Stop printing if the same fault returns after one careful restart or basic recovery step.
Epson / EcoTank ET-2980 series

E-01 - A printer error occurred and the unit should be restarted first.

A printer error occurred and the unit should be restarted first.

This guide is scoped to the EcoTank ET-2980 series family. Exact menu wording, cartridge naming, and service behavior can still vary by model variant and firmware.

Severity

High

Most likely cause

A serious internal printer fault was detected during startup or printing.

Can you keep using it?

Usually no - see below

Consumables involved

Paper path

Can you keep using it?

Can you keep using it?

Contact customer support if any of these apply

  • !E-01 returns immediately after restart with no visible jam present.
  • !The printer cannot reach ready or shows repeated fatal-error behavior.
If the printer still starts normally: Try one careful restart or the first official recovery step, then stop if the same error comes back straight away.

What to check first

Step-by-step checks

  1. 1

    Safe first step

    Turn the printer off and back on once.

    Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.

  2. 2

    Consumable check

    Check for visible paper jams before retrying the job.

  3. 3

    Safe first step

    If the printer returns ready, test with one page only.

Background

What this message usually means

Epson uses E-01 for a broad printer error on the ET-2980 series. The official first step is to turn the product off and then back on again. If the error continues, Epson says to check for a paper jam; if there is no jam, contact Epson support.

Diagnosis

Likely causes

Most common

A serious internal printer fault was detected during startup or printing.

Common

A paper jam or obstruction left the product in an unrecoverable state.

Possible

The printer could not clear an internal hardware or transport error.

Service

When service or replacement is more likely

  • -This is a restart-first, escalate-second fault rather than an ink or cartridge warning.

See also

Related codes in this family

Explore more

More Epson printer families

Keep browsing

Where to go next

Source notes

Epson's ET-2980 status table identifies E-01 as a printer error and directs users to restart first, then check for a paper jam.

Built around Epson ET-2980 and ET-2980U support guidance plus the linked product status-message table. Panel wording can vary slightly by firmware or regional variant.

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: ET-2980, ET-2980U

Last reviewed: 2026-04-12

Reference: Open reference

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