Epson L3210 Printer Flashing Lights: Waste Ink Pad or Fatal Error?

Question: My Epson L3210 printer has the power, ink, and paper jam lights flashing at the same time. From what I’ve read, this usually means the waste ink pad is full, but I don’t have a replacement pad available right now. How can I continue using the printer?

Answer:
On the Epson L3210, flashing lights can indicate different issues depending on the pattern:

• If the ink light and paper jam light are flashing alternately, then yes, it usually means the waste ink pad is full. Epson printers are designed to stop printing at this point until the pad is replaced or reset, as continuing could cause ink overflow. You can read more about waste pad replacement and resetting in our detailed guide here: How to Replace and Reset Waste Ink Pad on Epson Printers (https://bchtechnologies.com/blogs/blog/how-to-replace-and-reset-waste-ink-pad-on-epson-printers-a-complete-guide).

• However, if the power, ink, and paper jam lights are flashing simultaneously, this may signal a fatal error rather than just a waste pad issue. A fatal error can result from hardware problems such as a defective sensor, mainboard issue, or paper feed error.

How to Check the Exact Error Code

To know for sure whether it’s just a waste pad problem or a more serious fault, you can use Epson’s Adjustment Program:

1. Open the Adjustment Program and select your printer from the USB dropdown list.

2. Choose Particular Adjustment.

3. Scroll down and select Printer Information Check.

4. Click Check, and the most recent error code will appear at the top as Error Number 1.

Once you have the code, you can interpret it by searching “BCH Epson Error” on Google, which will lead you to our page explaining Epson’s Triple Secret Error Codes. For instance, you may see codes pointing to the APG sensor or other internal hardware components.

If you don’t already have the Adjustment Program, note that it’s officially distributed only to Epson technicians, but many DTF printer sellers and service providers share copies. If it wasn’t provided with your printer, you may need to search online to obtain one.

For a quick walkthrough of how to use the program and check errors, you can also watch our short video guide here: Epson Error Code Check Tutorial (https://youtube.com/shorts/FPZzpyYuZLE).

Dealing with printer errors like this often requires physical testing and repair, so we cannot provide full remote troubleshooting. However, BCH Technologies offers an in-person printer evaluation and repair service (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service) at our diagnostic facility. Due to high demand, repairs are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, and it may take several weeks before your printer can be serviced. We can repair full printers or specific parts, and clear instructions will be provided for each case. That said, we know our repair rates may not always be the lowest, so we recommend also exploring self-help resources. A good starting point is our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Use the search bar on the channel’s homepage to quickly locate videos on Epson troubleshooting, waste ink pad resets, and error code fixes.

Thank you once again for your question and for supporting BCH Technologies. Your participation helps us improve our guides and resources for printer users everywhere.