How to decide whether I have a printhead or logic board issue

[Stevedud]

Hi all I hope you can help.
I have a Canon MG5650 printer which has performed faultlessly over the last 5 years. Recently however the printer just started to print blank pages. Up until the moment it stopped, print outs, either b/w or colour even photos where perfect. I have run all the usual maintanence checks and still blank pages. I assume that if the print head was to blame then I would have seen printout degradation? I have removed and cleaned the printhead but still blank pages. I don't want to spent out on a printhead if this is not the issue. My question is, how can I check if the issue is electronics of printhead? Your advice would be much appreciated. (NB no errors are displayed on the printer disply). Many thanks

 

[maximilian59]

Try to power up the printer without the printhead. If you get the error message that printhead is missing, than normally it’s not the mainboard

 

[stratman]

A sudden change to printing only blank pages can be due to an electronic malfunction of the print head, the logic assay board or both. No warning signs or error messages may occur.

Up until the moment it stopped

What does this mean specifically? What stopped? Does the printer turn on and stay on?

Pull the print head and clean the electrical contacts on the print head and the carriage it sits in using a lint free cloth like a paper towel and isopropyl alcohol. You could also use a soft rubber pencil eraser. Then make sure to reset the print head back into the printer properly.

Did you see any leaked ink on or around the print head, carriage or the interior of the printer?

@maximilian59 has great advice for help in diagnosing the issue.

Assuming there is ink in all the cartridges and they have not been marked as empty, try printing a nozzle check to see if any ink is printed out. Report results. If any ink is printed then scan, crop and post the nozzle check.