Roland TrueVIS Error Codes: Field Diagnostic Guide

How Roland TrueVIS Error Codes Communicate the Failure

Roland TrueVIS production printers — the VG, VG2, VG3, SG, SG2, SG3, and related TrueVIS series — communicate machine faults through two distinct channels on the control panel: Service Call codes (numeric four-digit codes indicating an unrecoverable error or a fault requiring service intervention), and Error Messages (text messages indicating a recoverable operator condition or a fault that can be cleared from the panel). Understanding which channel the printer is using is the first step in any TrueVIS diagnostic. A Service Call code is not the same kind of event as an Error Message, and the recovery path is completely different.

This field guide walks through the Roland TrueVIS error code categories Florida B2B production shops encounter most often in vehicle wrap, sign, and graphics production, the most common Service Call codes our experienced in-house wide-format service team sees on TrueVIS machines, and the diagnostic approach for each. Every code referenced in this guide is documented in Roland’s own service literature — we do not invent codes. For platform-specific service, see our Roland TrueVIS printer repair service page.

Service Call Codes vs Error Messages: Read the Channel First

Service Call Codes

Service Call codes display as a four-digit number on the panel (for example, SERVICE CALL 0400 or SERVICE CALL 0250). Roland documents these as unrecoverable errors or events that require part replacement or specialized intervention. The recommended response in Roland’s documentation is to record the code, power the machine off, and contact a service technician. The reason: continuing to operate the machine through a Service Call event can compound the underlying fault — for example, continuing to run a 0400 ink-suction fault can dry the printheads, turning a recoverable damper or capping issue into a printhead replacement event.

Error Messages

Error Messages display as plain-text descriptions of an operator-recoverable condition. Examples include MOTOR ERROR, PINCHROLL ERROR, COVER OPEN ERROR, MEDIA END ERROR, CROP MARK DETECTION ERROR, AVOIDING DRY-UP TURN POWER OFF, and CANCELED FOR PUMP PROTECTION. Most error messages clear once the operator addresses the underlying condition — clearing media jams, closing covers, re-loading media, or cycling power as Roland’s documentation specifies.

The discipline is to identify which channel the printer is using before acting. A Service Call code requires diagnostic work and often parts. An Error Message often requires only operator-level recovery.

Service Call 0400 — Ink Cannot Be Sucked or Discharged from the Damper

Service Call 0400 is the single most common TrueVIS Service Call our service team sees in the field. Roland’s published cause description is direct: ink cannot be sucked or ink in the damper cannot be discharged properly. The 0400 code typically displays with additional digits (for example, 0400 XXXX) indicating which channel or component triggered the fault.

Roland’s Documented Primary Cause

Roland’s official 0400 troubleshooting article identifies the primary cause as the print heads not properly sealing to the cap station. Dried ink on the cap top gasket prevents the vacuum seal that allows the pump to draw ink through the damper. The official recovery procedure involves powering off the printer, manually moving the carriage out of the home position, cleaning the cap top gaskets with the correct cleaning fluid and swabs, and powering back on so the carriage re-docks and runs a small cleaning cycle.

When the Cap Top Cleaning Does Not Clear 0400

Cap top gasket cleaning is the first intervention because it is the most common cause and the least invasive fix. When 0400 persists after cap cleaning, our diagnostic sequence moves through:

• Damper sensor verification in service mode (the small arm sensors that detect damper fill state)
• Pressure pump function check — confirming the pump cycles and builds pressure as expected
• Damper fill procedure in service mode (side A or side B selection to isolate which damper is failing)
• Ink line inspection from cartridge through pump through choke valve through damper
• Damper replacement if upstream components verify clean

The printhead replacement decisions guide on our blog covers the upstream-component-first diagnostic discipline that applies directly to 0400 troubleshooting. Replacing the printhead before verifying capping integrity, damper function, and ink delivery is the most common expensive mistake on TrueVIS service calls.

Service Call 0380 — Pressure Pump Has Rotated But Ink Is Not Supplied to the Damper

Service Call 0380 indicates that the pressure pump has rotated a certain number of times but ink is not being supplied to the damper. Where 0400 is a discharge-side failure, 0380 is a supply-side failure — the pump is running but ink is not arriving at the damper.

Diagnostic Sequence for 0380

• Verify the ink cartridge or ink pouch is properly seated and has ink available
• Inspect the ink line from cartridge tray to pump for air ingress, kinks, or contamination
• Verify the pump is mechanically cycling (audible and visible during a damper fill in service mode)
• Inspect the choke valve assembly on machines that use circulation (white and metallic ink circulation systems)
• Verify the damper sensors are reporting empty so the fill cycle initiates
• Inspect for clogs in the ink line between pump and damper

Roland’s documented response, like 0400, is to power off and contact a service technician — but the underlying repair is often a damper replacement, an ink line repair, or pump service rather than a printhead replacement.

Service Call 0250 — Head Device Has Detected a Problem

Service Call 0250 is Roland’s printhead-detected fault code. The printhead itself is reporting a problem through its diagnostic electronics. This is one of the few TrueVIS Service Call codes where the printhead is genuinely indicated as the failed component — but only after upstream causes are ruled out.

What 0250 Actually Indicates

Roland’s documented description is “Head device has detected a problem.” In practice, 0250 fires on a range of underlying conditions including printhead voltage issues, printhead communication faults, head board connection problems, and genuine printhead failure. The diagnostic sequence is:

• Inspect head board LEDs for specific error indicators (Roland’s TrueVIS Head Protection Activated documentation references checking head board LED status)
• Verify head cable connections at both the printhead and the head board
• Verify head rank input matches the installed printhead
• Check Service Call 0300 (bad connection with Sub CPU on head board) as a related/preceding fault
• Evaluate printhead replacement only if upstream electrical and connection diagnostics verify clean

Service Call 0300, 0305, 0310, 0315, 0320, 0325 — Board Communication Faults

This family of codes indicates a communication fault between the main control system and a specific board:

• 0300: Bad connection with Sub CPU on Head Board
• 0305: AMP thermistor on the print carriage board detected high temperature
• 0310: Bad connection with Sub CPU on Maintenance Board
• 0315: Bad connection with Sub CPU on Pump Drive Board
• 0320: Bad connection with Sub CPU on Ink System Board
• 0325: Bad connection with Sub CPU on Ext I/F Board

These codes typically trace to physical cable connections, board-level faults, or electrical issues rather than ink or print quality. The diagnostic approach inspects cable seating, board connections, and electrical continuity before any board replacement is recommended.

Service Call 0120, 0125, 0130, 0135, 0140, 0145, 0146 — Heater and Temperature Faults

TrueVIS production printers include pre-heater, print heater, and dryer stages for solvent-based ink curing. The heater-related Service Call codes are:

• 0120: Problem with Thermistor for Pre-Heater
• 0125: Pre-Heater temperature has reached 60°C and above
• 0130: Problem with Thermistor for Print Heater
• 0135: Print Heater temperature has reached 60°C and above
• 0140: Problem with Thermistor for dryer
• 0145: Dryer temperature has reached 80°C and above
• 0146: Option Dryer temperature has reached 80°C and above

Thermistor codes (0120, 0130, 0140) indicate the temperature sensor itself is failing or disconnected. Over-temperature codes (0125, 0135, 0145, 0146) indicate the heater has exceeded safe operating temperature, which can be caused by thermistor reporting failure, heater control board faults, or ambient conditions. The diagnostic approach inspects thermistor continuity, heater control wiring, and ambient temperature conditions in the production space.

Service Call 0101, 0102, 0103, 0105, 0106, 0109, 0110, 0111 — Carriage, Sensor, and Position Faults

This family of Service Call codes relates to carriage motion, position sensors, and the print carriage / cut carriage interface on print/cut machines:

• 0101: Limit Position Initialization is not carried out
• 0102: Head Lock Sensor output does not reach the expected value during regular movement
• 0103: Limit sensor does not work properly
• 0105: Cut carriage and print carriage are not attached properly
• 0106: Cut carriage and print carriage did not detach properly
• 0109: Wiper Sensor output does not reach the expected value during regular movement
• 0110: Input value from Linear Encoder is not changed by the Linear Encoder origin setup
• 0111: Position of the tool crop sensor is not properly adjusted

0101 is recoverable through Roland’s documented Limit Initialization procedure (the VG2/SG2 limit initialization is documented in Roland’s support knowledge base). The other codes in this family typically require service mode work to diagnose sensor function and physical inspection of the affected component.

Common Error Messages (Operator-Recoverable)

The text-based error messages on TrueVIS production machines are operator-recoverable in most cases. The most common ones we see referenced in service calls are:

MOTOR ERROR

Roland’s documented response: remove any media jams from the machine, use suitable and lighter media, unroll some media from the rear of the machine, check for loose components in the print area that may interfere with carriage movement, and perform a limit initialization for TrueVIS Series 2 models. The motor error indicates one of the motors has jammed or encountered resistance — usually a recoverable mechanical condition.

PINCHROLL ERROR

The middle pinch rollers are positioned at locations where they cannot pinch the media. Recovery: move the middle pinch rollers to the correct location for the media width loaded.

AVOIDING DRY-UP TURN POWER OFF

The print heads were forced to the home position to prevent dry-out. Recovery: switch the sub power off, then back on. This message indicates the machine has protected the printheads from a dry-out condition — but if it recurs frequently, the underlying cause (often capping station seal issues) needs investigation.

CANCELED FOR PUMP PROTECTION

Roland documents this as an emergency stop after the cleaning state has continued for 10 minutes or longer. Operation cannot be continued; the sub power must be switched off and a service technician contacted. This is a serious condition — repeated occurrences indicate a systemic ink delivery problem.

SET HEAD HEIGHT TO ***

The height of the print heads is too low for the media thickness specified in the software RIP. Recovery: adjust the head height to the displayed value using the height-adjustment lever.

WRONG CARTRIDGE

An incorrect ink cartridge or ink pouch type has been installed. Recovery: use an ink pouch of the specified type for the machine.

CROP MARK DETECTION ERROR

The machine cannot detect crop marks for contour cutting. Recovery: verify crop mark print quality, media type, and machine cleanliness around the crop mark sensor. Highly reflective or unusual media surfaces can interfere with crop mark detection on TrueVIS VG3, SG3, LG, MG, and AP-640 platforms — Roland publishes specific guidance on this.

Head Protection Activated Message

The “Head Protection Activated” message on TrueVIS VG/SG series printers has multiple possible causes. Roland’s documentation directs technicians to check the head board LEDs for specific error indicators (error 14, 133 referenced as one starting point). The diagnostic approach inspects the head board status, head cable seating, and head voltage before any head replacement is considered.

VersaWorks-Side Errors

Not every TrueVIS production issue originates at the printer. VersaWorks RIP software can throw its own errors that prevent production output, including VersaWorks Measurement Failed (error code -4087), RIP processing stalls at 1% processed, application crashes, and printer-not-recognized issues after firmware upgrades. The RIP software troubleshooting blog post covers RIP-side workflow issues that apply alongside VersaWorks-specific problems. When a TrueVIS production stall has no panel error on the printer itself, the RIP side is the first place to look.

Our TrueVIS Diagnostic Approach

When a Florida sign, wrap, or graphics shop reports a TrueVIS Service Call code, our process is:

• Phone or email triage to capture the exact code displayed (including any additional digits), the operation that triggered it, recent maintenance history, ink type (OEM vs aftermarket), and any preceding behavior
• On-site or remote diagnostic depending on the code — some codes can be diagnosed remotely with operator support, others require physical inspection
• Service mode interrogation to retrieve diagnostic information, run sensor checks, and verify component function
• Root cause identification with clear explanation of what was found and the recovery path
• Parts quote-based — for any repair requiring parts (printheads, dampers, capping stations, cap top gaskets, boards, sensors, belts), we quote the parts cost separately so the shop can authorize the spend
• Repair execution and validation including post-repair nozzle check, test print, and color management verification if the repair affected ink delivery
• Preventive maintenance recommendations to reduce recurrence

For shops running solvent and eco-solvent production beyond Roland, our broader solvent and eco-solvent printer repair service covers the same diagnostic discipline across the production solvent lineup, and our eco-solvent banding troubleshooting guide covers print quality root causes that apply to TrueVIS machines as well.

Parts and Service Approach on TrueVIS

We service TrueVIS production printers using OEM Roland parts for ink-contact components — printheads, dampers, capping assemblies, cap top gaskets, and ink lines — because these are the components where aftermarket cost savings are most often outweighed by operational risk on a production machine. For non-ink-contact components, we evaluate OEM versus aftermarket on cost, lead time, and reliability profile. We do not use aftermarket ink on TrueVIS machines without explicit shop authorization; ink chemistry compatibility on TrueVIS is non-trivial, and the failure modes traceable to incompatible ink are not worth the marginal cost saving in our service experience. All parts are quote-based. For Roland-specific printhead and ink system service, see our printheads, ink systems, and maintenance kits service page.

TrueVIS Service Across Florida

We service the Roland TrueVIS production lineup across Florida for B2B production shops including sign and wrap producers, vehicle graphics installers, banner and billboard printers, and large-format production graphics shops. Field service is dispatched from our Florida service base.

Our service team typically replies within 1 hour during business hours. To request TrueVIS service, contact us at (727) 627-5100 or submit a service request through the contact form.