Noisy fan

TansunnTansunn
edited May 2007 in Hardware
I reorganized my room recently, and after I hooked my Inspiron XPS Gen 2 laptop back up, I noticed one of the fans made a lot more noise than it used to. (Item 5 on the system components list in the service manual.)

When it's running, if I hit the top of the case in the general area of the fan, it will cause the noise to go away for a moment, but after a few seconds it comes back. I'm thinking about taking the system apart with the instructions from the service manual to see if I can find what's causing the noise, but I've never taken a laptop apart before. I've had plenty of experience opening and working around with desktops, though. I'm also not sure what kind of things to look for on the fan that might be causing the noise, or what to do to make it subside. Would it be easier to try to get a replacement fan instead of just tweaking this one? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Comments

  • trolltroll Windsor, Nova Scotia Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    mmmmm Laptops.... 900 screws and be gentle... :)

    Most fans in laptop are built pretty good, is it just a low growl or is it a loud noise? If it's just a low growl you could try to oil the bearing, if it has a broken blade you will need to get a new fan but you can quiet it by removing the blades off evenly spaced away from the broken blade... (If it has 4 blades and #2 is broken you would remove #4 to balance it... More blades, divide it into 3rd's and balance it.) THIS IS A TEMPORARY FIX You must get a new fan as airflow will suffer...

    With laptops, put a piece of paper in front of you to mark and place the screws that you take out. That way it will make putting it back together a lot easier.

    To get to a noisy fan it will require just the top to come off or the whole unit to be taken apart... (More sheets of paper as there are now screws for the top cover, screws for the mainboard etc...

    If it's the cpu fan, might be just a mater of taking out the keyboard (Delicate ribbon cable to it and the track pad) and unscrewing the heat sink off the CPU as it's all heat piped to the fan.

    I've just realized you have the service manual so that will give you a good idea of where to start.

    Things to remember:

    99% of all disasembly starts under the keyboard.

    When removing the LCD panel go easy... Not cheap to replace...

    Screws are different lengths for a reason, don't mix em up.

    There are little lock tabs that catch to hold the case together, these will require a LITTLE force to unhook, try NOT to pry them apart with a screwdriver as it will mark the case.

    If it requires too much force to get it apart you probably forgot a screw.

    Have lots of room to spread it out in front of you, nothing worse than getting all back together to find out you have to take it apart again as you forgot to hook up wireless, speakers, floppy etc.

    They look a lot more daunting then they are...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    Very good advice from Troll on laptops disassembly/assembly. Obviously, he's been there a few times.

    Tanssun, the problem may actually be simple. It could be the fan simply needs lubricating. Before I explain, please note: fan lubrication may only be a temporary fix if the fan has worn outself out. Anyway, concerning the fan, look on both sides of spindle (round core part). There should be a small pinhole one side in the center. That hole may be under a sticker. Place a drop of 3-in-1 oil into that hole, let the fan sit for about a minute, and then manually rotate the spindle with your finger or by blowing on it. Clean up the excess oil, and remount on the heatsink. I've serviced small fans before that are now still running well years after their first appearance of failing - annoying squeaking sound.
  • trolltroll Windsor, Nova Scotia Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    Leonardo wrote:
    Very good advice from Troll on laptops disassembly/assembly. Obviously, he's been there a few times.

    Thanks Leonardo!

    I've had a few of em apart... :)
  • TansunnTansunn
    edited April 2007
    No worries with the screws. The service manual includes a chart explaining which screws go where - just print it out and set the screws in their respective places after removing them from the system. (I'd link to the manual, but the message board is denying me from doing so. It's not hard to find, just go to Dell's website and do a search for Inspiron XPS Gen 2 in Tech Support, click Manuals on the left sidebar, and it'll be the first result.)

    I don't have any sort of oil to use on the fan at the moment, but I'll look into it before I take this sucker apart. Any particular brand you'd recommend, or does it really matter?

    I'll probably take it apart on Saturday. As noisy as it is now, I'm hopelessly addicted to it, and the power outage that's planned for Saturday (freakin' construction) would be the perfect opportunity to dig around inside.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    I'd link to the manual, but the message board is denying me from doing so.
    Sorry about that. As soon as you've posted five times, you will be able to include links in posts. That restriction is in place to inhibit spammers from registering and posting only once, dropping their doggy doo in the forums. (it actually works!)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    I don't have any sort of oil to use on the fan at the moment,
    Almost any hardware store or Wal-Mart will have " 3-in-1" oil. It's very inexpensive. You'll find a lot of household uses for it. If your hardware store doesn't have it, a light machine oil will do. Some people say WD-40 works. I don't know how long that would last though. I've re-lubed computer fans before that I still have running, up to two or three years later.
  • TansunnTansunn
    edited April 2007
    I took my computer apart yesterday to take a look at it. I still haven't gotten any oil, I just wanted to see what it was like inside, and I have to say, taking that sucker apart and putting it back together was the coolest thing I've ever done.

    Anyway, the fan didn't really have any pinholes like you described. There was a sticker, but underneath it was a sort of round silver disc, I'd estimate about 1/4" or so in diameter. It didn't rotate or anything when I turned the fan. There were no holes on the other side either.

    I blew all the crap out of the whole system with some canned air (got a couple good sized dust bunnies off the motherboard) but when I put it back together, the fan still made a whole lot of noise compared to the other, larger fan. I did notice some screws holding the fan unit together, so if I take it apart again maybe I'll disassemble the fan further to see if I can find some more evidence as to what could be making so much noise in it. I'll make sure to get some of that oil before I take it apart again, but if that doesn't fix anything, I may just have to try to get a new fan to install.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited April 2007
    If you can pry up the silver disk - very carefully so as to not bend it, you can still sneak in a drop of oil into the spindle.
  • TansunnTansunn
    edited May 2007
    Ok, May 16th and I finally got around to oiling up the fans. I couldn't find any 3-in-1 so I settled for WD-40. These fans are so quiet now, it's freaking gorgeous. I'll keep an ear out in case they go noisy again to see how long it lasts.

    Also, I could not get those metal pieces up. Here's what they look like:

    <a href="http://img524.imageshack.us/my.php?image=fansur6.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/7783/fansur6.th.jpg&quot; border="0" /></a> (Sorry for the blur, the only camera I had available was my cell phone.)

    I ended up using the nozzle extension to apply the WD-40 directly underneath the fan where the spindle would be. Probably not the best way to apply it, but I didn't have much else I could do about it. Also, I was an idiot and took your idea about blowing on it to spin the fan a bit too literally. Should've used some canned air instead because some of that oil was still a little loose and got me right in the face. (Yeah, common sense is not my strong point. I have no problem taking my computer apart and putting it back together, though.)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2007
    I couldn't find any 3-in-1 so I settled for WD-40.
    That's a good choice, too. Glad you got noise under control. In my experience, you can double the life of fans (not always, but usually) with relubricating. You should be able to perform the lube maintenance one more time when the fans again squeal - probably 9 to 12 months from now. Replenished lubrication never lasts as long as the original lubrication, probably because fan internals have become worn.
  • sweavesweave boston
    edited May 2007
    would liquid graphite work as well for lubing up a fan?
    i ask because for some things (fixing a lock) the graphite is much better than oil as oil gunks up and collects particles.
  • trolltroll Windsor, Nova Scotia Icrontian
    edited May 2007
    Sure, you can always clean it out if you find it not working...

    Graphite... Moly... or any light grade oil / grease will work as long as you can get it in the Bearing or Sleeve of the fan...

    I don't like WD40 as it tends to disappear rather quickly... Good for door hinges and squeaky things, or as a penetrating fluid...

    I always have some 3in1 around... Can at home and a Pen Dispenser (Syringe like) in my tool kit...
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited May 2007
    I might be needing this thread here soon. Talked to my sis and a pesky abit motherboard fan has gone south...grrr.
  • steelclashsteelclash SC
    edited May 2007
    I'm having this problem as well. My dv8000t's fan is very noisy.

    If you are lucky, you can get to the fan and use some 3-in-1 lubricant to loosen up the baring. If that doesn't work, you'll probably have to replace the fan...and in most cases the fan and heatsink come as an "assembly" and end up costing you extra cash to repair. :mad:
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2007
    steelcash, welcome to Short-Media. Concerning 3-in-1, yes, you are correct. Please see post 3. As for having to purchase a fan as part of a heatsink-fan unit/kit, no, not necessarily. There are many sites that sell fans of nearly any size, capacity, and RPM level.
  • sweavesweave boston
    edited May 2007
    maybe the telescoping spout will help ;)

    http://www.wd40.com/Brands/3in1.cfm
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