Thinkpads Forum

I'm putting together a T500 that I bought on eBay (hard drive, etc.). I sporadically get a "Fan error" when I boot up and, when the fan does kick in, it's loud and shuts down immediately. I was able to get it to stay on enough to get the OS loaded and some other software. I'm pretty sure I need to replace the fan / heatsink, or at least open it up and make sure it's not clogged and needs to be blown out.

In looking for a replacement unit (45N5490), most of them run >$80. Any suggestions on where I might find a replacement fan / heatsink for a reasonable price? Just watch eBay periodically? I'm willing to try a refurbished one if the cost is reasonable.

Thanks,

Ryan

There's a FRU # 45N5490 now on eBay for approx. 50 US bucks (incl. postage). It's not cheap, but this FRU seems to be less common than 45N5492 (which is for the T500 with discrete graphics), which is quite a bit cheaper.

I would buy just the fan itself, for some it's perhaps too much DIY, but well worth it.
And possibly the discrete fan might also fit with minor modification over the GPU itself.

Have you look into re-oiling the fan ? there was a thread on how to do it.. should be easy, I done it with all my failing fan

Just salvage the one you have and save the cash for upgrades, the fan comes off very easily and had to do this my self to scrub the cooler. Mine has been going strong after over 23,000 hours of use, I am second owner and have modded this thing like there is nothing better.

Be sure to scrub those fins really good with a tooth brush and use only the best thermal compound on the market for great results. Remove all the stickers on the cooler (save them if you must) for a small 1-3c improvement. I even removed all the tape on the board and gained a 5c improvement on top of everything else.