# Low-Ink or "Empty" Warning on a Remanufactured Canon PG-285 / CL-286 — Is It Normal?

> A remanufactured Canon PG-285/CL-286 can show low ink even when full. Here's why, and how to dismiss the warning by holding Stop for 5–10 seconds.

Source: https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/low-ink-or-empty-warning-on-a-remanufactured-canon-pg-285-cl-286-is-it-normal-B1FuOtJbfx

Last updated: 2026-06-05T22:20:40.422Z

**Quick answer:** Yes, it can be normal. Because of how Canon's chips report levels, a remanufactured [PG-285/285XL](https://www.ldproducts.com/remanufactured-canon-pg-285xl-hy-black-ink-cartridge) or [CL-286/286XL](https://www.ldproducts.com/remanufactured-canon-cl-286xl-hy-color-ink-cartridge) may show a low-ink or "ink may have run out" warning even when the cartridge is full. The cartridge will still print its full yield. You typically can dismiss the alert by holding the printer's **Stop** button for about 5–10 seconds.

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## Why this happens

The cartridges carry a chip that estimates ink level. On a remanufactured cartridge the chip may not reset to "100%," so the printer can flag it as low or empty. This is a monitoring quirk, not an ink problem — the cartridge is filled to capacity and tested for full page yield.

## How to clear the warning

1.  When the low-ink or "cartridge empty" message appears, confirm you want to continue printing.
2.  Press and hold the **Stop** button on the printer for about **5–10 seconds**, then release.
3.  Keep printing as normal. Print quality is unaffected.

Because the on-screen gauge may no longer be accurate, watch your print quality instead: faded or streaky output is the real signal that a cartridge is running out.

## When it's actually empty

If prints turn faint, streaky, or lose a color, the cartridge is likely genuinely low. Try a print-head cleaning first (see below); if that doesn't help, replace the cartridge.

## **Related articles**

*   [Fixing streaks, faded, or missing colors on PG-285 / CL-286](https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/streaky-faded-or-missing-colors-on-a-canon-pg-285-cl-286-how-to-fix-print-quality-r1txFKJbzg)
*   [How to install Canon PG-285 and CL-286 ink cartridges](https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/how-to-install-canon-pg-285-cl-286-ink-cartridges-Sk0XgKyWMg)
*   ["Cartridge cannot be recognized" — how to fix](https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/canon-cartridge-cannot-be-recognized-after-installing-pg-285-cl-286-how-to-fix-Hy_UDFJWzg)

_Need a fresh cartridge or the full series guide? See [Canon PG-285 / CL-286 Ink: Compatible Printers, Page Yields & Buying Guide](https://www.ldproducts.com/blog/canon-pg-285-cl-286-ink-series/)._