How to Fix Canon MG3620 Cartridge Recognition and Ink Level Issues

Question:

I recharged my black ink cartridge (the color one is still empty), and for a short while that worked. But now my Canon MG3620 will not print and the black cartridge light is flashing. So far, I have gone through all the suggested PIXMA troubleshooting steps, but to no avail. Do you have any other tips?

Answer:

Step-By-Step Troubleshooting Guide

Check the Cartridge Contacts

Dirty or misaligned cartridge contacts cause problems because they are a common trigger for recognition issues. Try the following:

• Take out the black ink cartridge.
• Check the gold contact areas on the back of the cartridge and inside the printer.
• Use a lint-free cloth and isopropyl alcohol to clean cartridge contacts and the printer’s metal pins.
• Please wait for it to dry completely before inserting the cartridge again.

Reseat the Cartridge

Even if the cartridge looks like it’s seated correctly, reseat it a few times:

• Re-insert the cartridge tightly to get a good connection.
• Turn the printer Off, Switch it On again.

Check for Air Bubbles

To coax the ink out if you just filled the cartridge, air bubbles could be blocking the ink from flowing:

• Take the cartridge and lightly tap it on a paper towel to see if some ink comes out.
• If there’s no ink, prime the cartridge by gently tapping the nozzle against a damp paper towel.

Manually Reset the Cartridge

Canon printers don’t support resetting ink levels for refilled cartridges, but you can override low ink warnings:

• Print, print, until you get an error such as Error 1688 (or 1686).
• When you get the error, do not close the message window.
• Press and hold the STOP (red upside-down triangle) button for 5-10 seconds.
• You will hear a click and it should start printing again. But it will no longer monitor ink supplies.

Check for Clogged Printheads

If the printer still refuses to print, the black ink nozzle could be blocked:

• Take the cartridge out and dab the printhead at a wet paper towel. If nothing comes out, the nozzle is blocked.
• Run the printer’s built-in cleaning cycle from within the settings menu.
• If the blockage does not resolve, you can soak the printhead in warm distilled water for 10-15 minutes, then dry it thoroughly and then put it back.

Try a Different Cartridge

If none of the solutions mentioned earlier help, the cartridge itself may be defective. Canon cartridges were designed for one-time use and may stop working suddenly, as resistors in them measure the ink flow.

• If you can, try a different black cartridge to see if it gives you the same problem.
• If replacement does, the refilled cartridge has an internal failure, and should be replaced.

Check the Printer for Other Errors

A blinking cartridge light might also indicate a hardware_failure:

• Look for any specific error codes on your printer’s LCD screen or software
• If you see an error other than one related to ink levels, further troubleshooting or professional repair may be required.

Additional Notes on Ink Level Warnings

Canon printers are known for their reliability, but many users become increasingly frustrated when attempting to reset ink level warnings. Sadly, they do not allow the chip to be reset once the cartridge has been refilled. Instead, you need to just keep printing until the printer considers the cartridge fully depleted and gives you the error message. You have the option to disable the ink monitor by pressing and holding the STOP button at that time.

If you are, like me, a user who is afraid to let your ink run low for fear that you'll damage your printhead. Remember:

• In this case, “depleting” the cartridge means the printer’s software believes the ink is gone, even if the cartridge still contains ink.
• Make sure you always have ink in the cartridge to avoid dry printing which might permanently damage the printhead.
• So many cartridges are filled that they can be refilled, and after being bypassed from the ink monitor, the ink can be added again.

Need Further Assistance?

Printer issues can be a complicated affair because a good deal of the issues are hands-on in nature. We cannot do remote troubleshooting or printer repairs. That being said, we do offer in-person evaluation and repair through our local diagnostic center (https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service). However, due to the high demand of our services, that is also on a first come, first serve basis so you may have to wait to drop off your printer.

We also suggest looking for solutions online. To begin, check out our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies). Click the rate arrow in the menu bar, next to “About,” to search specific topics. We publish videos for more than nine years, and searching on YouTube is usually the fastest way to find a solution.

Thanks again, and look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your support and we hope this guide will help you with your printer issue. Feel free to ask if you have any further questions!