Canon MX870 ink absorber pad is full error reason explored

So my neighbor had a Canon MX870 and ran into the issue where it was giving the "ink absorbing pad is full" error. She had used some office max cartridges and one leaked the ink out all over inside the cartridge area..and nothing that I could see or tried with cleaning from the top would fix it without doing a major disassembly...so we got her a new printer, and I got a broken printer for my 'garage parts'. Today I worked and took it apart and found the issue....so much ink everywhere in the pads...so many pads all over the bottom of the printer. Giant pile of ink....crazy stuff that totally explains the error message.

[@davinp]

I have the MG5420 and it gives me the error the ink absorber is almost full. I used aftermarket cartridges. I saw that you can buy the print head if cleaning it doesn't work

[@josephkrug8579]

Based on what I found though, you really need to empty and get new cleaning pads in the bottom of the machine too...and some of what I took apart, I do not know how would properly come apart without breaking some of the plastic tabs, etc. ie there was a LOT of ink in the bottom of this printer...way more than just changing the print head would fix.

[@davinp]

@@josephkrug8579 thanks. I don't really want to take apart my printer. It may better just to buy a new printer. I did find a TH-cam video showing how to dissemble the MG5420