T43 PCI temperature getting very hot and shutting down

[redmond]

My thinkpad T43 is getting very hot and shuts down on its own--this never used to happen before but is a recent problem. Using FanControl I noticed it shuts down when the temperature hits ~60.

1) Is it normal for the PC to shutdown as a safety mechanism?
2) Is 60 the expected temperature for it to shutdown?

Also, once it shuts down I have to wait for it to cool down before I can start my laptop again, but even so I have to unplug the adapter, take out the battery, and then reinsert the battery/adapter and start it again.

3) Is this the normal procedure to recover and power up the laptop again?

4) Is the PCI temperature going up because of the WiFi card? Turning off WiFi does help and prevents the PC from crashing.

5) Will getting a new WiFi card fix the issue? If not, how do I fix this issue? I have seen some posts regarding thermal compounds but I have not seen that in context of PCI temperatures.

First time posting, long time reader of this invaluable forum. Thanks for all your input!

[BillMorrow]

your T43 should still be under warranty, but with the expansion of the 1 year warranty thinkpads, it might not be..
if so, take it to a local servicing dealer and have them check it out while you wait, if possible..
there should be someone close by in Redmond..

if not, the obvious thing to check is the fan..
and whether it is running or not..
and wheter it is clogged with debris or heavy dust.. ??

quick answers in the AFAIK category:
1. i think it is the cpu shutting it down..
2. i don't know
3. only after a severe crash..
have you tried holding the on button down for at lease 10 seconds..? there usaed to be a hardware reset button but that was replaced be a 10+ second on button depression several models ago..
4. migt be.. have you tried running without the wifi card in place or powered down..?
5. i have never tried thermal compound on my thinkpads because i never had any problems.. the answer to this will be dictated by the response to answer # 4..

welcome to the club..

[redmond]

turning off the wifi card does prevent the pci temperature from rising and the laptop has been running fine with for some time now.

The fan is running and FanControl does show it running at 4300+ RPM.

I will open up the laptop over the weekend and clean out the fan etc. or maybe try a vaccum suction around the vent to suck out any dust?

[agarza]

Your best bet is to remove the heatsink and clean the dust. Applying thermal compound would help too