Epson L1800 Communication Error With Two Solid Red Lights and a Dead Carriage: How to Identify the Real Fault Before Replacing the Mainboard

Question

My Epson L1800 is showing communication errors on the computer, and the printer quickly ends up with two solid red lights (not flashing). The carriage does not move at all. As soon as the printer powers on, it immediately goes into the solid red light state, and the computer displays a communication error.

From what I've researched, this seems like a failed head driver IC on the motherboard-possibly caused by a faulty printhead. If it is the head driver, is this something that can be repaired?

I also found your repair listing here: Fast-Track Mainboard Repair (https://bch-youtube-fan-store.myshopify.com/products/fast-track-mainboard-repair-l1800-xp-15000-et-15000-wf-7610-7620-wf-7110-wf-7710-7720-et-8550-et-2720-et-2750printer-mainboard-formatter-board-motherboard-troubleshooting-and-repair)

Answer

What "communication error + two solid red lights + no carriage movement" usually indicates

When an Epson L1800 powers on and immediately shows two solid red lights and the PC reports a communication error, the printer is typically failing very early in its startup/self-check sequence. The fact that the carriage never moves at all is an important clue: the printer is not even reaching the stage where it initializes normal motion.

That scenario can be caused by several categories of faults, including:

• Mainboard/logic failure (including shorted or damaged circuits)

• Printhead electrical fault (a shorted head can immediately trip protection circuits)

• Carriage/CR system electrical issue (carriage motor, encoder, or related circuitry)

• Sensor or initialization failure severe enough to halt boot (less common, but possible)

• Power rail problems (a failing power supply or shorted component can crash communication)

So, while a head driver IC failure is possible, it's important not to "lock in" on the head driver diagnosis until you retrieve the printer's internal error record.

Your suspicion is reasonable: a bad printhead can take out a driver circuit

You're not wrong to suspect the printhead. On many Epson platforms, a faulty printhead can develop an internal short and overload the driver circuitry. That can lead to:

• Board-level failure (driver IC damage)

• Immediate error state on power-up

• The printer halting before motion begins

• USB communication becoming unstable because the printer crashes during initialization

However, the critical next step is confirming what the printer thinks is happening-because the same external symptoms can be produced by multiple different failures.

The most useful next step: Pull the stored error code using Epson's Adjustment Program

To check what's actually wrong, use a technician utility commonly called the Epson Adjustment Program. This allows you to read the printer's last stored fatal error, which is far more specific than the LED pattern alone.

Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Open the Adjustment Program and select the USB port with your printer's name from the dropdown menu.

2. Choose Particular Adjustment.

3. Scroll down and select Printer Information Check.

4. Click Check.

5. You'll see the most recent fault listed at the top as error number one.

For error interpretation, search "BCH Epson Error" on Google, which should bring you to our page explaining Epson's Triple Secret Error Codes. For example, sometimes what looks like a "mainboard problem" is actually reported as a sensor-related issue (such as an APG sensor or other initialization sensor). This software is typically provided to Epson technicians, but it is sometimes shared by DTF printer sellers. If you don't have access to it, you may need to search online or check with your vendor.

For a quick walkthrough, here's our short video showing the process: Adjustment Program walkthrough short (https://youtube.com/shorts/FPZzpyYuZLE)

Why the stored code matters (especially for board repair decisions)

If you repair or replace the mainboard without confirming the root cause, there's a real risk of repeating the failure. A classic example is:

• A printhead is shorted → it damages the driver circuit

• You install a repaired/new board → the same shorted head damages it again

That's why, even when a board fault is confirmed, we strongly consider the printhead as part of the failure chain.

Error codes mentioned

At this stage, the specific code is unknown until you run Printer Information Check. Once retrieved, you'll have an exact service error entry (listed as error number one) that can be interpreted using our "Triple Secret Error Codes" reference.

About mainboard repair

You already found our listing here: Fast-Track Mainboard Repair (https://bch-youtube-fan-store.myshopify.com/products/fast-track-mainboard-repair-l1800-xp-15000-et-15000-wf-7610-7620-wf-7110-wf-7710-7720-et-8550-et-2720-et-2750printer-mainboard-formatter-board-motherboard-troubleshooting-and-repair)

Whether the failure is specifically the head driver IC or another board-level component, the stored error code is the most practical way to determine if the board is the likely culprit-or if the printer is halting due to another subsystem.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service via our local diagnostic facility, printer repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. So, it might take a few weeks before we can get your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair either a whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel's homepage, BCH Technologies on YouTube (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Look for specific videos using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube's search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thank you again for reaching out and for supporting BCH Technologies. I truly appreciate it, and I hope the Adjustment Program steps above help you pinpoint the exact failure before replacing major parts.