Canon 5011 Error
What it means
A service error, pointing at either the scanning unit or the purge and cleaning mechanism that parks and caps the print head. Both live under the same fault number because both are driven by parts the printer cannot re-test on its own once they have jammed. A full power cycle is worth doing properly before anything else, and properly means switching off, unplugging from the wall rather than a switched strip, waiting a few minutes and starting again. It clears the latched state, and where the cause was a one off obstruction that has since freed itself, the printer comes back. Beyond that, there is a limit to what is sensible at home. Open the cover with the printer off and unplugged and look for anything obvious in the carriage path: packing material left from a move, a fragment of torn paper, a foreign object under the head. Remove what is clearly loose and nothing else. The purge unit and the scanner drive are not user serviceable, and a code that returns straight away after a genuine power cycle means one of them needs attention rather than persistence. On a machine still under warranty this is the point to stop and contact the manufacturer, because opening it further will end the cover.
Guides that cover this kind of fault
A guide written for 5011 itself is still being checked against the manufacturer's documentation. These cover the same underlying problem and are filed under scanner problems.
- Printer Copy Problems: Blank, Dark or Failed CopiesWhen printing works normally but copying fails, the issue is isolated to the scanner assembly rather than the printer engine. Clean the scanner glass...
- Printer Scanner Not Working: Causes and FixesA printer that prints but will not scan usually lacks the correct scanner driver or has incoming scan data blocked by a firewall. Change your network...
Common questions
What does the 5011 error mean on a Canon printer?
A service error, pointing at either the scanning unit or the purge and cleaning mechanism that parks and caps the print head. Both live under the same fault number because both are driven by parts the printer cannot re-test on its own once they have jammed. A full power cycle is worth doing properly before anything else, and properly means switching off, unplugging from the wall rather than a switched strip, waiting a few minutes and starting again. It clears the latched state, and where the cause was a one off obstruction that has since freed itself, the printer comes back. Beyond that, there is a limit to what is sensible at home. Open the cover with the printer off and unplugged and look for anything obvious in the carriage path: packing material left from a move, a fragment of torn paper, a foreign object under the head. Remove what is clearly loose and nothing else. The purge unit and the scanner drive are not user serviceable, and a code that returns straight away after a genuine power cycle means one of them needs attention rather than persistence. On a machine still under warranty this is the point to stop and contact the manufacturer, because opening it further will end the cover.
Is the 5011 error serious?
This one usually points at a hardware fault rather than something a setting will clear, so treat an unchanged result after a power cycle as a reason to contact the manufacturer rather than to keep trying.
Different code or problem?
Switch off and unplug a printer before reaching inside it. If a fault involves the power supply or internal electronics, or the machine is under warranty, contact the manufacturer or a qualified technician. Full disclaimer. Brand and code names are trademarks of their owners; PrinterFixUp is independent and unaffiliated.