Thinkpads Forum

I've been having this issue for a little while and I was wondering if anyone has experienced/if it's something to be worried about. It's been going on for some time, but I don't really notice unless I'm somewhere very quiet (like a library).

My fan makes an odd little buzzing noise every so often, but it only seems to occur when it's slowing down. It almost sounds like the blade fins skimming metal, but I can't quite tell. In any case, it hasn't caused any issues yet and my temperatures still stay low.

Any thoughts on what could be causing this and how I could remedy it, or if it's even an issue I should be concerned about?

Thanks!

My X60s recently developed the same issue...so I'm awaiting someone's reply to us both now!

Mine makes the buzzing noise (like the fan is brushing against something) when it is starting up and slowing down.

revertTS wrote:I've been having this issue for a little while and I was wondering if anyone has experienced/if it's something to be worried about. It's been going on for some time, but I don't really notice unless I'm somewhere very quiet (like a library).....snip

Which thinkpad do you have?

ryengineer wrote:Which thinkpad do you have?

Sorry; it's an X60s as well, as indicated in my sig.

If your thinkpad is still under warranty then I would suggest it's time to avail it, if not then download the following HMM and open up your thinkpad and carefully blow some air on the fansink via a blower to clean it.

Hardware Maintenance Manual - ThinkPad X60, X60s, X61, X61s.

If it doesn't help then it would be time to replace the fansink.

Well I blew out dust a few days ago and that didn't help; I'll probably open it up and look at it carefully sometime this week, and if that doesn't work out...time to replace the fansink (thanks for the advice).

Can I order FRUs through Lenovo? I'm looking through their site and can't seem to find any mention of it...

Locate the FRU part number 1st:

Fan assembly.

Then give IBM parts a call at 1-800-388-7080.

ryengineer: Thanks for all the help; I'll post back if I find out anything relevant when I crack my laptop open again.

hi, first time poster

i was about to post this fan issue about my x60 tablet. My tablet still has 2 years of warranty left so i called lenovo they told me to take it to a service centre or ship it back. I couldn't wait a month for it to be fixed because i use the laptop everyday, so i took it to a lenovo service center.

and guess what? the technician there said it is not "loud" enough to be considered defective and he wont replace the fan.

i am pretty sure it can be fixed by simply oiling the bearing of the fan (that's how i fixed many other computer fan) but i dont think i can dissemble the fansink on x60 without voiding the warranty.

so what should i do? do you think lenovo will fix it if i ship it back? is there a way to oil the fan with out diassembling the fansink?

Mine was fine until I had a little accident within 30 days of purchase, it went in and came back with the fan noise stated above...

I recently sent the unit back in to get some issues resolved that they did not fix right, it came back with no more fan noise!!!

X60T I would imagine the fans are the same design...

i think that is the Core 2 duo whining sound.

X61 or other laptop brand encountered this issue too.

gunston wrote:i think that is the Core 2 duo whining sound.

X61 or other laptop brand encountered this issue too.

Nope - the core 2 duo sound (electrical) and the fan spindown/spinup sound (mechanical) are uniquely different.

dude have you tried to pick up your laptop and see if the sound goes away or at least softens?

if i pick up mine the fan noise softens a lot. but when it is on contact with a flat solid surface the fan makes a loud buzzing noise... it's almost magical. And i can't reproduce the buzzing when it's off a surface.

My X61 Tablet recently started making a similar noise - rubbing/grinding type sound periodically which I assume to be when the fan spins down.

I had a similar problem with my X60 Tablet. However, in this case, the rubbing sound ocurred when the fan was spinning and the tablet was sitting flat. If I moved it to an angle, the annoying sound was gone.

Quite frustrating.

I have had the exact same problem as elee532 above. Fan makes a louder grinding type sound when the laptop is first being turned on or off, but the key annoyance is the buzzing that occurs when its sitting on a flat surface.

I don't have time to send the whole system back to Lenovo for a fix, and was thinking I would just replace the fan assembly. In the parts list linked above though, how would I figure out which fan assembly is mine (ie ultralow voltage, standard voltage, core 2 duo voltage, etc)?

I have a X60T with a core 2 duo that I bought last June if that helps.

Thanks very much for the help.

xbertmx wrote:snip....how would I figure out which fan assembly is mine (ie ultralow voltage, standard voltage, core 2 duo voltage, etc)?....snip

Under fan assembly you see product number such as 1702-CTO or 23x means 1702-23x (where x can be any alphabet or number of an existing machine). If you can't figure it out then post the 7 character product number of your machine, someone here will be very willing to help you out.

These fans have bearings that are perma-lubed and sealed.
They should not be oiled and do not blow compressed air through the intake. You run the risk of either blowing dust/grit into the bearing housing, dislodging the bearing off its seat, and or having dust entrapped between the fins of the fan and the casing.

I would open the unit up and see if any dust is inside the fan. If there is then lightly hold the fan stationary with your finger and either use a fine paintbrush or compressed air to clean it. Check that no fins are bent or missing. I would also check the retainers. Sometimes they become misaligned and the assembly will make noise.

You'll see that the fan is very small and delicate. They are also expensive to replace because the CPU and chipset cooler is integrated in the assembly.

Good Luck!