Two designs
| Compared | Fixed waste ink pads | Maintenance box |
|---|---|---|
| Where the waste ink goes | Pads inside the printer’s body | A removable box with a chip |
| What stops the printer | A counter reaches its limit | The box’s chip reports it is full |
| The fix | Reset the counter, then check the pads | Fit a new box, or reset the box’s chip with a chip resetter |
| Can VNIT Reset Tool help? | Yes | No |
Which message is on your screen?
Epson’s own support page sorts the message into three kinds. The words decide the fix:
| The message names | What it is | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Maintenance box | A removable box you can replace yourself | A new box, or a chip resetter for the old box |
| Borderless ink pad | A pad inside the printer that catches ink from borderless prints | Not user-replaceable, says Epson. You can keep printing with a border |
| Parts inside the printer (no part named) | The fixed waste ink pads and their counter | Epson service, or a counter reset plus a pad check (that is what our tool does) |
So if your screen says maintenance box, no software will help, ours included. If it says parts inside your printer, read the end-of-service-life guide.
How to tell which one you have
- Look it up. Type your model into the supported printers table. It shows either Software reset or Replace box with the box code.
- Check the manual. If it lists a maintenance box as a part you can buy, your printer has one. The part number is often C9344, C9345 or T04D1.
- Read the counter. If you are still unsure, download the tool and press Check Printer. Reading is free, and the tool tells you when a model uses a box.
Why we say so before you pay
A reset key cannot help a maintenance-box printer, so we will not sell you one for it. If you are unsure, send us your model on WhatsApp and we will check for free.
The common box codes
In our model table, three box codes cover most maintenance-box Epsons. Each page lists the printers that use it:
- C9344: for example Expression Home XP-3100, XP-4100 and XP-4200, WorkForce WF-2830 and WF-2850, EcoTank ET-2830 and ET-4810, L3550 and L5590.
- C9345: for example EcoTank ET-5800, ET-8550 and ET-16650, WorkForce WF-7840, L8050 and L18050.
- T04D1: for example EcoTank ET-3850 and ET-4850, Expression XP-5100, WorkForce WF-2860, L6190 and L6490.
Regional versions of one printer can use a different box, so the code on your old box (or on the printer’s screen) wins over any list, ours included.
Replacing a maintenance box
Buy the box with the same code as the one in your printer, from an Epson reseller or a printer supply shop. Swap it as your manual shows (Epson’s guide calls the section “Replacing the Maintenance Box”). A new box starts empty, the printer recognises it, and the message clears.
Epson’s tips, in short: do not swap the box while the printer is printing, do not touch the green chip, keep the old box level as you take it out so ink does not spill, and seal it in the bag the new box came in. A box that has been used in one printer cannot be moved to another. Epson also notes the box is a user part, so its replacement is not covered by the warranty.
Or reset the box’s chip
A chip resetter is a small hardware tool made for one box code (for example C9345). You touch it to the chip on the box and it sets the box’s count back to empty, so the printer accepts the same box again. It is not software: no PC program, ours included, can do this.
A chip resetter does not empty the box. Only reuse a box whose absorbent pad still has room, or replace the pad inside it. A soaked box that is reset can leak ink inside the printer.
Sources
- Epson Europe FAQ KA-01904: The Maintenance Box is at the end of its service life. What should I do?
- Epson regional product pages (maintenance box part numbers per model)
- VNIT Reset Tool model database