How to fix Error 6A81 on Canon printers

MAJ 03/01/15

Error 6A81 appears on Canon printers like Pixma IP4800, MG5140, MG5150, MX882...

Solution 1: This is a purge unit error.

• There maybe something jamming the purge unit or just a absorber out of place which is picking up on the carriage preventing it from moving correctly. 
• Try to move the carriage away from the purge (its where the printhead/carriage parks its self on the right side of the machine) with no resistance then you can shine a torch into the machine and look at the purge unit. 
• There maybe crumpled paper jammed in the purge. 
• If all looks well, the purge unit may be defective and had to be replaced. 

Solution 2:

• The wiper on the purge may have stuck. It slides back and forth and they have been known to stick. 
• Push it with a long screwdriver to see if it moves.

Solution 3:

• Something is blocking the printer inside. It could be a paper jam or a foreign object. 
• Check using a flashlight, to ensure there is nothing obstructing the paper feed mechanism down inside the printer where it is not easily seen.
• If there is nothing obvious, unplug the printer power supply. 

Solution 3a ( thanks to Peter van eijden for the tip):

• Printer off. 
• Bring by hand the ink-carrier to the right side.
• Push down carefully on the carrier, hold on and shalter the printer: push the left site of the carrier down, because its will come up.

Solution 4:

• Take a dry cloth and clean the rubber rollers in the automatic sheet feeder. Dust may be coating the rollers there and as they become less tacky, they cannot feed paper correctly.

Solution 5:

• Hold the printer in both hands (you may need another person to help you), turn it upside down and shake it for a few seconds to see if anything falls out of the paper feed area. (Sometimes objects such as pens, paper clips and so on can fall into the paper feed area and cause blockages.)
• Then plug the printer back up, take your paper out and replace it with a fresh, small stack (about 5 pages) of paper. Then try to form feed again. If that works, then try to print again.