Brother No Ink Cartridge

Can you keep using it?

Contact customer support if any of these apply

!The message remains after a careful reinstall.
!The cartridge slot, latch, or cover does not align normally.

If the printer still starts normally: Finish the first checks once, then stop if the same message repeats or the printer still cannot return to ready.

What to check first

Step-by-step checks

1
Consumable check
Remove the affected cartridge and reinstall it slowly until it locks into place.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
2
Safe first step
Check that each color is seated squarely before closing the cover.
3
Consumable check
Avoid pulling multiple cartridges unless replacement is actually needed.

Background

What this message usually means

Brother shows No Ink Cartridge when the MFC-J1010 and J1170 family does not see one of the installed cartridges in a normal locked position. The official guidance is to remove and reinstall the cartridge slowly and firmly until it locks.

Diagnosis

Likely causes

Most common

One cartridge is not seated fully.

Common

A recent cartridge swap was not completed with the cartridge locked into place.

Possible

The printer cannot recognize the physical install state of one cartridge.

Service

When service or replacement is more likely

-This is an installation-state message, not a warning that ink is empty by itself.
-Repeated unnecessary cartridge removal can confuse ink tracking further.

Related codes in this family

Wrong Ink Color

An ink cartridge is installed in the wrong color position.

Install Starter Ink

The first cartridges installed are not the starter cartridges that came with the machine.

Source notes

Brother's official No Ink Cartridge article says the message appears when an ink cartridge is not installed correctly and advises reinstalling it firmly until it locks.

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

No Ink Cartridge - An ink cartridge is not installed correctly.