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    V4000T Fan grinding noise

    Discussion in 'HP' started by Sidicas, Nov 18, 2008.

  1. Sidicas

    Sidicas Notebook Consultant

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    Hey everybody, I have a Compaq V4000T that I love to death.
    The only thing is, about 3 months after I got it, sometimes the fan would make a low grumbling noise at medium fan speed. That's the thing, it doesn't do it when you first turn it on or when it's running at max speed, it only does it when it's running somewhere in the middle..

    For the past 2.5 years, it really hasn't bothered me at all.. The grumbling only happens for about 30 seconds or so as the fan is speeding up from low speed to high speed.

    Now, here's the dilemma...

    It's gotten worse, much worse.. It's now to the point where I'd be embarrassed to use the laptop in public and it's gone from a low grumbling to a very loud pulsating whine that can be clearly heard 50 feet away.

    If you give the laptop a good thump on the bottom, the noise stops for about 1 second and then starts low and then gets louder and louder until the fan hits right around medium fan speed... If I'm playing a game that's enough to kick it into full speed, instantly the fan noise stops when it speeds up and then it becomes a very quiet "whirrrr" as it really starts to blow a lot of air.

    So yea, this has been bugging the heck out of me recently.

    The worse part is, since I can't control the fan speed, it's very difficult to set up the right conditions for the fan to make the noise. It usually makes it during a transitional period from low speed to high speed.

    Not only that, but because the fan works just fine in high-speed, the laptop DOES NOT overheat. So again, the laptop works just fine, just the fan sounds like it's trying to grind a cat or something..

    I've taken a can of compressed air to it, I've pulled some hair out of the heatsink, but I can't get to the fan to oil it.

    Since I have an extended warranty on this laptop that expires in the beginning of February, I went ahead and got a support ticket and they sent me a box to mail the laptop back in.
    The problem is, I fear they'll look at it for a few seconds, think it's fine and send it back..

    Again, it seems like it only makes the noise when the fan speed is increasing and not while the fan speed is staying the same!! Drives me nuts!

    Any suggestions / comments? Please help!!
     
  2. elijahRW

    elijahRW Notebook Deity

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    Since your sending it in you should right a note with it saying how to get the noise to start so they know what to fix.
    My guess is that the fan has bad bearings.