Brother Printer Error Codes

That’s why we’ve put together the Brother printer error codes you could encounter and the solutions that’ll get you back to printing your documents and photographs quickly on this page. Search for your error code or message for the next steps.

You’ll find information on the reason the code has appeared and the steps you need to take before you’ll be able to resume printing.

Should the error code you’ve encountered not be listed, contact Customer Services and we will be happy to investigate this for you to try and find a solution.

Deals on Brother ink cartridges and toner cartridges can be found through checking out our dedicated Brother page or if you know what you’re looking for, use the ink and toner cartridge finder on this page.

Error Code	Brother Type	How to resolve it…
E50	Printer	There has been a malfunction of the fuser unit and the temperature, in particular. Switch the machine off for 5 minutes then on again. If the problem persists, contact the manufacturer.
E51	Printer	There has been a malfunction of the laser unit and the laser beam is not being detected. Try switching the printer off and on again.
E52	Printer	There has been a malfunction of the laser motor with the spinning mirror and motor itself developing a fault. Turning the print off and on should resolve this.
E54	Printer	There has been a malfunction of the main motor which drives all of the printing functions. In this instance, switch the printer off and then on again.
E60	Printer	There has been a malfunction of the fan. Try switching the printer off and on or seek a replacement fan if the problem persists.
Replace PF Kit	Printer	The paper pick-up rollers and separation pads have reached their life cycle end and need to be replaced to avoid paper jams.
Replace Fuser Unit	Printer	The fuser unit needs to be replaced as it’s reached its life cycle end. An engineer will be able to assist you with this.
Replace Laser Unit	Printer	The laser unit needs to be replaced as it’s reached its life cycle end. To avoid deterioration of print quality, seek assistance from an engineer.
Clean Drum Unit	Printer	Dust or loose toner has been detected around the drum unit. Remove the unit and clean off any residue.
20	Printer	Used to write the information to be printed onto the drum surfaces, there has been a laser diode failure. Attempt switching the machine off and on to resolve the issue.
21	Printer	Used to write the information to be printed onto the drum surfaces, there has been a laser diode failure. Attempt switching the machine off and on to resolve the issue.
22	Printer	Used to write the information to be printed onto the drum surfaces, there has been a laser diode failure. Attempt switching the machine off and on to resolve the issue.
23	Printer	Used to write the information to be printed onto the drum surfaces, there has been a laser diode failure. Attempt switching the machine off and on to resolve the issue.
31	Printer	Used to check the print density, the density sensor has developed a fault and can be resolved by switching the machine off and on.
32	Printer	An issue has arisen with the density sensor shutter. This can become defective and will need to be replaced by an engineer if this is the case.
50	Printer	The drum unit needs to be replaced as it’s reach the end of it’s life cycle. Replacing the drum unit and resetting the drum life counter sill see this error code removed.
51	Printer	The feed roller and separation pad for the manual feed tray may need to be replaced.
52	Printer	The feed roller and separation pad for the main feed tray may need to be replaced.
54	Printer	The fuser unit needs to be replaced as it’s reached its life cycle end. An engineer will be able to assist you with this.
55	Printer	The laser unit needs to be replaced as it’s reached it’s life cycle end. To avoid deterioration of print quality, seek assistance from an engineer.
57	Printer	A paper jam has occurred in the duplex unit meaning the paper has jammed during double-sided printing. Check the paper in the unit and remove.
5E	Printer	The transfer belt is in need of replacement having reached the end of it’s life cycle. Once the belt has been replaced you should also reset the counter.
68	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
69	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6A	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6B	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6C	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6D	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6E	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
6F	Printer	Whether the fuser unit is too hot or not hot enough, a fuser unit failure has occurred. Switch the printer off and on before attempting to print again.
7D	Printer	According to your printer, there is dirt on the drum unit and you should follow the drum cleaning steps included in your printer guide.
CF	Printer	During the printing process, waste toner is produced. This error code indicates the waste toner box is full and needs to be replaced.
71	Printer	There is a problem with the laser unit in relation to the scanner motor. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
72	Printer	There is a problem with the laser unit in relation to being able to detect the Beam Detect signal. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
74	Printer	The printer is informing you that you are out of toner.
76	Printer	There is an issue with the fuser unit in that there is a temperature issue affecting the performance of the machine. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
78	Printer	There is an issue with the fuser unit in that there is a temperature issue affecting the performance of the machine. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
83	Printer	A paper jam has been detected by the paper sensors inside the machine. Remove any paper from the paper path.
84	Printer	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.
88	Printer	A paper jam has been detected in the recording paper path. Check the paper path and remove any excess paper.
A2	Printer	This error code relates to a paper jam when using an automatic document feeder. Make sure the feeder is correctly set and remove any obstructions from the paper path.
A3	Printer	This error code relates to a paper jam when using an automatic document feeder. Make sure the feeder is correctly set and remove any obstructions from the paper path.
A5	Printer	There is an issue where the scanner is unable to read the outgoing document(s). Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
B9	Printer	This relates to an error with the scanning unit light. If the scan light doesn’t illuminate after switching the printer off and on, it may need to be replaced.
30	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
33	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
34	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
35	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
36	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
37	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
38	Printer	A fault involving the movement of the print head has been detected. Remove any obstructions from the print head.
41	Printer	A fault has developed regarding the functionality of the print head. In this instance, you may need the help of an engineer.
46	Printer	During the printing process, waste toner is produced. This error code indicates the waste toner box is full and needs to be replaced.
82	Printer	A fault has occurred when trying to feed the recording paper. To resolve this, remove the paper tray and reseat the paper.
DF	Printer	An error has occurred with the modem when trying to communicate with other fax machines. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
26	Printer	The printer is unable to detect one of the ink cartridges.
27	Printer	The printer is unable to detect one of the ink cartridges.
28	Printer	The printer is unable to detect one of the ink cartridges.
29	Printer	The printer is unable to detect one of the ink cartridges.
7A	Fax	There has been a malfunction of the main motor which drives all of the printing functions. In this instance, switch the printer off and then on again.
7D	Fax	A leakage has been detected in the drum unit which is affecting the performance of the machine.
82	Fax	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.
A2	Fax	The fax machine is unable to send your document due to an error. This may be due to the document being too long to be scanned.
A3	Fax	Having placed a document on the fax machine ready to send, the machine has failed to recognise it is there. Simply reseat the paper to resolve this issue.
A9	Fax	The unit that reads the outgoing information has incurred a problem. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
D5	Fax	In trying to send the document, the fax machine has detected a communication error. Check the telephone line is live and connected correctly.
85	Fax	An ink ribbon is used in the sending of faxes. This error code relates to a problem with the ink ribbon and it will need to be reseated to resolve the problem.
8A	Fax	A problem with the print head has been detected. Make sure there is no debris stuck to the print head. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
8B	Fax	A problem with the print head has been detected. Make sure there is no debris stuck to the print head. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
A2	Fax	During the transmission of a document, a fault has been detected in that the document is too long to be scanned.
A7	Fax	The machine has indicated that the document is taking too long to be scanned.
B9	Fax	A problem has arisen with the scanner unit and its light intensity. Switch the machine off and on or contact the manufacturer should you need further assistance.
8203	Fax	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.
8303	Fax	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.
8809	Fax	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.
880B	Fax	Within the body of the machine, a paper jam has been detected. Remove any obstructing paper.

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