Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !Machine Error 46 is displayed at all; this is already a service-level condition.
- !The printer is older and out of warranty, but still worth repairing because it has a low page count otherwise.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Escalate
Stop trying to print normally because the machine is warning about a service-life limit, not a temporary print error.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Escalate
If the printer is still in warranty, contact Brother support before attempting any unofficial reset path.
- 3
Safe first step
Back up any urgent scanning workflow to another device if the unit is business-critical.
Background
What this message usually means
Brother uses Machine Error 46 when the ink absorber pad has reached its service limit. This is not a routine cartridge error. It means the machine’s waste-ink capacity has been consumed to the point where Brother expects an engineer or authorized service path to replace the absorber hardware.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
The waste-ink absorber has reached the end of its expected service life.
Repeated automatic head-cleaning cycles have filled the absorber over time.
The machine is tracking a service-limit counter that has now been reached.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is a good example of a code where resetting counters without absorber replacement can create a messier failure later.
- -Treat 46 as a service-limit warning, not as a normal consumables prompt.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
- -Resetting the printer repeatedly instead of treating the message as a likely stop-and-check-support state.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Brother printer families
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Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
If the same message returns immediately after one careful recovery attempt or the printer cannot reach ready state, stop there and use the family-specific support path.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Source notes
Brother’s official Machine Error 46 article explains that the ink absorber pad is full and needs replacement by service personnel.
Built around official Brother MFC and DCP inkjet support articles. Exact LCD text and service policies can vary by region and model age.
Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.
Known family variants: MFC-3420C, MFC-3820CN, MFC-5100C, DCP-540CN
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference