Fan Error - Replacing Fan

[cs1971]

Hi,

I've got a four year old T40 which is out of warranty and last week started making a loud humming noise which I thought indicated that the hard drive was failing. I immediately copied what important data there was to a different machine and proceeded to let things run their course.

The problem was sort of intermittent until yesterday when all of the sudden it got much, much louder until finally it was so loud I couldn't work. So I turned the machine off, figuring that was all she wrote.

A little later though I realized that I had forgotten to copy a certain file so I tried to boot the machine one last time. To my surprise I got a "fan error," which would seem to indicate that the problem wasn't the drive but the fan.

So, has anyone here ever tried to replace a fan themselves? If so, how hard is it. I looked on ebay and it looks like I can get a used one for $20 or so. One question though, there seem to be long and short model fans. How do I know which one I need?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-cs1971

[visionviper]

Since you have the T40, you only need the short fan.

The fan is very easy to replace. Its a matter of 3 screws and a power connector. The hardest part is removing the keyboard - which isn't hard at all.

It would be wise to replace the thermal paste also. Clean the old thermal past off of the cpu with very high percentage rubbing alcohol (minimum of 95%). Put just a touch (a small dot) of the new thermal paste on the cpu's core and put in the new fan. You will be good to go.

The hardware maintenance manual will provide more information on the exact details of removing the keyboard, fan, and whatnot.

[cs1971]

Thanks VisionViper, that information is very useful. I think I'll order a unit and give it a shot.

-cs1971

[dash7540]

If you can, try to buy a new fan instead of a used. You don't know how long a used one will last, even if it's considered "refurbished". Also, thermal paste will come pre-applied so all you need to do is clean the CPU and stick in the new unit.