Fan Error, fan still working (T42)

[costas]

First post, long-time reader though.

My 2.5-yr old T42 (15") is giving me a "Fan Error" on boot. I opened up the laptop and the fan is working fine (although it's spinning up and down a couple of times real quick on startup, then kicks in properly). I've searched for this problem everywhere on the net, including here and I've tried the two 'remedies' posted elsewhere: I opened up the entire top half, removed the plug of the fan assembly and plugged it back in, and then did the same with the CMOS battery (I haven't replaced either though).

Now, I don't mind replacing the fan, but as I mentioned above, the fan is working fine and the laptop temps are within limits, so I am thinking it may be something else.

On a possibly unrelated note: after I Esc out of the "Fan Error" message, the XP progress "bar" out of hibernation for example gets stuck, unless I keep Esc pressed down, which also wasn't a problem before.

Any ideas or brainstorms greatly appreciated!

[agarza]

I remember a user here reported that pressing the fan connector wires to the motherboard connector with a screwdriver or so helped to get rid of the problem. It may be related to one of the three wires that are supposed to make contact with the motherboard

[costas]

Yep, I should have been clearer above: along with re-plugging the fan assembly corrector, I pushed in the leads as well as per that older post...

[brewt]

You may have to send it back to IBM for repair. In my case when I was getting the fan error, I was pretty sure it wasn't the fan (and it wasn't), and after one stupid tech just replaced the heatsink/fan and shipped it back without testing it, they had to replace the motherboard to fix the problem.

[lavalamp]

I am having the EXACT same error. Have you found a resolution? Like you, I know the fan works. I escape out of the error and the machine boots fine.

[Lazarus]

I am having the exact same error on my T42p and already opened up the box to confirm that the fan is working just fine.

I've come to accept the rapid decline of quality in the Thinkpad brand as just one more sign of the global market.

Since everyone now patches their laptops together with the same parts, why should we expect any different?

[christopher_wolf]

I am having the exact same error on my T42p and already opened up the box to confirm that the fan is working just fine.

I've come to accept the rapid decline of quality in the Thinkpad brand as just one more sign of the global market.

Since everyone now patches their laptops together with the same parts, why should we expect any different?

What? That isn't the case

The T43s are as high quality as any other Thinkpad you could find. Although that is a bit off-topic for this thread, mmm?

[Lazarus]

What? That isn't the case

The T43s are as high quality as any other Thinkpad you could find. Although that is a bit off-topic for this thread, mmm?

I was talking about my experiences with the T42p and I can vouch that those boxes are pretty low in quality.
I had to send it in for repairs already the very week I bought it.

[beeblebrox]

I was talking about my experiences with the T42p and I can vouch that those boxes are pretty low in quality.
I had to send it in for repairs already the very week I bought it.

One week? I remember my T40p a few years ago. Unpacked it brand new, turned it on. the fan sounded like one of those completely worn out old hard drives (i.e. chain saw sound) and I shipped it back.

3 weeks later the Wlan card gave intermittent errors and finally melted the plastic of the touchpad unusable.
Fortunately IBM changed everything, and I never had problems again (except a new fan and a new WLAN plus touchpad again 2 years later).
But every single new Thinkpad I received in the last 13 years had to be shipped back for repairs within a few days after arrival.

[costas]

Just for the poster above: I lived with the error message for a bit until I could come back to the US and get a new fan. I replaced the fan assembly and the error is gone, and it looks like the temperatures are OK (44 C under normal conditions as per NHC).

It does seem like the old fan was actually bad: after a few weeks of living with the error, it would make "harsher" noises at startup, which eventually went away. It worked, but I am pretty sure it would have given up eventually.

I recommend replacing the assembly: IBM shipped a new one next-day, for a total of $30, and the new part even had thermal paste pre-applied (although I used my own), so it was all in all a 15-minute job, with testing everything at the end.