Thinkpads Forum

A month ago my x220 came up with fan error again one year after i've changed it. I ordered 2 this time not to be taken by surprise next year . Fans arrived and I installed the fan changed the PCH thermal pad and CPU thermal paste, closed everything and .... again fan error. I took the keyboard out and checked the fan it spins for couple of seconds in the beginning as usual and then fan error comes on. I took the battery of and discharged it by pressing on button fan error comes again tried to bypass it with esc key no success again. Am I looking at motherboard replacement or there is another way around?

OEM or third party? Did you buy only the fan or the entire assembly? Used or new? Did you test the second fan?

If third party, that could be your problem. Try the second fan, as it could be a bad connection on the connector or the fan (same number of cables on the old and new fan?)

Now when you mention it... it is third party just the fan new ones but different part number and 0.35A instead 0.40A like my previous fan. Fits perfect and the connector seems to be the same. I will test second one in the weekend. Thanks for the replay.

I tested the other new fan - it did the same spins for half a second then fan error. Then I connected my old fan it spun slowly and fan error again, I gave it a good bath of isopropanol and put it back and it worked. Apparently they sold to me my fan's evil twin so the moral of the story is never trust Ebay descriptions and double check the part numbers.