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How to Reset a Flashing Drum Light on a Brother Printer

· 2 min read

A flashing Drum light on a Brother printer indicates that the drum unit is nearing the end of its estimated life, or that the drum counter needs to be reset after replacing the drum unit. The light is triggered by a page counter rather than by the actual condition of the drum, so resetting the counter will clear the warning.

How to reset the drum counter​

  1. Open the front cover of the printer by pressing the cover release button.
  2. Press and hold the Go button until all four LEDs are lit.
  3. Release the Go button.
  4. Close the front cover.
  5. Verify that the Drum LED is now off.

Important: Only reset the drum counter when you have replaced the drum unit with a new one. Resetting it without replacing the drum may result in poor print quality.

Troubleshooting​

If the light remains on after following the steps above, try these additional tips:

  • Remove the toner cartridge from the drum unit before performing the reset. Some Brother models require the toner to be removed for the reset to register.
  • Clean the corona wire inside the drum unit by gently sliding the green tab back and forth several times. Dust on the corona wire can cause print quality issues that trigger the drum warning.
  • If the drum has genuinely reached the end of its life (typically around 12,000 pages), replacing it is the recommended solution.

This procedure applies to most Brother laser printers, including the HL, DCP, and MFC series. Consult your printer's manual for model-specific instructions.