How to Clear the Canon Check Ink 1686 and 1688 Error Messages?

Clear the Canon Check Ink 1686 and 1688 Error Messages

You might be surprised to see this error message so soon after installing a newly remanufactured cartridge or refilling your cartridge. This is because these Canon printers have no way of inspecting or detecting fresh ink inside the cartridge.

Instead, when it was originally inserted in a printer, the cartridge keeps track of how many pages have been printed and the average page coverage. Your printer uses this information to estimate the cartridge's ink level, and when it believes the cartridge is low or empty, it displays the "Check Ink" 1686 or 1688 message.

Because of this way of evaluating ink levels, even an original Canon ink cartridge will always have some ink remaining when your printer alerts you that it is empty. First, let's see How to Clear the Canon Check Ink 1686 and 1688 Error Messages.

Is There a Way to Get Around This Error Message?

Yes, you can, and it's quite simple. When it detects that the cartridge may be empty, this line of Canon printers allows you to continue printing with a single button press and will normally prompt you with a rather large message.

Press and hold the STOP/RESET/RESUME button on your printer for five seconds before releasing it. While the button's name may vary, the symbol that represents it will always be the same.

Depending on the kind of your printer, it could be grey, pink, or even crimson. Holding this button down for five seconds tells your printer that you're aware of the low/empty cartridge estimation but want to keep printing anyhow. The ink level will still below at this point, but you can keep printing with this cartridge until the ink runs out and the print quality suffers as a result.

Is There Any Danger in Doing So?

There are none at all. When a physically empty cartridge is used repeatedly, the cartridge's printhead can burn out. However, keep a watch on the print quality provided by the cartridge. You can avoid any potential harm, leaving you free to replace or recycle the empty cartridge as you see appropriate.

In the unlikely case that you don't detect the ink has run out and wind up burning out your printhead, you can easily replace the cartridge with a new one, causing no damage to your printer.