Resolved Fan going non-stop on laptop

I have a Toshiba laptop that is less than a year old, and I'm concerned that it is overheating. I have a laptop (external) fan that will run for 30 mins or so at a time, and still, the laptop's internal fan is still going,

I'm honestly not sure what the cause is. Right now, SIW says that the four cores are at 135-137 fahrenheit (at least, that is the Value temperature, the min/max are lower/higher, respectively). Sometimes, the laptop does feel hot, other times, like right now, it feels pretty much room temperature, but the fan is going non-stop.

On the other hand, the fan isn't at the high speed, making a lot of noise, but a low speed.

Nor am I stressing this laptop out. I use it mostly for word processing and basic surfing. I don't recalll the last time I did any video editing, but this fan problem is 24/7.

Any suggestions? I can see if it is still under warrantee, but even if it is, I'd like to troubleshoot it myself before shipping it off and not having it for a few weeks.

 

The vent is clear. There's no lint--in fact, its shooting out a nice burst of hot air.

 

135-137 fahrenheit (57-58 celsius) is actually pretty good. If you were to disable the the fan I'm sure it would climb rapidly though.

What is the temperature in the room it's being used in?

Are you in a dusty environment and/or have any animals that shed?

FWIW, I used to have a laptop with a fan that would quietly cycle on for roughly 15 seconds, then back off for maybe 15 seconds. Kind of a gentle whirring noise. Almost couldn't hear it unless you were in fairly quiet surroundings. It did that since the day I bought it . . . and it lasted well over three years with almost daily use.

 

The room the laptop is in is, well, room temperature. Sorry, couldn't resist.

We have a St. Bernard, and of course its summer, but the vent itself seems to be rather clear of dog hair.

When I first got it, I noticed a similar pattern (15 secs on, then off), but nobody at the Toshiba forum seemed to think that was strange--but like I said, now, its pretty much non-stop.

Dell at least gave a service manual that explained where everything was. If Toshiba has, nobody is telling, and so I "m anticipating major repair work being a major pain, so I'd like to resolve this ASAP, before my fan goes, or a chip goes....

 

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This is what I often see after opening up a laptop that is shutting down due to overheating ...

 

OK, I take it the next step is to take out the innards and shooot them with compressed air. Or at least, open it up so I can access the innards....

I'll do that later today and get back. Man I hate that Toshiba hasn't documented this nearly as well as Dell has, but I'll have at it with my little screwdriver....

 

Will disassembly void your warranty?

 

Telling them that I did it might....

I don't know if I have a 12-month or 90-day.... I bought it last fall....

 

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Don't know if I can help with that problem.

 

Sorry this is just kicking my behind. I have got all teh screws out but 2. I am screwing them both out and all I hear is clicking. Their heads are still below the hole, so I can't pry them out. Any suggestions? I'm actually pretty far along disassembling... I think that after these screws are out, I can snap off the top part and then blow compressed air onto teh fan.

 

Did you try turning the laptop over and gently tapping it so that the screws fall out?

If that doesn't work, try a magnet next.

If that doesn't work, bend the very tip end of a straight-pin (or similar) and use it as a miniature hook.

If they still refuse to come out, maybe they're were designed to stay attached.

Before you do that, be sure to block the fan blades with a toothpick (or similar) so that they can't rotate. Over-spinning a fan with compressed air can ruin the fan bearings.

 

Note the fan running full time could be an indication the computer is working hard. Just because you are idle does not mean the computer is. Windows itself does a lot of back ground work when the user is idle.

Have you scanned for malware?

I agree that your temps are good, but the fan should still be slowing down every so often - IF the CPU is not being tasked. The good news is, it is better the fan is running fast, then seized and not running at all.

You might also consider using a Notebook Cooling Pad w/ext. power supply. I prefer those with their own external power supplies so you don’t put more strain on the notebook, causing it to generate even more heat.

 

Turning it over and tapping gently didn't get them out; not sure I have a magnet; I tried inserting a paper clip (stretched out) but I couldn't lodge it in between the case and the screws themselves.


thanks for the caveat about the bearings. IF I ever get to that point I'll use a toothpick.

OK well I just found out why I was having problems. I was pulling up on teh wrong plastic piece. Now I see that I'll be able to access the fan.

I'm still blaming Toshiba for cr*ppy documentation. I shoudln't have to go to a third-party site just to get info on how to disassemble their laptop, and not see plainly what was needed. I know they don't want folks poking around (tends to mess things up), but if I didn't have a problem I wouldn't have done this.

OK thanks I'll report back after fan has been toothpickingly blasted with compressed air, and my old laptop is up and running again. We'll see if that did the trick.

 

I don't think it fair to blame Toshiba for not providing this type information. You are "servicing" your notebook. Removing screws to anything but access panels is beyond what normal users should be doing. "Service manuals" don't come with TVs, cars, computers or anything else that I know of. Routine maintenance instructions, yes. But you are not doing "routine" maintenance.

From an industry perspective, if you want to dig around inside computers, get a PC. That's what the ATX Form Factor standard is for. But sadly, in the quest to make the thinnest, lightest, longest lasting - and of course, prettiest notebook on the market, notebooks are very proprietary. And that is nothing but bad news for "normal consumers" - IMO.

 

What Toshiba should and shouldn't be providing for its customers is hard to state--as long as it isn't in writing, one could make a case that anything else is fair game.

But what you wrote here:

isn't true. My old laptop, a Dell Inspiron 1501, had a service manual that saw me through several expeditions into its innards; a refurb that I'm looking at now (HP dv6-6c35dx) has one available as well.

 

Then I think that was the exception. I have had (or been responsible for) several Dell notebooks and PCs and never got the "Service" manual. Some makers make them available on line. I have not seen a new computer (PC or notebook), TV, home theater receiver, car, truck, or any high tech gear come with "service" manuals.

That said, I agree with you and wish that manufacturers did make the complete documentation set available for all their products.

 

I gave up on trying to extract the motherboard. A local shop says it will clear out the fan for 35 USD. If this doesn't stop the problem, I'll just let the fan wear out and then replace it (same place said I could get a new one installed for about 70 bucks). It will have a cooling pad, even if heat is the source of the problem (the guy I left it with said taht if a chip is slighly damaged, it might tell the fan that it is too hot, even if the chip actually isn't--which might be the source of my problem). I was giving serious thought to selling it and then replaceing it with something that did have a manual, but I'd have to take too much of a financial beating on the re-sale, so it makes more sense simply to replace the fan (if in fact it prematurely wears out).

oh, and NEVER to get a Toshiba again. On an HP forum I was told that all HPs come with service manuals. I looked at 3 cheap HP models and 2 of them did. Next laptop will DEFINITELY require a "service manual check" before a purchase, although even the guy at the shop said more and more models don't have them.

 

There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the fan now; additionally, cleaning out the dust might actually take care of the problem.

I suppose its just a cost-benefit issue. Complete disaseembling and putting in a fan would cost 70; doing it now would cost 35. So I'll see what happens with the cleaning now, and also, how long I can get away with a fan that might go out in a year or two. But with a cooling pad I'm just not convinced I need to replace a working fan right now.