Brother MFC 250C User Manual

							Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance
97
B
Telephone Line or Connections
DifficultySuggestions
Dialing does not work. (No dial 
tone)Check that the machine is plugged in and switched on.
Check all line cord connections. Make sure the telephone line cord is plugged into 
the telephone wall jack and the LINE jack of the machine.
(Canada only) Change Tone/Pulse setting. (See Quick Setup Guide.)
Verify that the telephone line and jack are working by connecting a known working 
telephone and telephone line to the jack. Lift the handset of the telephone and 
listen for a dial tone. If there is no dial tone, ask your telephone company to check 
the line and/ or jack. 
The machine does not answer 
when called.Make sure the machine is in the correct receiving mode for your setup. (See 
Receive modes on page 33.) Check for a dial tone. If possible, call your machine 
to hear it answer. If there is still no answer, check that the telephone cord is 
plugged into the telephone wall jack and the LINE jack of the machine. If there is 
no ringing when you call your machine, ask your telephone company to check the 
line.
Receiving Faxes
DifficultySuggestions
Cannot  receive a  fax Check all line cord connections. Make sure the telephone line cord is plugged into 
the telephone wall jack and the LINE jack of the machine.
Make sure the machine is in the correct receiving mode for your setup. (See 
Receive modes on page 33.) Check for a dial tone. If possible, call your machine 
to hear it answer. If there is still no answer, check that the telephone cord is 
plugged into the telephone wall jack and the LINE jack of the machine. If there is 
no ringing when you call your machine, ask your telephone company to check the 
line.
If you often have interference on the telephone line, try changing the menu setting 
of Compatibility to Basic(for VoIP). (See Telephone line interference 
on page 101.)
Sending Faxes
DifficultySuggestions
Cannot  send  a  fax Check all line cord connections. Make sure the telephone line cord is plugged into 
the telephone wall jack and the LINE jack of the machine.
Make sure that the Fax   key is illuminated. (See Entering Fax mode 
on page 26.)
Ask the other party to check that the receiving machine has paper.
Print the Transmission Verification Report and check for an error. (See Reports 
on page 54.)
Transmission Verification Report 
says ‘Result:NG’.There is probably temporary noise or static on the line. Try sending the fax again. 
If you send a PC FAX message and get ‘Result:NG’ on the Transmission 
Verification Report, your machine may be out of memory. If the problem continues, 
ask the telephone company to check your telephone line.
If you often get transmission errors due to possible interference on the telephone 
line, try changing the menu setting of Compatibility to Basic(for VoIP). (See 
Telephone line interference on page 101.)
 
						

							98
Poor fax send quality. Try changing your resolution to Fine or S.Fine. Make a copy to check your 
machines scanner operation. If the copy quality is not good, clean the scanner. 
(See Cleaning the scanner on page 114.)
Vertical black lines when sending.
(MFC-290C only)If the copy you made shows the same problem, clean the scanner. (See Cleaning 
the scanner on page 114.)
Handling Incoming Calls
DifficultySuggestions
The machine ‘Hears’ a voice as a 
CNG Tone.If Easy Receive is set to On, your machine is more sensitive to sounds. It may 
mistakenly interpret certain voices or music on the line as a fax machine calling 
and respond with fax receiving tones. Deactivate the machine by pressing 
Stop/Exit. Try avoiding this problem by turning Easy Receive Off. ( See Easy 
Receive on page 37.)
Sending a fax call to the machine. If you answered at the machine, press Black Start and hang up at once. If you 
answered on an extension telephone, press your Fax Receive Code (default 
setting is l51). If you answer on an external telephone (connected to the EXT 
jack), press Start to receive the fax. When your machine answers, hang up.
Custom features on a single line. If you have Call Waiting, Call Waiting/Caller ID, Voice Mail, an alarm system or 
other custom feature on a single telephone line with your machine, it may create 
a problem sending or receiving faxes.
For example: If you subscribe to Call Waiting or some other custom service and 
it signal comes through the line while your machine is sending or receiving a fax, 
the signal can temporarily interrupt or disrupt the faxes. Brothers ECM feature 
should help overcome this problem. This condition is related to the telephone 
system industry and is common to all devices that send and receive information 
on a single, shared line with custom features. If avoiding a slight interruption is 
crucial to your business, a separate telephone line with no custom features is 
recommended.
Menu Setting Difficulties
DifficultySuggestions
The machine beeps when you try to 
access the Setup Send or Setup 
Receive menu.If the Fax   key is not illuminated, press it to turn on Fax mode. The Setup 
Send or Setup Receive setting is available only when the machine is in Fax mode.
Sending Faxes (continued)
DifficultySuggestions
 
						

							Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance
99
B
Copying Difficulties
DifficultySuggestions
Cannot make a copy
Make sure that the Copy   key is illuminated. (See Entering Copy mode 
on page 56.)
Vertical streaks appear in copies If you see vertical streaks on copies, clean the scanner. (See Cleaning the 
scanner on page 114.)
Poor copy results when using the 
ADF (MFC-290C only)Try using the scanner glass. (See Using the scanner glass on page 17.)
Vertical black line appears in 
copies (MFC-290C only)Vertical black lines or streaks on copies are typically caused by dirt or correction 
fluid on the scanner. Clean the glass strip and scanner glass and the white bar and 
white plastic above them. (See Cleaning the scanner on page 114.)
Fit to Page does not work properly. Make sure the document is not skewed on the scanner glass.
Scanning Difficulties
DifficultySuggestions
TWAIN/WIA errors appear when 
starting to scan.Make sure the Brother TWAIN/WIA driver is chosen as the primary source. In 
PaperPort™ 11SE with OCR, click File, Scan or Get Photo and click Select to 
choose the Brother TWAIN/WIA driver.
OCR does not work. Try increasing the scanner resolution.
Poor scanning results when using 
the ADF. (MFC-290C only)Try using the scanner glass. (See Using the scanner glass on page 17.)
Software Difficulties
DifficultySuggestions
Cannot install software or print Run the Repair MFL-Pro Suite program on the CD-ROM. This program will repair 
and reinstall the software.
‘Device Busy’  Make sure the machine is not showing an error message on the LCD.
Cannot print images from 
FaceFilter Studio. To use FaceFilter Studio, you must install the FaceFilter Studio application from 
the CD-ROM supplied with your machine. To install FaceFilter Studio see the 
Quick Setup Guide.
Also, before you start FaceFilter Studio for the first time, you must make sure your 
Brother machine is turned on and connected to your computer. This will allow you 
to access all the functions of FaceFilter Studio.
 
						

							100
PhotoCapture Center® Difficulties
DifficultySuggestions
Removable Disk does not work 
properly.1 Have you installed the Windows
® 2000 update? If not, do the following:
1) Unplug the USB cable.
2) Install the Windows
® 2000 update using one of the following methods.
„Install MFL-Pro Suite from the CD-ROM. (See the Quick Setup 
Guide.)
„Download the latest service pack from the Microsoft Web site.
3) Wait about 1 minute after you restart the PC, and then connect the USB 
cable.
2 Take out the memory card or USB Flash memory drive and put it back in 
again.
3 If you have tried ‘Eject’ from within Windows
®, take out the memory card or 
USB Flash memory drive before you continue.
4 If an error message appears when you try to eject the memory card or USB 
Flash memory drive, it means the card is being accessed. Wait a while and 
then try again.
5 If all of the above do not work, turn off your PC and machine, and then turn 
them on again. (You will have to unplug the power cord of the machine to turn 
it off.)
Cannot access Removable Disk 
from Desktop icon. Make sure that you have correctly inserted the memory card or USB Flash 
memory drive. 
Part of my photo is missing when 
printed.Make sure that Borderless Printing and Cropping are turned off. (See Borderless 
printing on page 72, and Cropping on page 71.)
 
						

							Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance
101
B
Dial Tone B
Setting the dial tone to Detection will shorten 
the dial detect pause.
aPress Menu, 0, 5.
bPress aorb to choose Detection or 
No Detection.
Press OK.
cPress Stop/Exit.
Telephone line interferenceB
If you are having problems sending or 
receiving a fax due to possible interference 
on the telephone line, we recommend that 
you adjust the Equalization for compatibility 
to reduce the modem speed for fax 
operations.
aPress Menu, 2, 0, 2.
bPress aorb to choose Normal (or 
Basic(for VoIP)).
„Basic(for VoIP) reduces the 
modem speed to 9600 bps. Unless 
interference is a recurring problem 
on your telephone line, you may 
prefer to use it only when needed.
„Normal sets the modem speed at 
14400 bps. (Default)
Press OK.
cPress Stop/Exit.
Note
When you change the compatibility to 
Basic(for VoIP), the ECM feature is 
only available for color fax sending.
 
 
						

							102
Error and maintenance messagesB
As with any sophisticated office product, errors may occur. If this happens, your machine identifies 
the error and shows an error message. The most common error and maintenance messages are 
shown below.
You can correct most errors and routine maintenance messages by yourself. If you need more 
help, the Brother Solutions Center offers the latest FAQs and troubleshooting tips.
Visit us at http://solutions.brother.com
.
Error MessageCauseAction
B&W Print OnlyOne or more of the color ink 
cartridges have reached the end of 
their life.
While this message appears on the 
LCD, each operation works in the 
following way:
„Printing
If you click Grayscale in the 
Advanced tab of the printer 
driver you can use the machine 
as a black & white printer for 
approximately four weeks 
depending on the number of 
pages you print.
„Copying
If the paper type is set to 
Plain Paper or 
Inkjet Paper, you can make 
copies in black & white.
„Faxing
If the paper type is set to 
Plain Paper or 
Inkjet Paper, the machine 
will receive and print faxes in 
black & white.
If a sending machine has a 
color fax, the machine’s 
‘handshake’ will ask that the fax 
be sent as black & white. 
If the paper type is set to 
Other Glossy or 
Brother BP71, the machine will 
stop all print operations. If you 
unplug the machine, or take out the 
ink cartridge, you cannot use the 
machine until you change to a new 
ink cartridge.Replace the ink cartridge. (See Replacing the 
ink cartridges on page 111.)
 
						

							Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance
103
B
Cannot DetectYou installed a new ink too quickly 
and the machine did not detect it.Take out the new ink cartridge and re-install it 
slowly until it clicks.
If you are not using genuine Brother 
Innobella™ ink the machine may 
not detect the ink cartridge.Use a new Genuine Brother Innobella
® Ink. If the 
error message is not cleared, call Brother 
Customer Service.
An ink cartridge is not installed 
properly.Take out the new ink cartridge and re-install it 
slowly until it clicks. (See Replacing the ink 
cartridges on page 111.)
Cannot Print
Replace XX Ink
One or more of the ink cartridges 
have reached the end of their life. 
The machine will stop all print 
operations. While memory is 
available, black & white faxes will 
be stored in the memory. If a 
sending machine has a color fax, 
the machines ‘handshake’ will ask 
that the fax be sent as black & 
white. If the sending machine has 
the ability to convert it, the color fax 
will be stored in the memory as a 
black & white fax.Replace the ink cartridges. (See Replacing the 
ink cartridges on page 111.)
Clean Unable XXThe machine has a mechanical 
problem.
—OR—
A foreign object such as a clip or 
ripped paper is in the machine.Open the scanner cover and look inside the 
machine for foreign objects and paper scraps. If 
the error message continues, see Transferring 
your faxes or Fax Journal report on page 107 
before disconnecting the machine so you will not 
lose any important messages. Then, disconnect 
the machine from the power for several minutes 
and then reconnect it.
Close Ink CoverThe ink cartridge cover is not 
completely closed.Firmly close the ink cartridge cover until it clicks.
Comm.ErrorPoor telephone line quality caused 
a communication error.Send the fax again or connect the machine to 
another telephone line. If the problem continues, 
call the telephone company and ask them to 
check your telephone line.
Cover is OpenThe scanner cover is not closed 
completely.Lift the scanner cover and then close it again.
Data RemainingPrint data is left in the machines 
memory. Press Stop/Exit. The machine will cancel the job 
and clear it from the memory. Try to print again.
DisconnectedThe other person or other persons 
fax machine stopped the call.Try to send or receive again.
Document JamThe document was not inserted or 
fed properly, or the document 
scanned from the ADF was too 
long.See Using the ADF (MFC-290C only) 
on page 17.
See Document jam (MFC-290C only) 
on page 107.
Error MessageCauseAction
 
						

							104
DR Mode in UseThe machine is set to Distinctive 
Ring mode. You cannot change the 
Receive Mode from Manual to 
another mode.Set Distinctive Ring to off. (See Turning off 
Distinctive Ring on page 42.)
High TemperatureThe print head is too warm. Allow the machine to cool down.
Hub is Unusable.A Hub or USB Flash memory drive 
with Hub has been connected to the 
USB direct interface.A Hub or USB Flash memory drive with Hub are 
not supported. Unplug the device from the USB 
direct interface.
Init Unable XXThe machine has a mechanical 
problem.
—OR—
A foreign object such as a clip or 
ripped paper is in the machine.Open the scanner cover and look inside the 
machine for foreign objects and paper scraps. If 
the error message continues, see Transferring 
your faxes or Fax Journal report on page 107 
before disconnecting the machine so you will not 
lose any important messages. Then, disconnect 
the machine from the power for several minutes 
and then reconnect it.
Ink Low Black
Ink Low Yellow
Ink Low Cyan
Ink Low Magenta
One or more ink cartridges are 
running out of ink. If a sending 
machine has a color fax, your 
machine’s ‘handshake’ will ask that 
the fax is sent as black & white. If 
the sending machine has the ability 
to convert it, the color fax will be 
printed at your machine as a black 
& white fax.Order a new ink cartridge. You can continue 
printing until the LCD shows Cannot Print. 
(See Ordering accessories and supplies 
on page ii and Replacing the ink cartridges 
on page 111.)
Low TemperatureThe print head is too cold. Allow the machine to warm up.
Media ErrorThe memory card is either 
corrupted, improperly formatted, or 
there is a problem with the memory 
card.Put the card firmly into the slot again to make 
sure it is in the correct position. If the error 
remains, check the media drive (slot) of the 
machine by putting in another memory card that 
you know is working.
Media is Full.The memory card or USB flash 
memory drive you are using already 
contains 999 files.Your machine can only save to your memory 
card or USB flash memory drive if it contains less 
than 999 files. Try deleting unused files to free 
some space and try again.
No Caller ID 
There is no incoming call history. You 
did not receive calls or you have not 
subscribed to the Caller ID service 
from your telephone company.If you want to use the Caller ID feature call your 
telephone company. (See Caller ID on page 42.) 
No CartridgeAn ink cartridge is not installed 
properly.Take out the new ink cartridge and re-install it 
slowly until it clicks. (See Replacing the ink 
cartridges on page 111.)
No FileThe memory card or USB Flash 
memory drive in the media drive 
does not contain a .JPG file.Put the correct memory card or USB Flash 
memory drive into the slot again.
Error MessageCauseAction
 
						

							Troubleshooting and Routine Maintenance
105
B
No Paper FedThe machine is out of paper or 
paper is not properly loaded in the 
paper tray.Do one of the following:
„Refill the paper in the paper tray, and then 
press Black Start or Color Start.
„Remove the paper and load it again and then 
press Black Start or Color Start (See 
Loading paper and other print media 
on page 8.)
The Jam Clear Cover is not closed 
properly.Check that the Jam Clear Cover is closed. 
(See Printer jam or paper jam on page 108.) 
The paper is jammed in the 
machine.Remove the jammed paper by following the 
steps in Printer jam or paper jam on page 108.
No Response/BusyThe number you dialed does not 
answer or is busy.Verify the number and try again.
Not RegisteredYou tried to access a Speed Dial 
number that is not programmed.Set up the Speed Dial number. (See Storing 
Speed Dial numbers on page 51.)
Out of MemoryThe machines memory is full.Fax sending or copy operation in progress
Press Stop/Exit and wait until the other 
operations in progress finish and then try again.
The memory card or USB Flash 
memory drive you are using does 
not have enough free space to scan 
the documents.Delete unused files from your memory card or 
USB Flash memory drive to make some free 
space and then try again.
Paper JamPaper is jammed in the machine. Open the Jam Clear Cover (at the back of the 
machine) and pull out the jammed paper by 
following the steps in Printer jam or paper jam 
on page 108. 
Make sure the paper length guide is set to the 
paper size.
Print Unable XXThe machine has a mechanical 
problem.
—OR—
A foreign object such as a clip or 
ripped paper is in the machine.Open the scanner cover and look inside the 
machine for foreign objects and paper scraps. If 
the error message continues, see Transferring 
your faxes or Fax Journal report on page 107 
before disconnecting the machine so you will not 
lose any important messages. Then, disconnect 
the machine from the power for several minutes 
and reconnect it.
Error MessageCauseAction
 
						

							106
Replace XX Ink
Cannot PrintOne or more of the ink cartridges 
have reached the end of their life. 
The machine will stop all print 
operations. While memory is 
available, black & white faxes will 
be stored in the memory. If a 
sending machine has a color fax, 
the machines ‘handshake’ will ask 
that the fax be sent as black & 
white. If the sending machine has 
the ability to convert it, the color fax 
will be stored in the memory as a 
black & white fax.Replace the ink cartridges. (See Replacing the 
ink cartridges on page 111.)
Scan Unable XXThe machine has a mechanical 
problem.
—OR—
A foreign object such as a clip or 
ripped paper is in the machine.Open the scanner cover and look inside the 
machine for foreign objects and paper scraps. If 
the error message continues, see Transferring 
your faxes or Fax Journal report on page 107 
before disconnecting the machine so you will not 
lose any important messages. Then, disconnect 
the machine from the power for several minutes 
and then reconnect it.
Unusable Device 
Disconnect 
device from 
front connector. 
Turn the machine
off & on by 
pressing On/Off 
button on 
control panel.A broken device has been 
connected to the USB direct 
interface.Unplug the device from the USB direct interface, 
then press On/Off to turn the machine off and 
then on again.
Unusable Device 
Please Disconnect
USB Device.A USB device or USB Flash 
memory drive that is not supported 
has been connected to the USB 
direct interface.
(For more information, visit us at 
http://solutions.brother.com
.)Unplug the device from the USB direct interface.
Wrong Paper SizePaper is not the correct size. Check that the machine’s Paper Size setting 
matches the size of paper in the tray. (See Paper 
Size on page 20.)
Error MessageCauseAction