How do I change the Maintenance box on my product?

Applies To

  • Hardware: Epson printers with a replaceable maintenance box. The exact steps and box location vary significantly by model — see the note below.

Description

The maintenance box collects excess ink during printing and cleaning cycles. When it's near the end of its service life, the printer will prompt you to replace it. The general process is the same on every model — remove the old box, seal it, and insert a new one — but exactly how you access it differs by printer: some models use a screw-fastened side cover, some a rear cover, and some require lifting the scanner unit first.

Important: Because the exact access method varies by model, follow the steps in your printer's own User's Guide rather than a generic walkthrough — this guarantees you're looking at the correct diagrams and steps for your exact unit. See "Finding Your Model-Specific Instructions" below.

Solution

Maintenance Box Handling Precautions

These precautions apply regardless of your printer model. Read them before replacing the maintenance box:

  • Do not drop the maintenance box or subject it to strong shocks.
  • Do not replace the maintenance box during printing — ink may leak.
  • Do not remove the maintenance box or open its cover except when replacing it — ink may leak.
  • Do not reuse a maintenance box that has been removed and left detached for a long period — the ink inside will have solidified and can no longer be absorbed.
  • Do not tilt a used maintenance box until it is sealed in its plastic bag — ink may leak.
  • Do not store the maintenance box in high or freezing temperatures, or in direct sunlight.
  • Do not touch the openings in the maintenance box — you may get smeared with ink.
  • Do not touch the green chip on the side of the maintenance box — doing so may prevent normal operation.
  • Once a maintenance box has been installed in a printer, it cannot be used in a different printer.
  • If your maintenance box is near the end of its service life, you may need to replace it mid-print. Replacing it during printing — especially on glossy paper — can cause uneven colours depending on how the ink dries. For best results, replace the box before printing whenever possible.

General Process

While the exact access steps vary, every model follows this same overall sequence:

  1. Remove the new maintenance box from its packaging, without touching the green chip.
  2. Access the maintenance box (method varies by model — see below).
  3. Remove the old maintenance box.
  4. Seal the old box in the transparent bag supplied with the new one.
  5. Insert the new maintenance box fully into the printer.
  6. Close any cover you opened, and confirm on the control panel that the printer recognises the new box.

Finding Your Model-Specific Instructions

For the exact steps, diagrams, and access method for your specific printer:

  1. Visit the Epson Support page.
  2. Enter your printer's model name or serial number.
  3. Open your product's online User's Guide and look for the "Replacing the Maintenance Box" or "Maintenance Box" section.
Note: If the maintenance box isn't recognised after replacement, try reinstalling it. If it's still not recognised, contact Epson support.