Fan malfunctioning

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by Aetre, Nov 6, 2003.

  1. Aetre

    Aetre Private E-2

    I'm having a bit of computer trouble that seems to be stumping just about everybody I bring the question to (including Gateway tech support), so I thought I'd get your input on the subject. I hope you don't mind.

    Anyway, here's the problem:

    My Gateway laptop is always overheating because the cooling fan by the cpu is acting very strange. When the comp starts up, the fan goes on for five seconds, then turns off. It stays off until the cpu gets so hot that some of the laptop keys on the keyboard literally start melting. Then the fan will turn on for five seconds, turn off for five minutes, on for five seconds, off for five minutes, repeat. Eventually the interval between the five-second spurts will decrease, but by then, the keyboard's so hot I can't touch it without burning my fingers.

    Every tech support person I've spoken with (five in total) has told me this: as long as the fan turns on at all, it's probably not broken, but the settings on it are messed up. Supposedly, laptop fans may be set only to turn on once the cpu reaches a certain temperature. This saves energy for the battery, but it can result in overheating, since as long as the temperature (as detected by the fan) is hovering right around the threshold for fan operation, the fan will turn on and off in spurts. The solution, then, or so I'm told, is to change the fan settings so that it's always on, not just on sometimes.

    They tell me this is supposed to be located in something called "BIOS," which on my computer means I have to hit F2 when the system starts up, then search for the fan settings and change them. Well, I've searched all over BIOS, and there's nothing at all there that resembles "fan settings." There's "peripherals," but that just contains settings for the USB ports on the computer. Then there's "power" settings, but that just contains the battery options (standby after 5 mins., etc.). Nothing I've found changes the fan operation.

    Is there another folder I should be looking for? Is the fan itself in fact broken and in need of replacement? Or is there a way to open the computer and alter the fan manually to get it to switch on whenever the comp's on?

    If it helps, I'm running Windows 2000 Professional, the CPU is a Pentium III, and the fan's driver is simply labelled "ACPI Fan." The only modification the Control Panel will let me make to the fan is to remove or "troubleshoot" this driver, but of course, when I press "troubleshoot," it says the device is working properly.

    Edit: Extra info:
    The Computer is a Gateway laptop, model #450SX4
    Memory: 30GB Hard Drive, 1/3 full; 256MB RAM
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2003
  2. Kodo

    Kodo SNATCHSQUATCH

    There typically is a setting in the bios that allows the system to throttle back or shutdown as a result of hitting a certain temperature, but there is no DIRECT fan control. The fan kicks in as a result of the temperature not the throttle setting. I'd say that the thermal sensor is bad and needs to be replaced. If the thermal sensor is located on the fan or is part of the fan assembly then I'd say that is the part that needs to be replaced. I don't know much about the thermal sensor and fan assembly on laptops but that is my guess.
     
  3. Aetre

    Aetre Private E-2

    Ok, thanks. I'll check that.

    If that's the case, I'll probably just get a new fan with a manual off/on switch.
     
  4. Kodo

    Kodo SNATCHSQUATCH

    I dont' recommend that..
    1. Battery Drain if you're on batter mode and you leave it on
    2. If you forget about it and don't turn it on, you'll have a very expensive paper weight:eek:
     

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