Computer People: Laptop Fan Question

[gromit]

I got an error when my comp turns on, says "fan error" and then shuts off - brought it to the computer store they said it means I need a new fan. I ordered the new fan, printed out the relevant pages from the Hardware Maintenance Manual... followed all the steps on replacing the fan, except for the actual fan itself, they only had instructions on replacing the entire fan assembly, not just the fan. I just looked at it very carefully and then mimicked how it was already set up but with the new fan.

Put all the pieces exactly back into place. Put battery back in, turned it on, it said "fan error" again and shut off.

Ughhhhh....

So, my questions:

• Is the fan a very sensitive component? Could I have damaged it inadvertently or are there lots of surfaces that need to be in perfect contact that I may not have realized besides plugging in the proper wires and stuff?
• Could it be something else (i.e. heat sink) that is causing the fan error?

 

[JAVO]

A few ideas:

- double-check that the fan is connected correctly at both the fan and the motherboard
- take out the battery and reinstall it, making sure it's fully seated and installed correctly

from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f108/resolved-fan-error-ibm-152396.html

Edit:
Is there more than one fan, such as the main case fan + CPU fan?

 

[entropie]

there are lots of different fan models, could be that the old fan used PWM. Did you check if maybe the old one had three cables and the new one only two ?
Besides that check if the new fan is running and if it is enter bios on bootup with the del key or the respective key the bootscreen tells you. Try if you can disable "halt on fan error" there somewhere.

if that all doesnt work you would have to check the fan connection on the mainboard, if it has power. Look on the old fan and new fan if their electrical characteristics match, for example: 12 V @ 500 mA . if the new fan has more mA or less Volts the replacement part is incorrect. Then you'd have to check the mainboard with a multimeter, could be that an electrical component fried and the wiring got disconnected.

I dont advise running the laptop without the cpu fan. If a wiring is broken you'd need to see if you could connect the fan to the power supply any other way. if not you'd need to build yourself a circuit with a trafo.

thats all tho kinda complicated, they should help you best in the computer store and if they dont try an electronics store.

Computer guys are most often incompetent and only now brands and labels but no electronics and a fan is simple electronics

 

[gromit]

Thanks JAVO and entropie - some followup questions...

A few ideas:

- double-check that the fan is connected correctly at both the fan and the motherboard
- take out the battery and reinstall it, making sure it's fully seated and installed correctly

from: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f108/resolved-fan-error-ibm-152396.html

Can you explain the two types of fan connections better? Not sure I understand what you mean. Will try reconnecting battery again, I did slide it into the lock position as suggested in the link.

Edit:
Is there more than one fan, such as the main case fan + CPU fan?

Hm I'm not sure I understand the difference. I think there's only one fan, or I guess the fan assembly seemed to have three components, a copper housing that had two rectangle shaped areas and then the third area held the fan itself I had to remove the whole assembly but only replaced the fan itself and then returned the assembly back into the computer.

there are lots of different fan models, could be that the old fan used PWM. Did you check if maybe the old one had three cables and the new one only two ?

Would all of the cables plug into the same location? The old fan and the new fan both had a red and a black cable that joined together and plugged into the inside of the computer - sorry I'm not a computer technician at all, so I don't know the terms of the parts.

Besides that check if the new fan is running and if it is enter bios on bootup with the del key or the respective key the bootscreen tells you. Try if you can disable "halt on fan error" there somewhere.

How would I do it? Is this what appears on that first screen before your computer starts up?

if that all doesnt work you would have to check the fan connection on the mainboard, if it has power. Look on the old fan and new fan if their electrical characteristics match, for example: 12 V @ 500 mA . if the new fan has more mA or less Volts the replacement part is incorrect. Then you'd have to check the mainboard with a multimeter, could be that an electrical component fried and the wiring got disconnected.

This information would be engraved on the fan? I will have to take the whole thing apart again to check the new one...

I dont advise running the laptop without the cpu fan. If a wiring is broken you'd need to see if you could connect the fan to the power supply any other way. if not you'd need to build yourself a circuit with a trafo.

Yeah I've taken an electronics class, but no computer electronics, just more basic circuitry - not sure I'd want to get involved.

It was cool at least to see what's going on inside my laptop though!

 

[entropie]

laptops usually only have one fan yes, some dont. JAVO meant whats usual in a computer which has multiple fans.

Would all of the cables plug into the same location? The old fan and the new fan both had a red and a black cable that joined together and plugged into the inside of the computer - sorry I'm not a computer technician at all, so I don't know the terms of the parts.

Normally they have a connector that prevents them from misalignment. Like this:

But normally it doesnt matter if they are misaligned since the fan engine works both ways. If its misaligned it does only turn the wrong way.

How would I do it? Is this what appears on that first screen before your computer starts up?

Yes. There must be a message like "hit del to enter setup" or something like that, you'd need to get into the bios which is a screen with a blue background:

This information would be engraved on the fan? I will have to take the whole thing apart again to check the new one...

Yes there should be a label on the fan. Check the old fan first if it has one, if it doesnt you dont need to disassebmle.

What modell and brand is your laptop and does the new fan turn at all, can you make a visual check ?

 

[Octarine]

Does the fan actually start up (for at least a second or two) when you turn on the computer? If you bought a compatible fan and plugged it in correctly, I guess it is possible that the fan controller has died.