Error message "Parts inside the printer have reached the end of their service life"

Applies To

  • Hardware: Epson inkjet printers with internal, sealed ink pads that are not designed to be user-replaceable.
  • Software: Not applicable
  • Related Articles:

Description

Like any sophisticated mechanical device, Epson inkjet printers have a finite lifespan due to component wear during normal use. Eventually a printer reaches a point where satisfactory print quality can no longer be maintained, or a component has reached the end of its usable life. This is normal operation, not a fault.

The message refers to the printer's ink pads — porous pads inside the printer that collect, distribute, and contain ink that isn't used on the printed page. Ink is collected on these pads during initial setup, during cleaning cycles, and when printing borderless photographs. How quickly they fill depends on usage: a high-volume user saturates the pads faster, since there's less time for the ink to evaporate between uses; a low-volume user may see the pads only partially saturated even at end of life, since the life counter is designed to account for both cases.

Symptoms

The printer driver or printer itself shows a message saying that the printer has reached the end of its service life. The message may be displayed in different ways, depending on the printer model and driver version. Common messages include:
  • "parts inside the printer have reached the end of their service life" or
  • "Epson Service required" or
  • "Waste ink pad full" or
  • "Ink pad at end of service life"
Note: If your printer's message specifically names the "Maintenance Box" rather than "parts" in general, this is a different, user-replaceable component. See KA-01904: Maintenance Box Is at the End of Its Service Life.

Solution

Why the printer stops working

Epson builds this safety feature into its inkjet printers to stop operation before continued use could cause ink to leak from the printer. A leak could damage the surrounding environment, or in the worst case cause an electrical fault that could lead to fire or electric shock. This safeguard is designed to minimise the risk of property damage or personal injury over the life of the product.

This is not a user-serviceable repair

Epson does not consider its inkjet printers to be user-serviceable, since disassembling, repairing, and reassembling them correctly requires specific knowledge and training. There's no defined point in time at which a given printer will reach this message — it depends on variables like how often the printer is used, how many head cleans and cartridges it's been through, what's being printed (documents vs. images, bordered vs. borderless), and how often it's switched on and off. Epson designs its products to reach this point only after a significant number of years of expected use.

What to do

Contact Epson for information about repair options.

Note: Epson will not repair or replace a product where, in Epson's assessment, the problem is due to externally caused damage, use outside the product's specification, use of non-Epson-branded or unapproved accessories, parts, or consumables, or modifications made to the product as originally supplied.