Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !E3 returns immediately after restart.
- !The carriage cannot move cleanly or feels physically blocked.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Safe first step
Power the printer off before checking the carriage area.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Safe first step
Remove any obvious scraps or obstructions without forcing the carriage.
- 3
Safe first step
Restart once after the carriage path looks clear.
Background
What this message usually means
HP uses E3 or a carriage jam message on the OfficeJet Pro 9010 and 9020 family when the print carriage cannot move through its path cleanly. It usually points to a paper-path obstruction, stuck carriage, or supply-state problem that needs a careful check before forcing anything.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after a hidden paper-path interruption, tray setup issue, or a small obstruction that is easier to miss than a full visible jam.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
A paper scrap or obstruction is blocking the carriage path.
The carriage is stuck after a jam or interrupted startup.
A supply or internal latch is out of place and preventing carriage movement.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -Do not force the carriage through resistance because that can turn a recoverable jam into a service repair.
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 no physical path issue exists just because no full sheet is visible at first glance.
See also
Related codes in this family
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Read this next
Helpful guides for this problem
Guide
Before ordering a printer printhead or other expensive part
The checks worth doing before you spend real money on a printhead or another printer part that may not solve the fault.
Guide
When a printer says paper jam but there isn't one
What a false paper-jam warning usually points to, from hidden scraps and tray issues to faults that are no longer simple jams.
Guide
How to tell if a printer fault is a cartridge issue or a service issue
How to separate ordinary cartridge or toner trouble from the kind of printer fault that usually points to real service.
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
HP's OfficeJet Pro 9010 and 9020 troubleshooting page includes a Carriage Jam or E3 error path for this family.
Built around official HP support guidance for the OfficeJet Pro 9010 and 9020 families. Exact wording can vary a little by firmware, app workflow, and regional support site.
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: OfficeJet Pro 9010, OfficeJet Pro 9012, OfficeJet Pro 9015, OfficeJet Pro 9020, OfficeJet Pro 9022, OfficeJet Pro 9025
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference