W550s fan grinding noise

[shadowsonmywall]

My w550s laptop fan is making a loud grinding noise whenever I turn it on.  I've tried cleaning and then replacing the fan but the issue persists anyway. Any tips on how to resolve the issue would be greatly appreciated. I've attached the sound for reference.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4rjnLAA0hh8c0NBVWphbVlUMzQ/view?usp=drivesdk 

(it sounds like a bearing is loose but I'm not quite sure) 

[PeterTWJ]

Welcome shadowsonmywall

1. Is your CPU and GPU running hot when the laptop fan is making a loud grinding noise?

2. Did you remove the thermal paste before replacing with a new fan?

3. Have you tighten all other screws on the laptop fan?

4. Use grease to oil the bearing of the fan.

Peter

ThinkPad X40 | ThinkPad W520 | ThinkPad T560 | ThinkCentre E73 SFF | Yoga 11s | Yoga 3 Pro | Yoga 900 | Yoga Home 900 | Yoga Tablet 2 Pro | Miix 2 10" | IdeaPad Y460p | IdeaPad K1 | 3000 Y300 | Vibe K5 Plus

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[shadowsonmywall]

Hi PeterTWJ,

Thanks for the prompt response!

1. No, neither is running hot. This doesn't seem to noticeably affect performance either (though if left unchecked, I think it probably will)

2. I did not remove the thermal paste. Is that something I should have done?

3. All the screws are tightened.

4. I have not applied grease to the bearing.

Thanks

shadowsonmywall

[PeterTWJ]

Hi shadowsonmywall

1. If you replaced an old set of fan, with a new set of fan that comes with thermal paste, you would need to clear away existing thermal paste on the CPU, before replacing with a new set of fan. You could use alcohol wipe or alcohol with cotton to clear exisiting paste. 

If temperature is not an issue, you could skip this. As clearing away thermal paste, you would need to reapply with new thermal paste.

2. When you installed the fan, have you taped any wires near the fan? If not installed correctly, any wires (such as speaker wires) could be rubbing against the fan. 

Peter

ThinkPad X40 | ThinkPad W520 | ThinkPad T560 | ThinkCentre E73 SFF | Yoga 11s | Yoga 3 Pro | Yoga 900 | Yoga Home 900 | Yoga Tablet 2 Pro | Miix 2 10" | IdeaPad Y460p | IdeaPad K1 | 3000 Y300 | Vibe K5 Plus

Give kudos to reward people for their assistance | Mark thread solved if the solution works | I am an active volunteer, not an Lenovo employee

=====================================

List of Sound Enhancement Thread

T520 | W520 ; Dolby ; IdeaPad Slate Tablet ; Yoga 3 Pro ; X100e ; Vibe Shot ; Yoga 900 ; P50 ; P40 Yoga | Yoga 14 | Yoga 460 ; T560 | P50s ; Vibe K5 | K5 Plus ; M0620 Speaker Mod