fan error (tried replacing fan)

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byron · #1 Post by **byron** » Tue May 29, 2007 7:59 am

I've had my T42 for 3+ years now and i've had the system board replaced 2 times thus far and the LCD replaced once. i noticed when i put it into suspend mode last week the underside was extremely hot so I opened it back up and shut it down. when i went to start it up the next day i just get "fan error" on the top left corner and then it shuts off. i ordered a fan on ebay and replaced it last night... still no dice. same error. i know its possible that the fan from ebay is junk, but it seems unlikely that i would be so unlucky.

the symptom-to-FRU index says for that error to just replace the fan... i figured the next step (assuming it wasn't the fan) would be to replace the system board. i'm not really sure i want to do a 3rd system board replacement since i'll be paying out of pocket, i may just cut my losses and buy a new computer.... is it possible a bad system board (or anything else) could cause this error or is it more likely that I just got a bad fan and need to order one from a reputable dealer (suggestions?)?

thanks

#2 Post by **richk** » Tue May 29, 2007 10:52 am

I have seen system board failures cause a fan error. I have also bought fans on eBay that were junk. Does the fan start when you first hit the power button?

monkey243 · #3 Post by **monkey243** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:34 am

I think there is a way to find out the fan is dead or not.
The fan has 3 wire,red +5V DC,blue signal,orange GND
1,Find a 5V DC adapter.
2,connect GND from adapter to the orange wire of the fan.
3,connect DC 5V from adapter to the red wire of the fan just for a second and disconnect them.

if you see the fan running, the fan is OK. Or, you know...

byron · #4 Post by **byron** » Tue May 29, 2007 12:11 pm

richk wrote:I have seen system board failures cause a fan error. I have also bought fans on eBay that were junk. Does the fan start when you first hit the power button?

it doesn't appear to spin up when i hit the power button.... i held the thinkpad up to my ear and turned it on and i don't hear it spinning at all. would that normally suggest a bad fan or bad board? i don't have any electrical equipment to rig up your suggestion monkey, i have very limited tools at my disposal.

anyone have a suggestion of where I can get a fan (long) relatively cheap?

agarza · #5 Post by **agarza** » Tue May 29, 2007 4:09 pm

Maybe the motherboard connector where the fan pins insert is damaged or do not make good contact.
You can try the following:
With your keyboard screws removed, press the fan connector into the mobo connector. press the power button, if you don't see the fan spinning repeat the procedure until it starts spinning after pressing the on button. If it doesn't help I think you should check the fan you bought from eBay using the method posted above. I've never known that a motherboard could cause a fan to not be recognized and hence start to spin.

byron · #6 Post by **byron** » Tue May 29, 2007 4:16 pm

xtr wrote:Maybe the motherboard connector where the fan pins insert is damaged or do not make good contact.
You can try the following:
With your keyboard screws removed, press the fan connector into the mobo connector. press the power button, if you don't see the fan spinning repeat the procedure until it starts spinning after pressing the on button. If it doesn't help I think you should check the fan you bought from eBay using the method posted above. I've never known that a motherboard could cause a fan to not be recognized and hence start to spin.

so remove the keyboard but leave the keyboard connector attached (so the power button will work).. and then power it on? what about the palm rest? should it be removed as well since the power connector is beneath it?

when you guys say "use a 5v dc adapter" do you mean just use any 5v charger or plug? If so, what kind of wire or connector would you use to bridge the gap between the 5v adapter and the tiny connectors on the fan?

monkey243 · #7 Post by **monkey243** » Tue May 29, 2007 11:12 pm

byron wrote:when you guys say "use a 5v dc adapter" do you mean just use any 5v charger or plug? If so, what kind of wire or connector would you use to bridge the gap between the 5v adapter and the tiny connectors on the fan?

yes, i mean find a equipment which can output 5V DC. But i'm not quite sure 5V charger you said can do the test job or not. you can pull the wire out of the tiny connectors before connecting the wires to other 5V DC supplier.

byron · #8 Post by **byron** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:35 pm

no one has any suggestions on where to get a fan for a decent price?

monkey243 · #9 Post by **monkey243** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:48 pm

I can get a brane new fan from local market about 60$.
I,m in china. Where are you? If you can read chinese, you can buy the new fan from taobao by click this URL:
http://auction1.taobao.com/auction/0/it ... a28a.jhtml

byron · #10 Post by **byron** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:49 pm

i'm in the states... sorry, can't read chinese.

#11 Post by **richk** » Thu May 31, 2007 12:52 am

Make sure you get a long fan for an M10 processor. That is the one needed for you, assuming you have a 2378-FVU. The FRU is 13R2657. I looked and I don't have an extra one around. This guy is a reliable seller:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Long-Cooling-Fan-Th ... dZViewItem

byron · #12 Post by **byron** » Thu May 31, 2007 3:36 pm

yeah... i ordered a second one (from a different seller) and will be sending back the one that does not work. hopefully this one works.

byron · #13 Post by **byron** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 9:41 am

got the second one.... still no dice. fan doesn't spin up at all. anyone have any suggestions?

#14 Post by **GomJabbar** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 10:24 am

Sounds like the time for a replacement system board.

byron · #15 Post by **byron** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:34 am

thats what i was afraid of. i've had this system board replaced twice already... so i'm definitely not forking over $500+ for a board that clearly has issues. any idea what the value would be for the unit "as is"?

byron · #16 Post by **byron** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:39 am

so, i called IBM as a last resort hoping they would be able to do something since the system board has been replaced twice already..... come to find out, my warranty is still good. however, it expires Jun 12, 2007.. wow, talk about lucky. they dispatched a DHL call tag for the machine and hopefully i'll have it back next week.

agarza · #17 Post by **agarza** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:31 pm

Good luck. I think this is your laptop last chance so that next time it fails it would be covered under warranty. However I have never had any issues with my 3 Thinkpads so far (only a HDD replacement on a A22e just a day before my 1-year warranty expires!)

byron · #18 Post by **byron** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 4:26 pm

ezserv started working on it today and now it shows as "Hold for Parts - Service call is on hold until parts arrive, estimated at: None provided" so i called to ask about what part is being replaced. they said they are waiting on a fan. lol. i asked if they could call the depot and have them note on the account that the fan was replaced with 2 known good fans and the problem persisted. they said they did it and that a note would be sent to the technician.... hopefully thats the case. if not, how long can they hold my machine while waiting for a part? i'm not saying i want it back without it being fixed but what if they can't get a replacement part (any part, not just the fan) for 30+ days? do they replace the entire thinkpad?

fan error (tried replacing fan)

fan error (tried replacing fan)

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