model.
  • Check the cartridge:
    • No tape or orange plastic left on the ink outlet.
    • Vent hole sticker fully removed.
    • Gold contacts clean, not scratched to death or soaked in ink.
  • Gently wipe the gold contacts on the cartridge and the matching pads in the carriage with a lint‑free cloth slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol. Let it dry 2–3 minutes.
  • Reinstall the cartridge. Push firmly until it clicks and sits level with the others.
  • Close the cover and let the printer run its check. If F16 clears, run a nozzle check from the maintenance menu to be sure it actually prints.
  • If F16 is still there, install a brand‑new genuine Canon cartridge of the correct type. Power cycle the printer after swapping.
  • If even a new genuine cartridge still throws F16, you’re likely looking at a failing carriage board or main board – at that point, repair costs usually jump over the value of the printer.

The Technician’s Trick

Here’s what people who fix these all day actually do when F16 keeps coming back, especially with refilled or third‑party cartridges.

  • 1. Force the printer to ignore the ink sensor
    On many Pixma models, you can disable ink level monitoring for that cartridge:
    • Leave the “bad” cartridge installed.
    • When F16 or the “ink has run out” / “ink level unknown” message pops up, press and hold the Stop/Reset or Resume/Cancel button for about 5–10 seconds.
    • The warning should clear and the printer will keep going, but it will show that cartridge as empty or “ink level unknown” from now on.
    This lets you keep using refilled or “almost empty” cartridges, at the cost of losing the ink gauge. Stop using it if prints start fading or banding – that means it’s actually out of ink.
  • 2. Deep clean the contacts like you mean it
    If the chip isn’t being read reliably:
    • Remove the cartridge.
    • Clean the gold contacts with 90%+ isopropyl and a cotton swab until they shine.
    • Do the same on the printer side pads, carefully – don’t bend them.
    • Let everything dry fully before reinstalling.
    A poor contact can throw F16 even with a brand‑new OEM cartridge.
  • 3. For refills: reset or swap the chip
    Pros don’t just refill the tank and hope. They:
    • Use a chip resetter designed for that Canon cartridge series, or
    • Move the original Canon chip from an empty OEM cartridge onto the shell of a third‑party one (only if you know what you’re doing – the chip is fragile).
    If you’re not comfortable messing with chips, skip this and just buy chipped compatibles that list your model specifically.

None of these tricks will fix a cartridge that’s physically bone‑dry or has clogged nozzles. They just get around the F16 lockout.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: Printer is under 5–6 years old, everything else works, and a new set of cartridges costs well under half the price of a comparable new Pixma.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: You’re using pricey original Canon cartridges on a very light‑duty printer, or you already see streaks / other error codes on top of F16.
  • ❌ Replace: F16 won’t clear even with fresh genuine cartridges, or a shop quotes you for a new printhead / main board – that repair usually costs more than a new entry‑level Pixma.

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