If your Canon G5100 suddenly refuses to print and shows a maintenance or service warning, the ink absorber counter may have reached its limit.

During head cleaning, surplus ink is routed to internal absorber pads. Canon G5100 monitors this via a counter and can lock printing at a threshold.

This page is prepared for Canon G5100. Service mode instructions are shown only when a matching series procedure is known.

Common Symptoms

• Service / maintenance warning on the screen or driver
• Printer refuses to print even with ink available
• Blinking lights and queued jobs fail
• Error reappears after restart

How to Enter Service Mode on Canon G5100

Some Canon series require entering service mode before the ink absorber counter can be reset.

1. Turn the printer OFF.
2. Press and hold Stop/Reset.
3. While holding Stop/Reset, press and hold Power.
4. Release Stop/Reset (keep holding Power).
5. Press Stop/Reset 5 times.
6. Release Power — the printer should enter service mode.

If it doesn’t work, repeat the sequence carefully. The press count depends on the series.

Reset the Ink Absorber Counter

Once the counter is cleared, Canon G5100 should exit the locked state and printing should resume normally.

Warnings

Resetting the counter does not physically clean the absorber pads. For heavy usage, pads may eventually need cleaning or replacement.

Need a reset solution?

If your model does not show a service mode section, it means no matching procedure was found for its series.

If It Doesn’t Work

• Try a different USB cable/port if using PC software.
• Repeat the service mode steps carefully (timing matters).
• Close other Canon printer utilities while resetting.
• Power-cycle the printer and try again.
• Use the correct Stop/Reset press count for your series.

Frequently Asked Questions