OKI Printer Showing an Error Code? Here's How to Read It

OKI groups its codes by the part of the printer involved, so the first digit tells you a lot before you look anything up. Your screen will show one of three kinds of messages:

• Status messages like "Warming up," "Preparing," or "Data present." These aren't errors. The printer is heating the fuser, lining up its colors, or holding a job. Give it a minute.
• Codes from 300 to 700. These cover open covers, paper jams, toner, image drums, and trays. You can clear almost all of them yourself.
• Codes from 000 to 299 and in the 900s. These usually appear with "Power OFF/ON," "Inspection is required," or "Service call" on older models. They point to a problem with a sensor, motor, circuit board, or the fuser. A restart sometimes clears them. If it doesn't, the printer needs a repair.

On color models, codes often come in sets of four, one for each toner color. The screen names the color next to the code (Y for yellow, M for magenta, C for cyan, K for black), so go by what the screen says rather than any chart.

Keep in mind: a code can mean slightly different things on different OKI models. The codes on this page come from OKI's own manuals and repair information for its current printers, such as the C332, C532, MC573, and the black-and-white MB models. If a fix doesn't match what you see, check the error list in your printer's manual.

Before You Start: Three Quick Checks

These three steps clear a surprising number of OKI errors, whatever the code says:

1. Write the code down exactly. Note the full message and any extra number after a dash or colon (for example, "231: Error 05"). A technician will ask for it.
2. Open and firmly close every cover and tray. OKI printers use sensors to check that each cover, tray, drum, and fuser is in place. A cover that's shut but not latched is one of the most common causes of errors that seem to come from nowhere.
3. Restart the printer properly. Turn it off with the power switch, wait about a minute, then turn it back on. Don't pull the plug in the middle of a job unless the printer is frozen.

If the printer has been somewhere cold, like a delivery truck or an unheated office over a weekend, let it warm up to room temperature before you restart it. OKI notes that some temperature sensor errors can appear when the printer is below freezing. On some models, code 126 means moisture has built up inside, and the printer needs to sit at room temperature for two hours to half a day before you turn it on.

Cover and Installation Errors (310 to 360)

Codes in the low 300s mean the printer thinks something is open or not locked in place. Nothing is broken. The printer just can't confirm that a part is where it should be.

Tip: If a cover code won't clear even though everything looks closed, check for a scrap of paper or a shifted toner cartridge that's stopping the cover from latching.

Paper Jam Codes (370 to 394)

Jam codes are the most common OKI errors, and the number tells you where to look.

How to clear an OKI paper jam safely

1. Open the cover or tray the code points to. For jams inside the printer (380 to 389), that's usually the top cover. On all-in-one models, lift the scanner first.
2. Stay away from the fuser. It gets hot enough to burn you. OKI's manuals say not to touch it, so let it cool before you reach anywhere near it.
3. Lift out the image drum if paper is hiding under it. Hold it by its handles and set it on a flat surface. The green drum is fragile and light can damage it, so cover it with a sheet of paper and put it back within about five minutes.
4. Pull the paper out slowly in the direction it was moving. If it tears, find every scrap. A small piece left behind will bring the same code right back.
5. For tray jams (391 to 394), pull the tray out, remove the stuck sheet, fan the stack, and slide the paper guides snugly against the paper.
6. Close everything. The code should clear once the cover is shut.

If a sheet is stuck and won't move, don't force it. For some models, OKI says to put the drum back, close the cover, and restart the printer. When the motor starts turning, the sheet often moves enough to pull out cleanly.

Jams that keep coming back are usually caused by the paper, not the printer. Common causes are damp paper, paper that's too heavy for the tray, a paper type setting that doesn't match what's loaded, or worn rollers on an older printer.

Paper, Tray, and Memory Messages (400 to 500)

These codes mean the printer is confused about the paper, not that paper is stuck.

• 400, Paper Size Error. The paper in the tray doesn't match the tray's size setting (on many OKI models, that's the size dial inside the tray). Set the dial to match the paper, reload it, then open and close the cover to continue.
• 401, Multiple sheets fed. The tray pulled in more than one sheet. Take the paper out, fan it, and put it back below the fill line.
• 409. The rear output tray was opened or moved while the printer was printing. Leave it in one position until the job finishes.
• 420, Memory overflow. The job is too large or complicated for the printer's memory. Split it into smaller jobs or lower the print quality in your print settings.
• 430 to 433, 440 to 442. A paper tray is missing or not pushed all the way in. Pull it out and push it back in firmly.
• 460 to 464, Paper mismatch. The paper size or type in the tray doesn't match what the print job asked for. Either load the paper shown on the screen or change the paper settings before you print.
• 480, 485. The output tray is full. Take out the printed pages.
• 490 to 494. The tray named on the screen is empty. Load the paper size it asks for.
• 500, Manual feed. The job was sent to be fed by hand. Put a sheet in the MP tray and it will print.

Toner Error Codes

Toner codes fall into a few groups. The screen will name the color.

Fixing codes 544 to 547 and 610 to 613

These codes show up most often right after someone puts in a new cartridge. OKI toner cartridges have a lever, usually blue, that you must turn all the way until it stops. This opens the cartridge so toner can flow and locks it onto the drum. Also make sure you've pulled off all the protective tape. Turning the lever only halfway is the classic mistake.

Can you keep printing after "Toner Empty"?

OKI says opening and closing the front cover will let you print a little longer after a 410 to 413 code. It also warns that running the cartridge dry this way can damage the image drum, which costs much more than toner. Only do this to finish an urgent job.

Toner errors on a full cartridge

If you get a toner error on a cartridge you know is full, it's almost always one of three things: the lever isn't turned all the way, the tape is still on, or the cartridge is in the wrong color slot. OKI also has a separate code (983 on the C332 and similar models) for when two cartridges of the same color are installed.

Image Drum Error Codes

OKI printers have a separate image drum for each color, with the toner cartridge sitting on top. Drum codes fall into two groups: the drum is worn out, or the printer can't detect it.

The drum is worn out

• Image Drum Near Life (no code). Order a new drum now.
• 350 to 353, 560 to 567. The drum has reached the end of its expected life. On some models you can open and close the cover to print a little longer, but print quality will start to drop.
• 680 to 683. The printer has stopped because the drum is past its limit. It won't print again until you install a new drum.

The printer can't detect the drum

• 340 to 343. The drum isn't in place. Take it out and put it back in.
• 540 to 543, Image Drum Sensor Error. OKI says to take the drum out and put it back in first. If the error stays, take out and reinstall the toner cartridge on that drum, and make sure a cartridge is actually there.
• 694 to 697. There's no drum in the slot shown.

Handle drums carefully. The green part scratches easily and light damages it. OKI advises keeping drums out of direct sunlight and not leaving them in normal room light for more than about five minutes. Scratches or light damage show up as lines or faded bands on every page.

Fuser and Belt Error Codes

OKI printers use toner and LED lights, not ink. The fuser is the heated part that melts powdered toner into the paper so it doesn't smudge. The belt carries paper past each image drum. Both are parts you replace after a certain amount of printing.

Upkeep codes you can handle

Codes that point to a failing fuser

For any of these codes, turn the printer off and back on once. If the code comes back, the fuser usually needs replacing. If a new fuser doesn't fix it, the power supply or main circuit board is probably the problem, and that's a job for a technician.

How to replace an OKI fuser

The exact steps vary by model, but most OKI color printers work like this:

1. Turn the printer off and let the fuser cool. OKI warns that the fuser can burn you. Wait at least 10 minutes and only hold it by its handle.
2. Open the top output tray or top cover.
3. Tilt the fuser's locking levers forward to unlock it.
4. Lift the fuser straight out by its handle. Be careful not to bump the LED lights on the underside of the top cover.
5. Get the new fuser ready. Remove the orange shipping piece (on many models, you press the blue lever to release it).
6. Set the new fuser into its slots, then tilt the locking levers back to lock it.
7. Close the cover slowly, press the middle until it latches, and turn the printer on.

If your printer is still under warranty, or the code is 170 to 177 or 928, talk to an OKI repair provider before buying a fuser. You might not need one.

Non-Genuine Toner and Drum Messages (709, 984 to 987, 231)

Purpose: Explain the codes caused by off-brand or unreadable supplies, in plain terms and without scare tactics
Keyword focus: OKI error 709, OKI unknown consumable detected, OKI error 984

Newer OKI printers read a chip on each toner cartridge and image drum. When the printer doesn't recognize the chip, you'll see one of these codes:

• 709, "Caution, unknown Consumable detected." The printer found a cartridge or drum it doesn't recognize, usually an off-brand one. OKI says you can use any supplies you want, but you take on the risks of using non-OKI ones. On many models, you can clear the code this way: turn the printer off, hold down the Cancel or Clear button while turning it back on, and let go once it finishes starting up (on some models, when "RAM CHECK 100%" appears). The printer keeps a record that you did this.
• 984 to 987, "Inspection is required." OKI lists these on models including the C532, C542, C612, C712, MC573, and MC853, MC873, and MC883. They mean the printer won't accept the chip on a toner cartridge or drum. The fix is to install a cartridge or drum made for your exact model.
• 231, "Error xx." On the C300 and C500 models, this means the printer can't communicate with a cartridge or drum chip. On the C824, C834, and C844, OKI says it means the printer can't read the information on the cartridges or drums. Take out and reinstall every toner cartridge and drum first. If you just put in a new cartridge, try the old one again to see whether the new chip is the problem.

About warranties: in the US, using an off-brand cartridge doesn't automatically cancel your printer's warranty. But if an off-brand part causes damage, the manufacturer can refuse to pay for that repair. If your printer is still under warranty and keeps showing chip errors, OKI or OKI-approved supplies are the safer choice.

Service Call and "Power OFF/ON" Codes

When your screen says "Power OFF/ON," "Inspection is required," or "Service call," the printer has found a problem with its own parts or built-in software. The table below shows what the most common codes point to, based on OKI repair information for the C300 and C500 models. Other OKI models use the same numbers for similar problems.

Rule of thumb: it's always fine to try one restart. If the same code comes back right away, or after a few pages, restarting again won't fix it and may make the problem worse. Write down the full code and any extra number, and get the printer repaired.