HP Printers - 'Carriage Jam' or 'E3' Error Displays

This document is for HP inkjet printers.

The carriage stalls and a Carriage Jam or E3 error displays.

note:

The carriage is the part inside the printer that holds the cartridges and moves from side to side while printing.

Make sure the carriage path is not blocked.

1. With the printer on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. If your printer has a battery, remove the battery.
3. Open the door to access the carriage inside of the printer.
   Examples of carriage access doors
   
4. Look in the carriage path for debris such as crumpled paper or dislodged labels, and then remove any that you find.
   Example of a printer with debris in the carriage path
   
5. If the carriage on your printer has a latch, make sure it is closed.

     caution:

   Ink tank printers: If the latch is closed, do not press down on it.

   

6. Use your hand to move the carriage to each side, making sure it moves freely. If the carriage is stalled or docked to one side of the printer and you cannot move it, continue with these steps.
7. Close the carriage access door.
8. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer, and then turn the printer on.

If the error persists, continue to the next step.

An error might continue to display after the jam is cleared. To clear the error state, reset the printer, connecting the power cord directly to a wall outlet to make sure the power source is stable and prevent more carriage jams.

1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the power source.
3. Wait 60 seconds.
4. Reconnect the power cord to a wall outlet and to the printer.

   note:

   HP recommends plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet.

If the error persists, continue to the next step.

Service or replace your HP product if the issue persists after completing all the preceding steps.

Go to Contact HP Customer Support to schedule a product repair or replacement. If you are in Asia Pacific, you will be directed to a local service center in your area.

To confirm your warranty status, go to HP Product Warranty Check. Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty products.