If your printer continues to show the 'Toner Low' or 'Replace toner' error after replacing your cartridge, you may need to reset the printer's toner counter to continue printing.
What is the toner counter and why does it need to be reset?
Some Brother laserjet printers do not have the ability to accurately measure the level of toner remaining in the cartridge. Instead, they rely on a built-in toner counter to determine when the cartridge needs to be replaced. The toner counter has a set number of pages that can be printed before a warning message appears advising to prepare a new toner for installation. When a new toner is installed, the counter should automatically reset as the data on the cartridge chip is read, however, if the printer does not initially recognise the cartridge as new, the error will still be displayed.
There are also occasions where the 'Replace toner' error appears before the cartridge has run out. This can happen if you regularly print small amounts of text per page but exceed the number of pages set by the counter. Resetting the counter will allow you to override the error and continue using the toner cartridge - If you do reset the counter for this reason, the printer may not advise when it is low. You will need to monitor your printouts and replace the cartridge when you see a deterioration in the overall quality.
How do I reset the counter on my printer?
The steps required to reset the toner counter vary depending on what series of printer you have. Please follow the relevant instructions for your printer series below:
Toner reset instructions for Brother DCP printer series- Open the front cover of the printer.
- Press the Clear / Back button.
- The printer display should now show 'Replace drum'.
- Press the Start button.
- Then press the up or down button.
- When 00 appears on the printer display, press OK.
- Close the front cover.
- This will clear the 'Toner Low' error and allow for continuous printing.
- Open the front cover.
- Take the toner & drum unit out of the machine.
- Press the Start button.
- Install the toner & drum unit into the machine.
- Press the Start button twice.
- Close the front cover.
- This will clear the 'Toner Low' error and allow for continuous printing.
- Open the front cover of the printer.
- Press the Clear / Back button.
- Press the * button.
- Press the 0 button.
- Press the 0 button.
- Close the front cover.
- This will clear the 'Toner Low' error and allow for continuous printing.
If you are still experiencing problems, please contact us for further assistance.