Brother Cover is Open

Can you keep using it?

Contact customer support if any of these apply

!The message remains even though all covers are clearly latched.
!A hinge, latch, or cover tab looks broken or will not stay closed.

If the printer still starts normally: This is often recoverable with the basic checks below, as long as the printer returns to ready without a deeper service warning.

What to check first

Step-by-step checks

1
Safe first step
Lift the affected cover and close it again firmly.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
2
Safe first step
Make sure any telephone or interface cable is guided through the rear channel correctly.
3
Safe first step
Press the cover closed until it locks into place.

Background

What this message usually means

Brother shows Cover is Open when the MFC-J1010 and J1170 family detects that the scanner cover, top cover, or ink-tank cover is not locked in the closed position. This is usually a physical closure or cable-routing issue, not a deeper printer fault.

Diagnosis

Likely causes

Most common

The top cover or scanner cover is not fully closed.

Common

The ink cartridge cover or ink tank cover is not locked.

Possible

A cable is routed badly enough to stop the cover from shutting completely.

Service

When service or replacement is more likely

-This is usually a closure-state problem, not a mechanical failure inside the printer.
-Cable routing matters on these Brother covers more than people expect.

Related codes in this family

No Ink Cartridge

An ink cartridge is not installed correctly.

Wrong Ink Color

An ink cartridge is installed in the wrong color position.

Source notes

Brother's official Cover is Open article says the scanner cover, top cover, or ink-tank cover may not be completely closed and highlights cable routing as part of the check.

Built around official Brother support articles that explicitly include MFC-J1010DW and MFC-J1170DW in the same message families. Exact wording can vary a little by region and sibling model, but the message meaning stays close across this inkjet group.

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-J1010DW, MFC-J1170DW, MFC-J1800DW

Last reviewed: 2026-04-12

Reference: Open reference

Cover is Open - One of the machine covers is not fully closed or latched.