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Let’s say you have an IBM ThinkPad laptop and when you turn it on all you get is a black screen with “Fan error” message. What could be wrong?
A few weeks ago, the fan in my trusty IBM T42 bought the farm. This resulted in the unit heating up considerably, as well as numerous “fan error” messages on bootup. It eventually became so bad that to boot up at all, I had to blow compressed air into the fan’s exhaust grill for 5-10 seconds, in order to fool the BIOS and make it believe the fan was actually spinning.
According to the IBM hardware maintenance guide (HMM) for ThinkPad T40, T40p, T41, T41p, T42, T42p this error message indicates a problem with the fan, you can find symptom-to-FRU index on the page58.
The symptom-to-FRU index in this section lists symptoms and errors and their possible causes.
Apparently it’s time to replace the fan assembly. The cooling fan comes together with the heat sink, that’s why you’ll have to replace the whole fan assembly.
You can easily replace the fan assembly after you remove the palm rest and keyboard.
1. Remove the battery and unplug the AC adapter.
2. Remove four screws marked with yellow circles. These screws securing the keyboard.
3. Remove eight screws marked with orange circles. These screws securing the palm rest.
4. Lift up the keyboard and upnlug the keyboard cable from the motherboard.
5. Lift up the palm rest and unplug the touchpad cable from the motherboard.
6. Remove three screws securing the fan assembly, unplug the fan cable from the motherboard. Lift up and replace the fan assembly.
You’ll find step-by-step laptop disassembly and fan replacement instructions in the HMM in the chapter “Removing and replacing a FRU” on the page 70.
You can find a new fan assembly using the FRU number located on your failed fan, it might look like 91P8393, 26R7860, 13R2919, 13N5442, or 13R2657. Just google the FRU number and find a place to buy it from. Different laptop types with different screen sizes use different fans, so you have to find the correct one witch fits your model. If for some reason your fan assembly doesn’t have the FRU number, you’ll have to refer to the HMM page 216-217. On these pages you’ll find witch fan belongs to your laptop. Here you can find new and used fans for ThinkPad laptops.
For example, if have a type 2378-FVU laptop with 15.0″ LCD screen, then you need a fan assembly with FRU: 13R2657
February 21st, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Forgive me if this has already been noted. But you can press ESC when the fan error comes up to bypass to Windows. Then you can at least get info off of pc. That’s if the old fan switcheroo does not work. Like in my case. Bad fuse on MB.
February 21st, 2009 at 11:58 am
I just finished this job few days ago.
I got sometimes the “fan error” message at startup too, because the fan didnt spin. Bearings were broken. (It did a strange noise.) I bought a new one, installed it by youtube “guides” and now its there spinning and working well. =D Not hard to swap at all.
“How much time will it work without replacing the fan after I received the error for the first time? It works normally…but it makes noise and I receive the error…”
It depends. I think my old fan might work for long more, but read above. If it does a strange noise, it’s the bearings. New one is not so expensive, and easy to install.
“My IBM T40 is getting Fan error,
Where I can buy a new fan in Australia?”
I dont really know, because i live in Finland. But check out their site, i think they have own shop selling replacement parts like fans =o
I got one from a computer shop for 40euros. (50-55$)
For those who are worrying about which they would buy, short/long:
Long is for the more powerful graphics card (ati m radeon 9000 if i remember correct) and short for ati m radeon 7500. But long will also go for both. As i have the 7500, and my new fan is long. (Old was short)
Long is as the name tells, a bit longer, putting a gel thing on the graphic card.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Unlikely as this may sound, I got the same thing a couple of days ago on my T42. I shut it off, closed the lid, held the fan outlet to my mouth and blew as hard as i could. some dust etc came out of the inlets (wherever they are.. i can’t actually work it out) and it’s been fine ever since. If I wanted to do it properly I guess I should take it to bits and clean it properly and clean out all the intakes. Could also be a loose contact etc.. the machine will not allow itself to be started unless the fan has been tested positively by the BIOS.
Hope this solution helps
February 16th, 2009 at 5:19 am
I have a IBM Thinkpad T41 for 3 and a half years, and it started to overheat and shut down unexpectedly and quite frequently as in India the normal day (room) temp are around 36C. I did take this to the IBM Service folks in India and they initially said it’s a motherboard problem later today they said there is a workaround to have the heat sink paste replaced.
Though I have asked to do the service I’m still not sure if this could be a motherboard problem bcos I’m dreading if the problem is with mother board the laptop repair cost as to a new one.
Looking for suggestions.
Thanks
February 14th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Maybe you don`t have to buy a new fan.
I had a fan error on my T40, disasembled the notebook
as descibed here and tried to rotate the fan by hand.
it felt like it was blocked by something, so
i blew it out with compressed air. After that i could easily
rotate the fan by hand .
Obviously the fan had just sucked in some dirt or dust.
The T40 works fine again.
January 22nd, 2009 at 8:36 am
My IBM T40 is getting Fan error,
Where I can buy a new fan in Australia?
January 21st, 2009 at 12:35 am
Andrea,
I don’t know. Days, weeks, months…
I guess it’ll work until you burn the CPU.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:04 am
Hi! How much time will it work without replacing the fan after I received the error for the first time? It works normally…but it makes noise and I receive the error…
10x in advance!
January 6th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Jaimie,
Take a look at the lower right corner of the LCD bezel, can you see T42 in there?
I have a 2378-FVU myself and it’s a ThinkPad T42.
Here’s another way. Go to this site http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/homeLenovo.do
and type the machine type number in the search box (for example 2378-FVU and click go).
You’ll see the laptop model in the results.
January 6th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
I have a fan error and my brother is going to be replacing the fan for me. In an effort to find all the required manuals, I have run into a really silly question.
My machine type is 2378…where do I find out if it is a T40p, etc.??
Jaimie