Updated 09/04/2024
Does this sound familiar? You press print and walk over to your Brother printer only to see an error message on the LCD screen; Unable to clean: Brother Machine error 46 or just ‘Error 46‘.
You won’t believe how common this is, in fact, Error code 46 affects the majority, if not all Brother inkjet printers and there is a fix that you can try yourself to get your trusty printer working again before it takes a swan dive through the window.
We’re going to teach you what you need to know to fix your Brother printer by changing the settings and without having to replace anything.
Here’s what you’ll learn from this post:
- What causes Brother Machine Error 46 on my printer?
- What is an ink absorber / why does my printer need it?
- What is a purge counter & how do I reset it?
- How to reset and clear the Brother Machine Error 46 on your printer
What causes Brother Machine Error 46?
According to the Brother support website, Error 46 on a Brother printer is displayed when something called the ‘ink absorber pad’ is full and needs to be replaced (don’t worry, you won’t need to replace anything when trying our fix).
This is an essential part of the printer and there’s a very good reason for having a correctly functioning ink absorber pad, but it’s a lot simpler than you might think.
What’s more, the error code is often triggered when the ink absorber isn’t full, which is why there is a simple way to clear out the error and get your printer up and running again.
What is an ink absorber pad / why does my printer need it?
The ink absorber, also common in Canon printers, is simply a small sponge pad, and its purpose is to collect excess or spilt ink that builds up during printing. The pad also collects any excess ink that might be spilt when a cleaning process is run (a printer often cleans itself before or after a print cycle and this uses a large amount of ink).
If your ink absorber is full, you will first see excess ink on your prints. The absorber can be replaced, but will need to be done by a brother printer technician and will likely cost more than the printer is worth. Ouch!
The ink absorber pad can be found in the bottom of the printer and without it, it’s likely that your printer would eventually leak ink and stain your desk or carpet in no time without one.
Why does my printer think the ink absorber is full if it isn’t?
Once an ink absorber has been used many times it can become saturated with ink, but because there is no easy way for software to determine how saturated the sponge is, instead it roughly calculates based on the number of cleans and print cycles that the printer has performed and often as a precaution, over estimates and gives the error message before the sponge is full.
What is a purge counter & how do I reset it?
As the printer effectively counts the number of print and clean cycles, this is done by something called the purge counter. The purge counter can be reset using the menu system on your printer via the LCD panel.
How to reset and clear the Brother Machine Error 46 on your printer
Firstly before we start, check if your printer is in warranty (you will get a 1 year warranty when you buy your printer), if your warranty is still valid then always contact Brother support first of all who should fix your printer for you. Don’t attempt the following fix unless your printer is out of warranty.
To fix and clear the Error 46 message, follow these simple instructions. There are 2 different processes for those Brother printers that have a number pad like a phone (ones that can Fax), and for those that just have buttons.
Part 1 – Put the printer into Maintenance mode:
- Unplug the power cord from the side of the printer.
- Hold down either the Menu, Set or Start button (you only need to hold one which is normally the menu button, but if you don’t have a menu button, then try the Set button, grey or green Start button or the down arrow).
- Keeping the button pressed down, plug the power cord back in and hold the button until you see a maintenance mode message (or ‘Error 46’ as Glenn pointed out in the comments) on the screen.
- Your printer screen should now read ‘Maintenance’.
If your printer has an LCD screen, the button you need to hold down as you unplug the printer will be either ‘set’, ‘start’, a green button, or menu button. Hold this down, then unplug the power cord and plug back in will still holding the button down. It may take some trial and error to find the correct button.
Part 2 – Resetting the Purge counter
There are different ways to reset the counter on printers that have a number keypad, compared to those that just have arrows. Here’s how to reset on each…
A – For printers with a number key pad:
- Type 80 on the keypad to open the options up.
- Use the down arrow key to scroll through the options until you see Purge followed by a number (this is the clean cycle count)
- Enter 2783 and the number next to the word PURGE should set to zero
- Press stop or exit to get back to the maintenance mode menu.
- Type 99 to exit and restart the printer.
Some more modern keypad printers have a different method to get into maintenance mode (thanks to BajaRon for his tips in the comments). If the above didn’t work, try the following:
B – For Modern printers with a number key pad:
- Hold down the home button (shaped like a house) until you see Serial No. / Rom Version / Print Page and a blank option.
- Press the blank option at the bottom of the list on the LCD screen.
- Press 0# on the LCD screen to enter maintenance mode.
- Enter 80 on the touch screen
- Use the arrows to scroll to ‘Purge Count’
- Enter 2783 and press ‘Mono Start’ which will reset the purge count
- Press stop to exit maintenance mode.
C – For printers without number buttons (printers that can’t fax):
- Once in maintenance mode, follow the same instructions above but instead of setting the numbers with the key pad, use the up and down arrows to scroll through the numbers…Scroll to 8 – press OK (or Set), then scroll to 0 and press OK (or Set).
- Then scroll through the options until you see the word Purge with a count next to it.
- Using the OK button again, enter the numbers 2,7,8,3. And the purge counter will set to 00000.
If you’d rather follow video instructions, here is a simple guide:
Hey Presto! This should reset the purge counter back to zero and stop the Printer Error code 46 from appearing again, at least for a good while! Who knew you could do this?? Mind well and truly blown! 🙂
If you’re looking for solutions to other Brother Error codes, you can find what they mean on the Brother Support Website.
Did this help? Let us know in the comments or if you need more advice or are struggling, let me know and I’ll do my best to get back to you!
About Stuart DeavallI have been working in the printing industry with TonerGiant for over 16 years, and I'm the resident technical printer expert, helping people fix their printer problems for over 14 years. I have taken part in many training courses with HP, Samsung, Brother, Canon and Xerox to further my knowledge, and I'm also the Digital Marketing Manager at TonerGiant.co.uk (degree qualified).
Saved my life! Error 46 came up on the same day as I had a presentation to prepare & needed colour printouts.
Only heart stop was that “Error 46” appeared instead of “Maintenance” after plugging in but all your instructions still worked fine.
Keep up the good work.
Hi Glenn,
that’s fantastic, I’m glad I could help. Thanks for the note, I’ll change the content to let everyone know about the maintenance message.
Stu
Brilliant your a life saver ( of the printer as the window was looking good)
i have a new brother DCP-T710W your advice is not working on my printer, please help me how can I reset the purge counter.
thanks so much.
Jennifer delacruz
Hi there, do you have the error 46 message on the lcd screen? I’m not sure if the same method will work on an ink tank printer such as the Brother DCP-T710W as the technology is different.
Thank you very much, allows me to carry on with the project I was trying to get finished.
I reset the purge and ‘sen purge counter’ in a BROTHER MFC j4410dw but when I switch on the above mentioned printer, even if the purge counter states ‘0000’, the ‘ink absorber almost full’ is displayed on the tiny lcd screen…
I do no know how to get rid of it; I have done the resetting procedure 4 times.
I wonder if the printer will work anyway, since the purge counter is reset and display 0000… or will it stop working?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
NG
Hi Nico,
If the problem still occurs after resetting the purge counter, then the ink absorber pad is full. This fix only normally works because in most cases, the message comes before the pad is full, so resetting the counter gives you some more time. Replacing the pad can be very expensive, depending on the printer so you may need a new printer unfortunately (unless you’ve had it less than 12 months, then Brother should replace it for free).
I reset to 00000 the purge and sen purge counter but the message ‘ink absorbing near full’ still appear. It is quiet annoying… any suggestion to get rid of it? I did the procedure 5 times but the message still there…
it doesn’t work on mfc-j4420dw
Daniel is correct, it doesn’t work for Brother MFC-J4420DW. Any suggestions for getting into Maintenance mode for my printer? Please help!
I hope that I am writing to Stuart…
I have a MFC-J985DW Brother printer and I received the Ink Absorber Pad Full message on my LCD screen. I followed the instructions by turning off the power and then turning it on again and pressing the green start button at the same time (there is no menu button) but it doesn’t take me to a maintenance window just the same window that says “see troubleshooting in Users Guide” and Ink Absorber Pad Full at the top with an exclamation mark. Please advise.
I’m unsure which buttons appear on the newer Brother models but try holding down the button that looks like a house.
Why does my Brother DCP-T710W one i entered maintenance 80 will flash error code? and its error 4600?
Error 4600 is different to Error 46 and means the laser unit is at the end of it’s life.
Fantastic. It worked. Thank you. You have saved me a lot of expenses.
Thanks worked on my very old comfortable printer. Thanks…..
I have a brother MFC 440CN and none of your suggestions have helped…
Is there anything else I can do to purge the clean 46 error code?
If it hasn’t worked, its likely the ink absorber pad is too full and would need to be replaced.
Thank you so much. It saved me from having to buy a new printer. The only problem I had was that my unit wouldn’t unplug from the machine no matter how hard I pulled. I disconnected it from the other end, and the procedure worked fine. Thanks again.
I used your purge method for a MVC-240C. It worked great! Thanks you so much for your help!
It’s work ! Fantastic. Thank you sir for helping me out from ‘Error 46 ‘on my printer Brother MFC-295CN
Rokiah, you are welcome! 🙂
Thank you for your quick response. If I do nothing but the above mentioned procedure will the printer stop working?
I mean, the pad full is not a problem if it only means son drop of in on my desk… I feel like it is nothing but programmed to fail, to make us buy a new printer 🙁
Hi Nico, if just left its likely that your prints will start to get ink marks on them, rather than there be a mess on the desk. Eventually the printer will also stop working at all. Unfortunately there isn’t anything you can do beyond repair or replacing the printer. I think it may be possible to replace the ink pad yourself but I’ve never done it so I can’t give you advice on it myself.
Works a treat! Thanks so much
If you’ve reset the purge counter and it is still giving you an error, it is likely because the cycle count for the BLK and CLR is also a high number.
You can also reset these to enable printing again, but after you do I’d suggest taking a paper towel and ripping it into strips and blotting out the ink absorber until not much ink transfers to the paper towel. The colors are usually just saturating the foam on top, while the black dumps into a lower holding area. You can use a q-tip to clear some of the black ink off the “ramp”. I stuck the full paper towel bits and q-tips into a Ziploc bag to cleanly dispose of them and I’d highly recommend wearing nitrile/rubber gloves used for painting/etc to avoid getting the ink on your hands.
Love it! Thanks!
Worked very well, thanks.
My MFC-440 CN printer seems to do a cleaning cycle very often, can you advise if this can be addressed or does the printer have another problem?
Hi Terry, the cleaning cycle is normally triggered each time the printer is switched on and off so the only way to reduce is to keep it in standby mode although some newer printers with larger ink tanks / print heads do automatically clean on a regular basis but I don’t think it can be changed. If yours is over cleaning it’s likely a separate issue that you’d need to speak to Brother about.
i did reset the purge counter, now its back in 0. but the machine error 46 still in display. what should i do?
If you still have the error 46 on a purge counter set to 0 then the ink absorber pad is too saturated with ink and unfortunately it would cost more to replace than get a new printer!
thanks so much it worked perfectly
Marvelous advice and fix. Even someone as hopeless as me with computers and devices managed to clear the error fault in a couple of minutes. Thank you very much.
Getting to maintenance mode by reconnecting the power cable worked where digital methods suggested by other sites had failed. Many thanks for the clear instructions, printer rescued – for a while anyway!
2022 and your instructions are still saving the day!! Thank you!!
It will be good if we have a video pl
Hi, a video has been added.
Brilliant saved the day, how ever had to amend the instructions somewhat for the DCP 150C but got there in the end.
Blimey! Thanks so much! Was trying to print in a panic, and the printer so nearly got that swallow dive out the window! Sorted now! Appreciate you sharing this quick-fix so simply. 🙂
Glad to help! 🙂
Pushing the menu button on MFC 5895CW does not bring it into Maintenance Mode. Tried other buttons, but nothing works. Any suggestions?
You would need to hold the menu button down as the printer is plugged back in. It’s either menu, set or start button.
Omg! It worked! Thank you so much! It was so helpful! 🙂
AQ i have done step by step, but appeare msg maintenance 4. What should i do?
Hi, I’ve never come across what’s on your menu so I’d just suggest exiting the maintenance mode and trying again.
Thanks Stewart owe you a large drink if we ever meet until then you have my gratitude
You’re welcome Ian, I’ll send you my address if you like! 😉 Stu
HI, Thankyou so much. This fix worked. My Brother is a DCP-350C so the fix was a little different and involved the mono colour button. Not sure how I got to the correct place but I eventually did. Followed your instructions as far as they took me and then played around. Thankyou Thankyou.
Tested Solution . Thank you very much
This did not work for me. I have set purge to 0000 but the photo capture light and ! Is still flashing.
Hi Nikole,
it sounds like you may have a different type of issue than the Machine error 46. What is your printer model?
Stu
Hi there!! Thank you for the info, it worked!! The only thing was that I’ve a DCP-350c, (without the keypad), and when you get to the part that it should say ‘purge’ you have to *hold down* the ‘ok’ key whilst using the up and down buttons to find ‘purge’ from there it’s smooth sailing!! Cheers mate!!
This helped me to fix my problem with my DCP-135C. Thank you very much.
This comment helped me get to the ‘purge’ option to fix my problem with my DCP-540CN. Thank you very much
Worked like a charm. Many thanks.
My printer doesn’t unplug from the actual printer so I tried from the power cord to the electrical outlet. It didn’t work. Any suggestions? It’s probably a 2009 or so. This came up when I didn’t add Brother ink. I used a generic brand. Hasn’t worked since.
Hi there, with the older printer models this fix won’t work. Unfortunately I’m not sure how to help. Printers life span should be around 5 years maximum so it’s likely your printer might be at the end of it’s life. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!
I had the same problem (MFC-J4510DW) the power cord does not unplug. However, you can use the home icon You have to hold (press) the home icon and it will take you to a different screen that has 4 lines, the first 3 have something in them. Press and hold the blank one. This will take you to another screen. It’s at this point you can continue with the above directions.
Do you have a fix on my Brother MFC-J3530. It won’t eneter to Maintenance. after pressing *2864 it will show Machine Err 4600. please Help!
Hi there, unfortunately I can’t find any information on machine error 4600 but it will be a different error to ‘error 46’ and so the same fix won’t work. The best advice I can give is to contact Brother as they will be able to advise what the error code means.
i have the same problem with vanessa
machine error 4600
Error 4600 refers to the laser unit being at the end of it’s life. It needs to be replaced by a technician unfortunately.
UNFORTUNATELY I DO NOT HAVE A BROTHER MODEL AS YOU SO ADEQUATELY EXPLAINED BUT A DCP-J4120DW WHICH DOES NOT SHOW ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT THE ABSORBER PAD IS FULL.
CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS AS I HAVE A CHURCH MAGAZINE DUE THIS WEEK END BUT IT LOOKS UNLIKELY THAT I SHALL BE ABLER TO COMPLETE THE NUMBER OF MAGAZINES REQUIRED.
Hi there, unfortunately I’m not sure if the is a way of resetting the counter for your printer model without the arrow / number keys.
Hi I took the power out on my brother mfc j220 to clear the ink absorber error but when I replaced the power the printer is not comming on
What can I do? is the printer broken now?
Hi there, unplugging the power cord is definitely not something that would break the printer. Try to push the power cord as far in to the printer as possible, it may not be inserted fully.
I did everything and reset the purge counter to zero, but the 46 came back on and I can not do anything with my printer. Any sugestions.?
Hi Gary,
if the problem is still there after resetting the purge counter then the ink absorber pad is full. Usually these instructions will work as the counter fills before the pad is full but if it is full then this won’t work. The only way to fix is for a Brother technician to replace the absorber pad.
Stu
I tried about 4 sites yesterday giving me instructions on how to Purge when you get a Code 46. All were confusing and didn’t solve my problem. I have a MFC-240C that is at least 10 years old and from what I was reading I was ready to head to Office Depot to buy a new printer. Then I read your blog and decided to try once more. Bingo!!! It took the up key instead of the down key and took me a while to realize I had to put in the purge count; but it’s back working now just fine. Still trying to figure out how to change the pad, but at least I bought some time.
Thanks for great instructions…
Can you help me I have a brother dcp135c with error 46 I’ve tried your instruction but it not working cannot seem to get purge on it I be very grateful if you can help me I’m not that technical at 770 years of age?
yours Mr Terence Shephard
Hi Terrence, thank you for your comment.
All you need to do is unplug your Brother printer from the socket. Hold down the menu button displayed in this picture:
then as you are holding the button down, plug your printer back in and keep holding the button until the menu goes into maintenance mode.
If this doesn’t work, try to hold down the down arrow button instead which is the bottom of the long button under the menu button.
Let me know how you get on.
Stu
i did reset the purge counter, now its back in 00000. but the machine error 46 still in display. what should i do? My Unit is Brother DCP-J100
Hi there, if you still have the error code then it’s likely that the ink absorber pad is full. This workaround only normally works when the message appears and the absorber pad isn’t actually full. You would need to contact Brother support for a fix but the fix would likely cost more than buying a new printer.
Hi Stuart –
Your reset procedure worked fine on my MFC-665cw,but unfortunately its problem is a clogged black printhead, and I’ve tried every solvent in my shop short of hydrochloric and/or sulfuric acic [kidding there], so have ordered a new one with hopes I can still reassemble unit after tearing it apart.
However, this note is about the ink pad:
NOT difficult to remove – just surround area with some absorbant pads plus soap and water, and grab your friendly Xacto knife, and pad come up/off quite easily. Wash in soapy water solution, and if necessary use a bit rubber cement / cyanoacrylate to reseat it.
Definitely NO Stink’in Factory Tech needed.
Thnx – – –
My MFC-J885DW does not have the buttons necessary to perform what you’re suggesting… I can get to maintenance in other ways, but there’s no number options anywhere. What would you suggest?
Hi there, here are some instructions on how to enter maintenance mode with your MFC-J885DW printer, oince you are in maintenance mode the rest of the instructions should be the same. Entering Maintenance mode on a Brother MFC-J885DW printer.
Thanks so much. Instructions were clear and worked like a dream.
Brother j3520 Ank Absorber Full
I reset the printer one time, but after that the printer is ( ink absorber full again). So, is there any solution to repair
It sounds like the ink absorber is now full, the only thing you can do is replace it but this would likely cost more than replacing the printer.
Hello Stuart,
I wish I had seen your page sooner. I would have saved myself a lot of grief. I followed your excellent directions to a tee and on the second try I reset the counter. The printer is now functional, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed so that it hopefully will last for a while. One question, I found the absorber for my printer on Amazon, and I would like to know if this can be a DIY project or do I need to have the services of a pro. Thanks loads, (you are my new hero). lol
Dan Tuthill
Hi Dan,
I’m glad it helped. I have heard of people doing this themselves but I think it might be a messy job. I’ve never actually done it myself so I can’t recommend any further than that!
Stu
I have a BrotherMFC495 VW. I can get to “maintenance”, but that’s it. The down button does not do anything. What do I do next to reset the count, please?
Hi Elizabeth, the first thing to do before you press the down arrow is type ’80’ on the keypad to show the options and then down on the keypad. If you did do that and it still didn’t work, I had a similar experience with our brother printer and it sometimes takes a few tries.
I made it with your tutorial guide. Thank you very much!
Tengo una brother j6530 que dise que el adsobedor de tinta está lleno entro al menú y me muestra un error 4600 y al hacer los pasos indicados cuando introduzco el “80”me aparece código incorrecto y ya no puedo avanzar
Pruebe las siguientes instrucciones en el video en su tubo para entrar en modo de mantenimiento y luego continúe con nuestras instrucciones una vez que esté:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgLRvpMFDgk
Translation of question into English:
I have a brother j6530 that indicates that the absorber of ink is full, I entered the menu and it shows me a 4600 error and when doing the indicated steps when I introduce the “80” it appears that the code is to me and I cannot advance.
Answer:
Try the instructions on the video link and then continue with our instructions once in maintenance mode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgLRvpMFDgk
hi! i have tried your steps but when it still message inkbaox full after the i press the “99”. can you give me any tips on it?
thanks
Hi there, this fix will only work if the ink absorber pad isn’t full (normally when you first get the error message it isn’t) however if the pad is actually full the fix won’t work. It sounds like that’s the case for you. Unfortunately the only way to fix this is to replace the ink absorber pad which is best left in the hands of a printer technician.
Thank you! This was such an easy fix. You saved my printer from taking flight out of a second floor window and me from bald spots as a result of tearing my hair out!!
Thanks so much. It works with MFC-235-C. No info at all in my country, and here it is. So simple and helpful.
If not people like you, this world would be a much nastier place to live 😉
Thank you so much for the very clear instructions – it worked perfectly. You made my day!
Stuart you’re a legend!!!! This worked a treat on my MFC-235C. This has saved me buying a new printer!! Thanks again!!
Dear Sir，
Pls teach me the fine solution to my brother’s error at MFC-J6970COW.
Because after reset a PURGE cnt. as :00000,
But an error msg. comes as “MACHINE ERR 1:46” at maintenance mode.
The problem is still displayed “11 :34 10:23 NG”，after maintenance mode logged-in.
It looks should be displayed as “00:00 00:01 OK” as normal.
Pls help me soon.
Hi there, it’s probable that the ink absorber pad is actually full and needs a replacement by a Brother technician. This fix will only work if the printer has indicated the error 46 when the absorber pad isn’t actually full (which is normally what happens when you first get the error).
IT WORKED 🙂
I have a Brother MFC-J4625DW that is showing the error message that the ink absorber pad full. I have tried your instructions to get it into maintenance mode but have failed. I have ordered a new ink absorber pad but have no idea where it goes or how to fit it! Had a quote from a company to send engineer, and as you say, it would be cheaper to buy a new printer. I hate the idea of built in obselesence, particularly as I have an unused box of genuine ink for this machine. Would be grateful for help please. Thanks.
Hi Sue, I’m not familiar with your printer but there should be a button that is either a start, menu or green button on it. To get your printer into maintenance mode, hold whichever button you have down, then unplug the power cord at the side of the printer, then still holding the button down, plug it back in and it should go into maintenance mode on the lcd screen.
Then continue to follow the ‘part 2’ instructions above for those with a number keypad but just press the stop or red button when you want to leave maintenance mode rather than typing 99.
Hello, i have a Brother DCP-J4110 and i get the message thet the inkt absorber is full.
I did open my printer by removing the place where the scanner is, there are some screws under it so remove them. Now there are some cables that must be removed, the are under a lid.
Afther that remove the top from the printer and there u see a white box (tank) whit sponges in it and that is coverd whit foly. Remove the ink box (tank) from the printer by removing the tubes that are connected whit it.
After that i removed the sponges from the tank and put them in a bucket whit lukewarm water.
Rinse the bucket until the sponges are clean and let them dry ( it’s a piece of dirty work ).
Afther that let it dry for one or two days and put everything back in the tank and cuver it whit ducktape (aluminium tape). Now u can put the printer back together.
Afterwards i put the printer back on his place and plugged the power back on and follow the steps for resetting the purge.
It works great and now i can print again.
Hi there, thanks for your comment and input from your experience. To anyone else reading I’s say be careful you don’t get ink on your hands or clothes as it’s a nightmare to remove!
Hey Stuart! Thanks for the info, however I was wondering if there wasn’t some kind of diy to either cleaning the ink pad ourselves at home or not that you know of by chance?
Hi Kelly, I’ve never tried this myself so I wouldn’t suggest it in case it caused a mess or damage to your printer, but I believe someone has suggested how to do that in a comment on this page. I guess it’s up to you if you want to try it.
Worked perfectly!! Thank you
Thanks, i have T710w, at first i ddint find name ‘PURGE’ but Ifound that they are different setting instead PURGE just go to ‘PURGE COUNT’and after that all are working.
Hi Stuart! Already did above procedure but I’m still seeing the same error tho my Purge value is 00000. Anything I missed or other way to clear this error?
Hi there, if the purge counter is 0, it’s possible that the ink absorber pad is too full to bypass. I’m afraid, there isn’t much you can do once it is.
Hi, it says “error code” after typing 80. Do you have any code?
What printer model do you have?
Hi Stuart, I have a Brother DCPJ140W, which has been showing the error (in spanish) for a while now, but today won’t print it’s just flashing the error message. I can follow your instructions down to to entering 80; after that there is no ‘purge’ option, the only options are numbers, letters or symbols. Any thoughts? Thanks, Lesley
Hi Lesley, try the following part of the tip:
B – For printers without number buttons (printers that can’t fax):
Once in maintenance mode, follow the same instructions above but instead of setting the numbers with the key pad, use the up and down arrows to scroll through the numbers…Scroll to 8 – press OK (or Set), then scroll to 0 and press OK (or Set).
Then scroll through the options until you see the word Purge with a count next to it.
Using the OK button again, enter the numbers 2,7,8,3. And the purge counter will set to 00000.
91/5000
Friends, some way to remove error 46 but in the Brother MFC-T4500DW? Thank you!!!
Unfortunately I’ve never entered maintenance mode on one of the new tank system printers so I’m unsure if the menu is different to a normal Brother inkjet machine.
Hi Stuart , thank you for your great help, however this wont reset my brother mfc-j4625dw once i key in the code to clear the 2783 code it comes up machine error 46 and beeps again without resetting …Any ideas gratefully tried ,,, thank you very much
Hi there, it looks like your printer doesn’t have a keypad? Are you pressing OK after each number is entered? It’s quite difficult to understand what’s going on without having the printer in front of me I’m afraid.
Hi Stuart
I have a Brother HL 2040
I have follow instructions and found the Purge counter however I cannot findout how to enter the 2783 . I don’t have number – I am using the up down arrow.
much appreciated
Lesley
Hi Lesley, yes thats right. Use the up and down arrows and press OK after each number.
Stuart,
You ”The Man” – this is an older model(probably 2007 or 2008) that I have used since 2007 & I have never seen this error message!! I read through the trouble shooting portion of the owner’s manual & found nothing about “error 46”. A quick Google search brought your Q&A Column on “toner giant” & your trouble shooting tips were “spot on”!!
Thanks So Much,
John
To all you there you are experiencing of “Ink Box Full or Near Full” for Brother models:
DCP-J100/J105/J132W/J152W
DCP-J172W/T300/T500W/T700W
MFC-J200/J245/T800W
Note: I will just share some idea in which really effective on me and this is in relation from steps created by Stuart Deavall:
“B – For printers without number buttons (printers that can’t fax):
Once in maintenance mode, follow the same instructions above but instead of setting the numbers with the key pad, use the up and down arrows to scroll through the numbers…Scroll to 8 – press OK (or Set), then scroll to 0 and press OK (or Set).
Then scroll through the options until you see the word Purge with a count next to it.
Using the OK button again, enter the numbers 2,7,8,3. And the purge counter will set to 00000.”
Here’s some additional works to do just in case “Error 46” still persisted:
-After clearing the Purge Count back to zero, scroll up or down to menu until you see the “FLSBK:00000000xx” (for Flushing count of black ink) and “FLSCL:00000000xx” (for Flushing count of color ink) then please use the same above reset numbers. Lastly, using again the up/down button, scroll to 9 and press SET/OK keys then 9 again and press SET/OK keys again to exit maintenance mode.
I hope this may help.
Buongiorno ho una brother mfc-j4420dw , e le procudure che mi ha descritto non mi fanno accedere alla manutenzione , mi potrebbe aiutare ? grazie
Ciao, non riesco a trovare alcun manuale per la tua stampante che mostri come accedere alla modalità di manutenzione. Vale la pena contattare l’assistenza Brother, se non è possibile risolvere il problema.
Brother Support Italy
Brother Support UK
I have a Brother MCF-J5930DW printer. Some of the steps in this ‘Fix’ were useful. But many of them did not work for this printer. Not wanting to give up, I played around and got my printer working great again. How long it will last is anyone’s guess.
As mentioned. The steps given here did not get me into ‘Maintenance Mode’. I also found that because I already had the error code which prevented my printer from doing anything. I could not get ‘Maintenance Mode’ to show on the touch screen, even though I was actually in Maintenance Mode. So, Maintenance Mode will only appear on the touch pad if you are not already locked up with an error code. But it doesn’t really matter.
Here are the steps that got me going again. I wish you luck!
Hold down the HOME button. (The one with a picture of a house above the Red X button). The printer will beep a few times and your touch screen will change to a black and white display.
Touch inside the blank box at bottom of the screen
On the touch screen enter * then Zero then # to enter ‘Maintenance Mode’. As mentioned above, if your printer is already locked up, you will probably see ‘ERROR: 4600’ displayed instead of ‘Maintenance Mode’. It doesn’t matter. You are in Maintenance Mode regardless of what is shown.
Enter 80 on either the touch screen or the keypad.
Use ‘Mono Start’ or ‘Up/Down’ arrows on the touch pad to scroll through options until you get to ‘Purge Count’
Use >> or << arrows on the bottom of the touch pad until you see the 'Set' button. Press the 'Set' button.
Now you will see PURGE: (With Numbers)
Enter 2783 on the Key Pad. My Purge # changed to 001009. I believe it was 002460 before I entered 2783 on the key pad. But I didn't pay attention so I am not sure. But I am sure it changed to a lower number.
Press the 'Mono Start' button. You should now see 'SEN PURGE: With All Zeros following.
Press the 'Stop' button on the touch pad to return to the main menu. All should be well and ready to print now.
Good luck!
This fixed my Brother MCF-J5930DW. It prints fine now. This may also work for you if the other information did not work for you as it didn't work for me either.
Thanks for your post and tips, they are now live.
You are a genius, thank you so much, that worked first time! I just love my old brother printer/scanner, got it for €10 second hand about 5 years ago and has been working perfectly until this error showed.
I tried a few YouTube video hacks, but nothing worked. Your simple instructions did the trick. Thanks from Sydney!
YES!! Thank you all! I have a Brother MFC-J4420D and I had to use the tip by BajaRon to get into Maintenance Mode. I followed all the reset directions, and at first my printer was still locked up by Error 46 Ink Pad Full. Then I switched power off and on and now I’m back to “Almost Full” so I can use my printer for a while longer.
after a reset purge to 000000 a persistence error.46 on my brother mfc6510dw, i reseted the FLUSH, did not know what it mean but it worked.
A big thanks to Ethan S and Edil who put me on the track to find the solution, A big one for the blogger Stuart Deavall
sorry for my poor english (google trad) 😉
Thank you so much for your very clear description.
A few years ago I trashed a printer with the same error because I couldn’t find this advice.
For a DCP-560CN, after your instructions to enter maintenance mode, it displays “error 46” but numbers can be scrolled as described.
after Ok ing 8 – 0, the mono-start button is the one to scroll through the menu before zeroing the counter
Thank it works..
Hi Stuart
Bl**dy brilliant. Just done a print quality check, slight problem with my magenta but it works.
Thanks
Ian
Hi there, ours in the office didn’t work on the first attempt either, it took a few tries before I got to the menu. Try it again and see how you get on.
Boa fiz essa operação , e não funcionou tenho uma brother DCP-357C, o que será possivel?
Sometimes it doesn’t work first time. Try the instructions again and see if you have any luck. It should work correctly for your printer.
Absolutely brilliant! And so simple! Thank you!
Thanks for your instructions and especially showing where the ink absorber pad is located. I checked the absorber pad and found that is was over-flowing with ink! I thought for sure I would have to call a repairman for my Brother MFC 6490CW Printer – (It has been a great printer!) But is was very late at night, so I tried cleaning the absorber pad myself. After carefully using many, many Q tips and facial tissues I figured I had done all I could do. I then followed the procedures you list to reset and clear the error message 46. It’s been a month and probably 1000 more color sheets of paper thru the printer and it is still working perfectly.
Resetting the three:
purge counter
Flush counter black and colour.
Solved. Ty
Just did it on a Brother MFC495-CW and it worked. Hold menu button, unplug, did a 10 count just because, plug back in, release menu button. Then it had a different screen up with info that is apparently maintenance mode, followed option A as described.
Stuart
I replaced dissembled and cleaned the pad on my MFC-j5620dw. I dried it out and put it all together and still get the message 46. I reset the purge, the send purge and the color and blk and it still doesn’t work. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for your great info and detail directions. I have a manual for this model if anyone needs it.
Hi Dan, unfortunately I’ve never cleaned the pad before and still had the issue. It’s possible the printer thinks the pad is completely full and there’s another form of memory reset but I’m not sure how you would do it. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.
Fixed our MFC240C.
Many thanks. 🙂
This is great! It works now! Thank you! Now, could it cause ink overflow in the pad I wonder?
Hi there, yes that’s possible but typically to replace the pad costs more than the printer would be worth so at that point its time to replace the printer I’m afraid!
thanks so much it worked perfectly
Hi. I have a Brother DCP-J4110DW, showing a warning ‘Ink Absorber Near Full’ for the past week or so. The printer is still working for now. I have reset the Purge and SEN Purge counters to Zero, but the warning remains. Do I need to wait for the Error Code 46 before this will work, or am I doing something wrong….?
Hi Mike, the puge counter reset will only work if the ink absorber pad isn’t actually full. It sounds like yours could be, and all you can do is try to get it replaced (I think would be expensive) or replace the printer.
Have an old MFC-820CW showing error 46 found this site followed the instructions and bingo back in the game!! Brilliant job will recommend – thank you.
Worked on my MFC-490cw! Thank you for putting sharing your knowledge. I greatly appreciate it!!!
Thank you thank you. Took several tries to get into maintenance mode but Once I was in and followed all the instructions with the code and the 99 for exit the printer cleaned itself and is working now yay!!
Omg, this is fantastic!! My printer is on its last legs as it’s about 6 years old but this just worked. I’m delighted. Thanks so much. Brother DCP -350C
It worked for me for first time when it show me the ink box is full, but now after 8 months again face this problem. I have brother dcp t 500w printer. I have change the waste ink pad but countinuesly showing “ink box full” or “Machine error 46” even it’s not showing the “Mantinance” mode. Please help me to get rid of this.
I’ve never actually tried to change a waste pad but I think the printer can only be reset a number of times before it won’t work anymore.
Thank you so much! It worked on my old Brother intelliFAX-2480c!!!!! I know, that’s really old, but it worked!!!
Stuart, I have a Brothers MFC-J4510DW. I watched a video and cleaned the pads of all ink, dried them and re-installed. (Flush pads no loner available). I then went into the maintenance mode, cleared the purge counter to zero and also flush counter, FLSBK & FLSCL to zero. hit 99 and when machine restarts, still have error code. Machine is still working, just receive error code after every print. Anything else I can do?
When you go back in again is the counter still at zero? With ours I had to do it a couple of times to clear it, for some reason it didn’t save.
So helpful, thank you. The only slight problem I had was after pressing 80 I didn’t see a list of options so thought it hadn’t worked. Tried again and just pressed the down arrow and found what was in the screen changed just as you said.
Suppppeeerrr.!!!!
Thank you very much!!!
You are a genius! Thank you so very much. I followed all your clear instructions and my printer is now working.
Brilliant, thanks again
Devon, i have had the same problem with my MFC6490CW. I have reset the purge counter but was concerned that my absorber box was filling up. Dismantled the printer removed the absorber box and it was full. The sponges inside were saturated. Do you know where I can locate replacement sponge material to re-use the absorber box. thanks for any assistance.
Hi, My brother MFC-6180DW show me ” Ink Absorber Pad Full ”
How to fix it?
when I enter the *2864 , it show me machine error 46 (not show me maintenance)
I done the all step, but it can’t work.
also show ” Ink Absorber Pad Full “
Hi Terry, it sometimes takes a few goes to get into maintenance mode. It took a few for us and didn’t work every time.
OMG, thank you. I’ve searched websites and my owner’s manual, but YOU were the only one who provided an easy-to-understand solution to my Error 46 problem. Thank you so much. Just when I was ready to buy a new printer, problem solved. Grateful!
Thanks a lot!!!
I love you! I’m 70 and lack technical skills and my son says I have to learn. You made me feel so good I’m crying. I DID IT! I DID IT! With your help I fixed my Brother printer – I fixed the error 46 but it still wouldn’t take the paper in so I kept trying to figure it out and then I found a tiny bit of paper left over when it got jammed. I got it out and YAHOO! my printer works. I’m sweating and bleeding from poking around in the printer but I’m a happy old lady now. I can’t wait to tell my son I fixed my printer without needing him. Thank you for making me feel not so useless.
You’re very welcome and I’m really please my advise helped! 🙂
It worked Thank you so much
Worked well! Thank you so much!
Awesome! Instructions very clear. It worked. Thanks!
Tried other instructions on the web but they didn’t work. This one did and on the first try, easy to follow. Thanks very much.
IT WORKED!!!
Thank you so much. I had my doubts, but persevered and so my little Brother won’t be going to the landfill just yet.
Brilliant! Thank you so much for making this information available. I’d hate to think that this old workhorse of a printer was going to be junk just because of an unexpected error – and your clear instructions saved it and allowed it to continue being useful. Cheers.
Thank you so much for this post as I was about to go out and buy a new printer. I was able to reset my MFC685, but the print quality is very poor now – light and blurry. Has anyone else encountered this? Stuart do you have a solution?
Try this https://www.tonergiant.co.uk/blog/2014/10/faint-print-5-things-that-could-be-causing-your-printer-problem/
Hi HELP!!!!!!!!!!
I have done all the routines in this article, counter is at zero, cleaned and fully dried the pads and finally a factory reset. But I still get the black screen of death saying Ink Absorber pad full.
Any one got any other ideas on how to get shot of the dreaded error 46 please
Hi Andy, it sounds like the pad is actually full and would need to be replaced. This solution will only work for pads that are not completely full yet.
Hi Stuart, just wanted to say thank you! Years later this advice is still good on my old printer. Worked like a charm. Looked at a few other guys you tubes before yours, and they did not help. The key is pressing the menu button, and other guys were saying the start or green button. Also the error code did stay on the screen; the word maintenance popped up quickly, but went back to the error code. So at first I thought it didn’t work. But then I tried pressing 80 anyways, and sure enough it worked. Very cool!! Thank you so much for putting info like this up. Ash
Thanks for your comment. You’re welcome! 🙂
Awesome post. I got an error code “46” on Brother MFC-3360C. I thought I had to buy a new printer but after followed through your instructions, I was able to print/use my printer again. Thank you so much!!
Brilliant solution, worked first time! Renewed the cyan ink cartridge, for a change(seems to be the one always going), left the printer to do its normal clean after installing a new cartridge. Had a job to print off, went to turn the paper over to do the other side(yeah, old fashioned MFC-885CW, but instead of seeing a printed piece, printer was supposedly cleaning…what again? Then came up the error, “Cannot clean, error code 46”, did an internet search and very happily, now, came across “Toner Giant” with the exact problem and even a way to sort it. All worked as described, but did notice on the LCD screen when it comes back on after inserting the power lead, that it only flashes very briefly ” Maintenance” before Error 46 displays, until 80 is keyed in! All is well again now, printing as before and no unsightly smudges, suggesting ink absorber is full, thank you very much, our old printer lives to see another day, maybe year or more years?
Hi, I’m wondering if you could help me – I have a brother mfc 5330dw and it says ink absorber pad full. I’ve tried some of the resets and they haven’t worked. I can still scan with the printer so it seems to be working but the printer won’t work. I am trying to change the actual ink absorber pad right now. My only option for a brother repair centre is a 3-hour round trip away. Any advice on how to change the pad? Particularly, where I can find it and how to open the printer case without breaking it
Hi Ronan, I’m afraid I’ve never actually changed one of the pads myself but I believe there are instruction videos on youtube.
I have a Brother MFC-J4510DW I have taken the printer apart and fully cleaned the Ink Absorber and carefully put everything back together!
My Question is how do I get rid of the “Ink Absorber Partially Full?”
I have done of of the Purge to 00000 and reset the machine but no one anywhere is showing how to Reset the Ink Absorber itself
Hi Vincent, I’m afraid I’ve never taken the printer apart to clean the ink absorber so I’m not sure how you would reset it.
I have a DCP165 and I cleaned the ink jets and mopped up the ink pads. First printout was pale then came “Error 46”. I followed your instructions:- OK, Menu, Mono, up symbol x 4 times, OK. “Maintenance 2” came up. I inserted 8 OK & 0 OK and “Insert Card” came up. I can’t get past this section, I have tried many times over a couple of days leaving the printer off overnight. Can you give me any help how I can advance past this point? Thank you
Hi Toni, I think you would need a technician to get past this part with your specific model. Some models need a flash drive to access specific settings / change them.
Stuart,
Thank You for the instructions on clearing the Code 46
on my Brother MFC-3360C.
It took me a couple of times but it finally worked.
Thanks again,
Bob Enright
You have saved the day! My daughter got a Brother printer 7-8 years ago, an LC series, that was built like a tank. Who knows how many sheets of paper have been printed, but when the printer head cleaning cycle count hit 7936 (binary 1111100000000) we got the error 46 message. Anyway, she used it all through college and grad school…she lacks 3 weeks getting her MS. Long story short – your article saved the day (and saved me having to purchase another printer). It is reset to 00000 Thank you! C V 06 July 2023
Thank you, thank you. This worked on my Brother MFC-295CN. I’m in my 80s and your simple instructions were so easy to follow. You saved the day for a meeting I needed printouts for today.
I’m so grateful for your advice and also Glenn Kingston’s note re Error 46 appearing instead of Maintenance. My MFC 440 CN old reliable presented with this error and I am not computer technical in any way but I persevered with it and it worked! Thank you so very much for not only helping me to fix my printer problem but also the feeling of satisfaction for not having to get a young “techie” to help me.
Annette – we have the same printer – so can you tell me which steps you used as I have pushed all the buttons holding down before and after unplug/plugging in.
Worked wonderfully. Thanks
Worked like a charm. Quality test still isn’t perfect but I’ll live with it.
THANK YOU ! It worked with my old but now working Brother MFC 440 CN.
I tried this on a J-1100 DCP printer, but it didn’t clear the error, despite purging the count. There were 2 different purge count pages, also I had to scroll “right arrow” x 2 to get to page count before purging. Tried 3 times, no luck. I suspect the pad is very full and a new printer is the only option. What a terrible waste, not many recycling options in the West of Ireland!
It does sound like the pad is full. I believe they can be replaced but I’m sure how cost efficient it would be.
Worked like a charm! I’ve had this printer for over 10 years, using it pretty much daily, mopping off the sponge with a paper towel whenever ink is smeared on paper edges. Never saw this code before and was ready to toss my printer off when, on a hunch, I looked for help on the web. Your instructions are perfect. Thank you so much.
By the way, this is an excellent example of built in obsolescence on the part of Brother and probably all other printer manufacturers.
Oh my gosh, I love you! I just tried this on my Brother MFC-465CN and it worked perfectly!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks this worked for me!
will try this for a while to see how long this lasts.
Was having trouble with double prints so when i went to clean mode i got the 46 code?
Thanks a lot for your help.
I followed your tutorial and I result in 3 minutes.
Before to read your tutorial, I did clear the ink waste tank, but if I had read your tutorial first I would have saved time and avoided the problems of disassembling and cleaning the ink waste tank.
THANKS A LOT X 2 !!!!
Oh man, you are a magician…
Thanks
I’m grateful that I found this site. With a hitch or two (learning curve) the method for resetting the counter worked fine. I had to print a doctor’s prescription for blood work, with only minutes to get to the lab.
This worked! I tried other ones and nothing did…this made my day! I dont print much but wow! thank you for being terrific and sharing!!!
Stuart,
I am SO glad I found your site. Your solution worked perfectly and, with only a few days to spare, I was able to print the confirmation letter for my driver’s license renewal.
Thank you! Worked on my super old MFC-495CW. I keep putting off getting a new printer and thought today was finally the day till I found your tips! Worked perfectly!
Thank you so much!! You are truly my saviour!
Thanks so much for this solution for many had this problems. Mine is a difference issue. I have Brother printer 8480dn and 8880dn, none is working because of error message. The 8480dn had print unable and document jam error messages. i have tried all possible solutions but all to no avail. The other one 8880dn had machine error f9 message. Please Sir is there any where you can help me out solve my problems?
Hi there, an F9 error indicates that some part of the printer hardware has malfunctioned or broken. I think all you can do is get a technician to look at it or get a replacement printer from Brother if it’s still under warranty.
The instructions were pretty clear and worked. My question is, will ink start to spill on the desk?
My MFC-465 CN is about 20 years old and seldom used for printing.
I think most of the ink in the pad must be from the machine “cleaning” the jets.
Hi Robert, the pad shouldn’t fill up so much that it starts to spill. Eventually, and quicker than before, you will get the error 46 again before that happens and at that point the pad would need to be replaced. You’re absolutely right about the cleaning process, a surprising amount of ink is wasted during them.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much! I actually went out and bought a new printer today because my accountant always comes to my office on the first day of the month to print out my month end reports. I hooked up the new printer and it would not work with our (old) accounting software. I had to call my computer guy who worked tirelessly all day trying to get the “connection” between the new printer and the old software to no avail. I thought I would try to Google a solution one more time to see if anyone out there could HELP me and your step by step reset on the purge came up and it WORKED!!! Thanks again Stuart Deavall! I truly appreciate all of your helpful advise! I will definitely look you up again if I need any more assistance!
This fixed our MFC240C in Australia:
Part 2 – Resetting the Purge counter
A – For printers with a number key pad:
Type 80 on the keypad ..… 5. Type 99 to exit and restart the printer.
Many thanks and congratulations.
I am so over the moon to find your website and very grateful for your help on the ‘error code;’’ issue. I own Brother MFC – 465CN (ALL-IN-ONE) PRINTER for approx. 10yrs and had no issues until now. Amazing printer, cannot fault it so I was very reluctant to buy another so I searched Google and found you. I cannot THANK YOU enough for your tutorial. It was so easy to follow (even I’ve managed it) and got it fixed. Just had to reset the ‘purge’ counter. All working fine now and back to ‘normal’ THANK YOU once again for taking the time to upload this. Saved my life. (We take lot of things for granted until something goes wrong then realise how important it is……
Thank you ive had my MFC-680 CN for 16 years and thought i would have to get rid, i knew it couldnt be the tank as i only dismantled it and cleaned it out only a year ago.
im really glad i get to keep it hopefully a few more years as its been such a good printer and outlasted everything else.