Mitch Cronin Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 I've experienced this enough times that I know I can't be the only one!: That blasted cooling fan starts making weird noises... You have 3 options (I've tried all 3 and now I'm pretty sure I know which is best!) : 1- Do nothing... wait 'til it stops altogether and you come home and smell that -something electrical is overheating- ozone smell.... and maybe something expensive might be fried. 2- Run out and buy a new power supply... 3- Fix the damn thing! This computer has been running on it's original power supply, that long ago threatened to die, for many, many months now (I always leave my computer running. Other things may quit if you make them go through the heat up - cool down cycle all the time, so if you use the machine every day, I think you're better off leaving it on)... Now, just 'cause I think the buggers who make these things are counting on you never knowing this, I'm going to pass on what I've learned. The first time I tried to fix it I thought I could just borrow a fan from another older machine, but the fan was a little bit different... so I decided to dismantle this one and see.... Obviously, you need to unplug the bugger before you try any of this.... and wait til it's cooled down. Removing the power supply is no big deal... [PULL THE POWER CORD OUT FIRST!] 4 screws, and on many you can leave all the wiring attached just where it is while laying the box on the desk beside the machine... but if you need to, or want to, you can carefully unplug all the power wires to the various components so you can work more comfortably... just MAKE SURE you know what gets plugged where! (you could use masking tape to mark the little wire bundles - "HD", "CD", "FLoppy"...like that) When you find yourself looking at a small tin box, have a look on the top and bottom to find the screws that hold the box together (mine has 5 - 3 on top, and two in recesses at the bottom) and remove them... then gently peel the box cover off (It's a lid with two sides attached)... Do be gentle, because in those recesses are two little tabs pointing inward that could snag some vital components. Now you should be able to remove the fan.... two to four little screws hold it in the back of the thing, and the wires are probably soldered in place... no sweat, you needn't remove the wires... just get the fan out and on the desk. You'll see a round label sticker on one side... peel that away with a knife (and save it for covering the little black button later) and underneath you'll see a little black button that might have once been glued in place, but probably not... it'll pop out with a little help from that knife.... Now you'll see the end of the shaft the fan turns on, with a small plastic circlip holding it in.... Again, with a small pick, or that knife, carefully persuade that circlip off (Don't lose it!)... now there may also be a hard rubber o-ring under that circlip.... gently remove that too (if it's there)... now you can grasp the fan at the front and pull it out. Clean the shaft really well... clean the bearing it inserts into... get all traces of whatever sticky guck might exist out of there.... Here's where I had to experiment: First time I did this, I tried a single drop of machine oil when I reassembled it... it lasted about two weeks before it started the same game... first the noise, then it stopped and I came home to that lovely smell... The second time, I thought maybe the ticket was to reassemble it dry, so I cleaned it especially well, put it all back together with no lube at all, and it lasted about 3 days, sounding like crap the whole time.... So I figured oil was needed, but maybe I just hadn't used enough... so the third time I used two decent sized drops of machine oil... that time, it lasted about a month before I again came down here to smell that ozone odour again.... The last time.... I used a smear of grease! Eureka! F'in 'A' Bubba! That's the ticket! Works like a charm, and is quieter than it's ever been! So... coat the shaft with a smudge of grease, insert the fan back into it's little bearing, carefully press the little o-ring and circlip back in place, replace the little black button, wipe it dry and reapply that little round sticker... then screw it back to it's place on the box. Oh ya.... When you put the whole thing back together, be careful to get the box - the power supply - put together properly, so you're not pinching any if the wires coming out of it, and watch for the little alignment tabs in one side of the thing to line up right with the corresponding little holes in the other side.... That's all there is to it... half an hour maybe... and you save that trip to the computer store and can spend the money on something you really do need.... like that bottle of... never mind. Cheers, Mitch Disclaimer: If you can't tell one end of a screwdriver from the other, have never grasped the concept of "righty tighty", or are otherwise just useless at mechanical stuff, I don't recommend trying any of that. I accept no responsibility whatsoever for anything that may go wrong, you're on your own... I offer the preceding as a guide to those who may have blundered that way on their own anyway only. ...and remember, I did warn you to unplug the bugger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Touchdown Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 Mitch... I once brought my computer in to have the motherboard replaced after my fan died and the tech asked me whenI cleaned it last ? Cleaned it ? I looked back in confusion...LOL Apparently you are supposed to take the covers off occasionally and using compressed air cans (Staples for a rediculous price considering you're buying air !) blow the nasty dust from the fan and innards of said mythical beast know as ye old puter. It's been a while since I have had a fan die (now I'm provoking the computer gods to smite me) and when is starts to "sound funny" I give'er another blast. Now as for disassembling the fan....What's a bearing ????? Cheers Touchdown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted September 13, 2005 Author Share Posted September 13, 2005 Howdy Touchdown... Yup cleaning is a good step toward never having the troubles in the first place... but over time I've come to learn some of those little fans are not going to last as long as others, no matter if you blow it clean regularly or not... it may have something to do with the smoke in the air ...I guess the tar buildup gets in that whatsabearing thingie. I too lost a motherboard once, to the fan on the cpu that I couldn't hear had died for all the noise the power supply's cooling fan was making. No more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flybye Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 I too have had them replaced a couple of times. The ones I went through weren't very pricey, only $5-6 bucks. The guys I went to didn't even charge labour..."We do a couple of these a day, so long as they are our own machines, we don't bother with labour charges." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moeman Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 I've built dozens of computers over the years and one of the most overlooked items is the power supply. If you buy a $20 case with power supply included, you're asking for trouble. Spend the money on a good one. Period. A good PSU is like having a good, strong heart. Everything works better and lasts longer with a good one. Enermax, Antec, etc. come to mind. Word of advice. Don't open up your PSU. Leave it to the pros. If you must, or are a curious monkey like myself and Mitch, unplug it, turn it on and off with the switch on the back several times, or better yet leave it unplugged for a couple of days before messing around with it. Even unplugged, there's a LOT of electricity stored in there that can cause you a world of hurt if you touch the wrong thing. http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid...20,pg,14,00.asp And don't cheap out on your PSU! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Cronin Posted September 13, 2005 Author Share Posted September 13, 2005 ...Did I forget to say Don't touch anything else in the box? ...ok, so don't touch anything else in the box. Good advice Moeman. I suppose my experience may be unique... I think most of mine turn out to be. ...for those who've bought a ready made machine, complete with a cheap power supply, and who don't want to contribute to the economic sense of building cheap, crappy PSU's by letting those bums win at that game.... ...and who can handle fixing their glasses, or wire a doorbell, or replace a battery in some of these fandangled watch's people wear nowadays.... the above fix just might be a solution? Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super 80 Posted September 13, 2005 Share Posted September 13, 2005 most power supplies use a standard 80mm fan, you can get a good ball bearing one for about $10. Alot of power supplies will have a two or three pin plug, you just have to zip-tie off the slack. Others you might need to solder. If you have worked around electronics before, it is very simple, just use your common sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 14, 2005 Share Posted September 14, 2005 You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use the WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn't, use the duct tape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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