We have had a few customers report that when fitting or replacing a set of compatible cartridges or refillable cartridges to Brother printers that use chipped cartridges, they were getting a “cartridges not recognised” error message on the printer screen. We have played around with installing our compatible and refillable cartridges, version 1’s and version 2’s and have found no issues with these cartridges or with installing them. They recognise and work every time. The problem is mostly a procedure problem.
What we have found through talking to customers who had the issues is that the customers are installing compatible or refillable cartridges and mixing them with the original cartridges, this normally will not work. When they have these problems they are then removing all of the cartridges in the printer and installing all of the replacement cartridges, only to find that they get an error message. Installing all 4 cartridges randomly together will not work, even with originals.
We have worked out a correct installation procedure below that will prevent the error messages when you change over to refillable or compatible cartridges..
We would first state that there is currently 2 versions of the chipped LC-123 cartridges and the LC-125/127 cartridges and we are advised that a third version is on its way. The version changes on the chips are to suit the firmware that the printers are loaded with from the factory. Earlier printers upto August 2014 operated on the version 1 chips and printers after that date required the version 2 chip.
If only it was that simple, sigh.
Owing to stock turnover issues in that some printers have been on the shelf or in store for a while, many version 1 firmware printers have overlapped the version 2 printers and were being sold after the August change date, and are still being sold now. The point here is that it is next to impossible to advise a customer on the DCP-J4110DCP or the MFC-J6510DW and other models, what chip version to use because we do not know when the printer they have purchased was actually produced and which firmware is installed.
So when replacing cartridges, we would recommend that you play safe and always use the latest stable version chips available for your printer model, in this case they are version 2 chips. When you have found a supplier with cartridges that work, i.e. they are recognised and they print well, stick with that supplier and those cartridges. “Beware strangers bearing gifts” is appropriate when it comes to buying recently released cartridges. Cheap ebay cartridge offerings and “x many for £10.00” may well be buying you a problem.
Installation Procedure
1) Open the cartridge cover and remove all 4 cartridges from the printer.
2) Turn the printer off using the on/off power button and after it has powered down, remove the power lead from the printer. (turning the plug power switch will not work)
3) After 5 minutes reinstall the power lead, turn on the on/off button and the printer will turn on and then complain that there are no cartridges installed.
4) At this point you have cleared the printers memory from the cartridges and ink levels that were installed.
5) Follow the messages on the printer screen ait will tell you which colour cartridge to install. Do this untill all 4 cartridges are installed.
6) The screen will then ask you to close the ink cover and when you do this the printer will start to prime the cartridges and you are done!
Notes
a) Whilst installing the cartridges, you may get a message that a cartridge was not recognised and the screen will then ask you to remove and reinstall the cartridge slowly. This is O/K and does happen frequently.
b) Do not mix refillables with compatibles or original cartridges, this will cause recognition and other strange messages from the printer.
c) If this procedure does not work for you when installing a new set of cartridges, you probably will have been supplied with incorrect chipped version cartridges. If this is the case do not blame the cartridge supplier, how are they meant to know what version cartridges you need.
d) Should you hit a problem with a set of cartridges that were working and then the printer advises of non recognition, go through steps 1) to 3) above.
A video on this will follow.