Fan not working correctly.

[Heyspike]

Is it easy to replace the fan on a R61? It doesn't always work right, also what fan do I need to get?

And my system has SLOWED down over the last couple of months, what causes that? It used to be pretty fast.

Thanks.

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

the fan is pretty easy to replace. You would need to get the same fan as the one in your machine.

Did your laptop comes with 15.4 inch LCD with Intel graphics card?

But before you replace the fan, you can could try to give it a really good clean, by stripping it apart and clean off any dusts. Then apply a good dose of WD-40 and clean it off after say 1 hr, and finally apply a some high quality sewing machine oil to it. See whether that helps.

Follow the hardware manual for the fan/heatsink replacement procedures.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/MIGR-67859.html

[Heyspike]

Thank You, will clean it first.

[Chthonian_Seal]

I'm facing a slightly different issue with my fan.  Previously, the fan ran for extended periods of time, even when doing non-intensive things like simple web browsing.  I finally opened up the computer, cleaned everything off with some canned air, and replace the factory thermal paste with Arctic Silver 5.  After the 200 or so hours it should have taken the new paste to become fully effective, the fan still whirs as loudly and as often as ever, but with a new problem.  Now when I go to turn on the computer, the fan turns on (even as soon as the boot screen).  This lead to me being increasing greeted by "Fan Error" and the computer turns off before the BIOS can even boot the OS.  The only way I've been able to get the computer running is to shake it around a while (thankfully Thinkpad's and SSD's can take that kind of abuse) so that the fan stays off long enough for the BIOS to boot into the Windows 7 (at which point, the fan promptly turns back on).  In fact, the fan stays on for so long now, it only turns off for a minute or so (probably worn out from spinning all the time).  After speaking with some people, the problem is likely the fan/heatsink unit or the fan controller on the motherboard.  Since the replacement unit is expensive, and the money is wasted if it is the controller that's to blame, is there any way to determine which part is at fault?

Thinkpad R61

8918-CTO

Running Windows 7 Pro x64

NVIDIA Quadro NVS 140M

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

You can't really be sure which parts are at faulty without the necessary tools or parts.

[jedipenguin]

Having just disassembled an R61i in hopes of replacing the fan, I'd say it's a fairly hard job--well, it does entail removing many screws and carefully keeping track of them, as well as being pretty careful not to rip tender connectors and cables appart.

The manual is mostly correct, I followed it exactly, and have extracted what I would call the "Fan Assembly". At this point the manual fails--the fan is firmly integrated into the entire heat transfer system, and that is what the manual has you remove. In my 8932 CTO model that exposes TWO, not one, processor which has to be cleaned and have heat transfer paste applied to. 

The M2 × 3 mm, flat-head, nylon-coated screws have a Phillips-like head, but it is really something else, sort of a posi-drive without the splines kind of thing, which I finally made by grinding off a 2.0 mm Phillips bit--just removing the point, so that the sides fit properly. Some of them are in so tightly the "proper" drive bit was a big help, and the extra torque of  gripping the driver handle with small vise grips made the difference. for the really tight ones.

I'm puzzled because it appears that the entire heat transfer unit should be replaced, as removing the fan from it appars REALLY difficult, at best, but the IBM/Lenovo store pages which should list the fan are blank. 3rd party suppliers are ambiguous about what they offer as "the fan"--I'm still researching how to get a new one--can anyone help with where to source such parts? or am I missing some simple dissasembly which makes the fan easy to seperate from the Heat exchanger?

JediPenguin

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

the heatsink and fan are one integrated unit as far as the depot is concerned, and they are replaced together.

Most fans on the market are stripped off old or refurbished unit, the only place where one usually find them are on ebay.

It would be easier if you replace the entire fan/heatsink unit. You can check IBM parts for the cost.

http://www-304.ibm.com/shop/americas/content/home/store_IBMPublicUSA/en_US/parts/parts_main.html

[jedipenguin]

Thanks for the advice and the link! 

I've ordered from IBM, and now I'll find out if I can get old heatsink paste off the CPU and the Video chip, new paste on, and the whole thing back together and working!

[jedipenguin]

The correct heat sink assembly arrived almost at once, looks great!

Now I have a question about the dots of "paste" on the surfaces which will mate with the CPU and the Video chip. I've seen this disscussed, but not exactly answered. 

Do I simply clean the surfaces of the two chips using alcohol or the Articlean I have, then put the heat sink/fan assembly in place without additonal thermal paste, relying on the paste dots on the new part, or do I also remove that pre-applied paste and do the usual heat transfer paste with my Artic Silver? or perhaps use the Artic Silver WITH the preapplied stuff? No, that couldn't be....

Thanks again for the help!

Steve Carter

[andyP Community SuperMod]

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jedipenguin wrote:

put the heat sink/fan assembly in place without additonal thermal paste,

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exactly that is the correct thing to do.