My 1-day-old Sony Vaio CS laptop has this intermittent whirring noise from the fan when my laptop is on!

Hi All -

I have been monitoring this thread for a while. I have the same noise problem (which I say sounds like a mini frog). I have a tech coming out this afternoon from sony (obviously a subcontractor). He is not really familier with this problem. What is the best thing to tell him so that he fixes it correctly? I can't really make him sit though a 20 pg forum post (although he probably should). Any help is appreciated!

 

I just showed my tech the noise and he heard it. The repair only took about 10 minutes.

ONE THING TO MENTION...make sure your tech doesn't try to pry up the strip of plastic above the keyboard (the piece with the buttons and the little holes), as this is not involved in removing the bottom. Just squeeze the LCD hinge clips and remove them, the rest of the process is unscrewing screws on the bottom.

My tech did this and caused the edge of the plastic to be lifted up slightly. GRRR...

 

hey pink, I tried calling and Ulysses was not there. The other tech I spoke with had no idea about the issue, go friggin figure...the left hand isn't talking to the right hand obviously.

I'n waiting until he gets back so I can speak with him and understand what his fix is.

annoying.

did he say exactly what the fix was? they're sending me a box until I speak with ulysses in case I send it in then...

 

Un-Freakin-Believable !!!

He said that the Senior Techs were aware of the issue, and I read off the part number from my Repair Order, he agreed, that that was the fix - that Cooling Assembly Replacement Part. Like I said before, I didn`t check that number with the one you posted earlier, til after I spoke with him.

Ridiculous when getting something done right rests practically on a single person in a company of this size!

keep at it,
think pink

 

I know. This is why I need to speak with him to see what his fix is. If it's the same part # as before, the one which was replaced twice with now, then he needs to pretty much guarantee me that this will fix it. Perhaps this is a new revision of the same part #. If not, I'll keep re-oiling it until I can sell it on craigslist.

 

To reiterate, Ulysses said this same thing before the first time I called over a month ago, saying they were aware of the issue and the fan that was replaced was their fix. Obviously I'm not hopeful of this time around.

What are our options if this never gets fixed? Who do we contact? BBB? Some sort of quality control regulation bureau? I'm having trouble in this s***ty economy selling this unit on craigslist...highest I can get is $500. I may just take it worse case...

 

Well, believe it or not Sony is rated Number #1 in Customer Satisfaction, scoring much higher in an independent survey -I can dig it up later - than its competitors. Personally, I had a what was simple, but became complicated return/exchange issue with them in the winter of 2007/8. After several exasperated phone conversations - where no one was on the same page - I finally got a Senior Supervisor who straightened out the mess the lower level staff created due to a lack of communication between departments - unfortunately a typical large corporation problem. Not only did I (eventually) get a profound apology, I received $150 credit and a bunch of free BluRay movies (and a Christmas card! ) for the aggravation.

So based on MY experience with Sony, I am confident that this issue has been/or will continue to be resolved to my satisfaction.

Therefore my advice is to ask for a Supervisor, and if not resolved, keep going up the chain of command. AND no matter how PO'd you are, after repeating the same story over and over, be polite. Remember 1/ the calls are recorded, 2/ whomever you're speaking with is probably speaking to you for the first time and has no idea how frustrated you are, 3/ you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. If you rip into someone who is in the link to be of help, they aren't going to feel very committed to helping you, or passing you on to someone who can. (human nature rules) 4/ Did I mention all calls are recorded? They do play them back for "quality control", so be as courteous as possible.

I am offering this advice to all - not specifically directed to rpeters, who I assume, from the quality of posts here, is a consummate professional.

Persistence, Patience, Politeness (especially when you're freaking) worked for me.

keep at it!

think pink

 

Great advice, Think Pink!!! Especially about catching more flies with honey than vinegar (never heard of that saying before). =D

I've been wondering are only owners of CS 11/110 having the fan problems? How about those of you who have the CS 215 or any other models of the CS? I'm wondering if they used the same fan for the earlier models (CS 11 or 110) than for the later ones (e.g., CS 215)...

 

hi fellow cs-series sufferers ..

prior to reading this forum, i sent my cs-108d in for repair for the exact noises irritating everyone on this forum. i'm located in toronto, canada. i turned my laptop over to them on the 24th and picked it up on the 26th. after an hour of use, the sounds returned, loud and clear. sigh.

googled it and ended up here, where I've spent the past hr reading this entire forum. i have the whirring noise of the fan starting up and stopping, as well as the creaking, which occurs upon startup of the fan and at the end. although these noises faithfully accompanied me (HA!) at this lonely hour of 2am, i'd much rather them disappear altogether.

thinkpink, i really wish i was you right now! according to my service order, you really could be, because our repairs sound identical:
item: LAB A1563411A, GD2 Cooling ASSY-INT(ASV/FOX).
description of service: "replaced FAN/COOLING unit, tested."

my part # is the same as thinkpink and rpeters. how come thinkpink was the only one fortunate enough to be rid of the problem!?!

i'll be heading back to the sony service center (I went to one in Scarborough) to complain (with as much honey as possible!) and perhaps insist that they send it to the whitby location instead. thinkpink, is there any chance you can give me your service order #? my goal is to get them to pull up your order to help with my repair ..cept i don't know how helpful that will be since our repair orders sound identical

this is my 2nd vaio laptop. first one is 7 yrs old (pcg tr3ap) and runs like a champ. why sony why!

 

wanted to add that the creaking sound does go away when the keyboard is at a 90deg. angle, as mentioned by a previous poster.

 

bad bearing on a cheap, crappy fan. simple as that. sony either needs to get an upgraded fan motor or put out a software fix that simply keeps the fan on at its lowest rpm when cooling is not needed.

 

Lady 247 -

I wouldn't bother with Scarborough, or any other small 'local' drop-off centers.

Call Sony Customer Care, get an Event Number and request that they send the unit to MTC Whitby and they will send you a shipping box via Purolator. Then you follow the instructions inside the shipping box - fill out form, include photocopy of your purchase invoice - and call Purolator for pickup. In the meantime, you can call MTC and talk to a Supervisor regarding this problem. I spoke with Barb, described the problem, referenced the YouTube video (can't beat that for making this issue perfectly clear) and she was super helpful and made sure the techie was up to speed about this. And, thankfully, my CS110D was fixed - first trip to repair! And Door-to-Door pickup and delivery - no charge, of course.

Whitby MTC info here - along with phone #'s
http://www.mtcservice.com/aboutmtc.htm

Good Luck!
think pink

PS I would PM you my Event #, but your PM is disabled.

 

thanks thinkpink! my pm might be disabled b/c im a new member, but the event # appeared in your original post that was sent to my email (i guess you've modified the post since then..?) so don't worry about it!

i spoke to customer care today but unforutnately, the person i spoke to didn't seem as helpful as yours, and didn't even want to hear your event # eventually, i was able to convince him to send a box for my laptop to be shipped to the whitby location. we'll see where this adventure leads to! do you think it would help MTC if i quoted your repair order # in the description of my problem?

 

as always, keep us updated with news if anyone gets it back fixed.

I'm still waiting to hear from Ulysses. In the meantime, I'm happy with my aspire one. my wife now has the Sony, but since I use it time to time, I'll make sure I keep trying to get it fixed.

 

“Hello this is E52GTerry from Sony, If you are experiencing a problem please write to me at SONYLISTENSatAMdotSONYdotCOM with your contact information. I would be happy to assist.”

 

I'll take a gamble...

 

products shipped after 2/16/09 have a different fan? then that must be it. it's not the blades hitting anything, it's the type of motor being used and its quality of sleeve/bearing (i dont know or care of the difference).

I had a guy call from sony last night but he didnt leave any contact info - just said he'd call back later but never did. hopefully he can fix this fan.

tried watching a movie on it last night and the thing kept buzzing every 10 seconds.

 

so there is a new fan? perhaps that is what thinkpink got? when i get my laptop back, i hope the issue never becomes an issue again! then we can all get new fans and close this forum

off topic but my webcam no longer works with the arcsoft software that was installed (but it works on MSN messenger so the camera itself is fine..) anyone else w/this problem or any insight into it? this vaio CS has been the most troubling laptop for mee

 

quick update, just spoke with Terry from sony (the sony guy above who posted his email). he really boosted my confidence in getting this fixed.

apparently he read this forum and watched the youtube videos, which kinda scared me because of my posted instructions and pics on how to add the 3-in-1 oil (which he even mentioned on our call!). still, he was eager to fix the issue.

so just sit tight. he said they're confident they'll find a fix eventually.

 

anyone have any luck recently? poor thing is still farting every 10 seconds. hehe

 

Hey guys,

I own a VGN-BZ12XN bought in Europe and I've experienced very loud noises as well. I first thought it was the drive (sounded too loud to be the fan) but after installing a temperature monitor I realized it was the fan.

In the most extreme times it sounds like this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ca6eZTFuSM0

Other times it's about half the level of that sound, but still very noticeable and distracting.

(Funnily enough the reason why I bought the Vaio in the first place is because my girlfriend's Vaio (a lower-end one, different model) is the most silent laptop I had ever seen...)

I have read the thread but I'm a bit confused still. Do we have a confirmed new fan model number that I can show Sony's repair guys to instruct them to use?

 

Hello everybody,
I sold my CS11, and i bought Z31...
My CS's fan had been fixed by changing a new one in repair center... But i wanted smaller and lighter one...
I hope all of your problems will be fixed..
Best wishes...

 

greetings from florida.

very informative thread you guys got goin here.

i had a cs215j model from bestbuy that experienced the same issue with left side fan making faint but audible clicking noise whenever it came on & off. and it would turn on & off in 20/30 seconds intervals with the fan lasting no more than few seconds or sometimes barely spinning for a sec, but always with that annoying clicking noise.

not much of an issue during the day when it gets drawn out by the environment but it's hard to ignore in a more quiet setting. even my 56 yr old mom for whom i bought this laptop brought it up after a day usage.

so after reading through some posts here about how sony repair service in general doesn't really have a clear-cut solution for the problem, i decided to try my luck on an exchange at the store. knowing that my local store probably has the same batch of its stock, i made the extra 15 min drive to another store where i called in advance to confirm their stock's batch # is different than mine (not really sure what exactly the batch #'s mean. just wanted my pick from a different field/crop), and to be assured there'd be no 15% restocking fee they usually charge on laptop returns.

my mom now has a cs with a fan that operates much less frequently and most importantly, with that freaking clicking noise totally absent.

i'm now a satisfied customer but it wouldn't hurt if sony acknowledges the issue and provide a clear solution be it some software update that would either make the fan come on even less or have it run on min rpm constantly, or something other than replacing the fan with another faulty fan.

sorry for the long post but i basically wanted to just inform that there are cs's within the same model # (215j in my case) that has a less active and non-clicking fan built in, which clearly makes this fan issue a manufacturing defect. it's a shame because this is such a beautiful laptop otherwise.

 

i'm waiting on my laptop to come back to me so i'll update when it does (and hopefully it'll be fixed!). i'm more optimistic now though, since we've gotten more good news recently than bad news

 

heyy ive been reading the thread and am glad to know im not the only one with fan issues...i just recently got a sony Vaio CS215J and i too am getting the fan noise.. it turns on and off like every five seconds without a chirp though...hopefully sony will come out with a fix!!

Edit: i now have the chirp and have the same exact issue as Rpeters here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMl9-VqQ1Ug
urghh

 

Just to be clear, my noise is "just" the very loud spinning noise. No clicking here. Seems there are 2 separate issues.

 

and the verdict....!

*NOT fixed**

after having it on for about 15-20 minutes (not using the computer), the fan noise started up again, to my displeasure. its not exactly the same noise as it runs longer sometimes and the chirping in the beginning & end isn't always present. but definitely still a problem! now what do i do??

for reference they installed:
A1563411A: GD2 cooling assy-int
&
HFB (not sure what this refers to?)

this is so frustrating!! what happened to good quality sony products?

 

I tried searching this thread, so please forgive me if this has already been posted.

I have a feeling the 'chirping' some describe is the way the computer controls the fanspeed. Now, some comments and youtube videos point to fan blades hitting at spinup, which indicates a faulty fan, but I think this information is relevant anyway. There are two ways to control the fan:

1. Linear regulation 5v for full speed, 2.5v for half speed
2. PWM Regulation - 5v 100% of the time for full speed, 5v timed on/off so the fan runs at half speed.

With PWM regulation, sometimes a fan will give the sound of the on/off timing. I.e., when it's slow you hear a constant slow chirping, when it's fast you hear a constant fast chirping. Normally it's quiet, only audible if you're real close to the fan or put your ear up against the fan exhaust.

Here's some parallel comments about this 'chirping', related to a power supply:

http://www.asktheramguy.com/v3/showthread.php?t=75829

*EDIT: Well after reading more and listening to more youtube videos, I do not think this is a fan speed regulation issue. Those fans are definitely defective.

 

I had two VGN-BZ540P34 laptops and returned them both. My ten year old dishwasher generates less noise and vibrations.

I now have a VGN-Z540PIB if this one starts making noise I'll return it too.

Sony Support said they had a problem with CS and BZ models. I can only speak about BZ model first hand. It is JUNK nothing but Junk will always be Junk.

As for the CS model it also appears to be JUNK. The fact that so many CS users have ended up @ this site says it all.

Fans will cycle on & off and even change speeds. Thats what they do it's normal. What is not normal is amount of noise from these units.

Power management will only mask the issue if it does anything at all.

This forum helped me relize that Sony had a problem with certain models. It was enough to make me call them again and push them for a answer.

If you have the option to return a noisy laptop DO IT. The only noise you should here is air being blown out the side. If will get worse and you'll be stuck with it.


Bill

 

this is terribly frustrating! i just got off the phone with support and they just want me to send in the laptop AGAIN (3rd time.......). i asked them what difference it would make if they keep on replacing the defective fan with another defective fan! she didnt' really have a straight answer, just saying that she'll note in the event that the laptop should go in for further diagnostics, etcetc. i'm super doubtful anything will change.

i left my number with customer relations and i'm supposed to receive a call in 2 days. i'm going to ask them for a refund, or some kind of real solution to this problem. i'm tired of having my laptop at repair centres. i'm a student and its just not worth it anymore

 

FYI.. according to Sony tech support (San Diego), the replacement fans for the CS and BZ will be available by next week April 10 (indefinite).. this is to resolve the noise issue.. if you will call Sony tech support, just ask politely to be escalated to Tier 2 at San Diego, or you may just ask the tier 1 agent to consult San Diego agents regarding the availability of the cooling fans (that should resolve the issue)... if you have already reached the agent at San Diego and if the agent has no clue, ask politely to consult the team leads as they may know better regarding the ETA of the cooling fans...

Once you have verified the availability of the cooling fans, ask them if this can be fixed in-home service, I've heard that case to case basis that this issue can only be fixed in the Sony facility if they need to do special tweaking to further resolve the issue..

So, bottom line, if you have cooling fan issues, you may have to wait until April 10..

 

Pretty sure I can confirm this too. I spoke with Terry at Sony a few days ago and he said a new model fan will be in soon which should fix the issue. When they come in, hopefully he'll be letting me know so I can send mine in.

I don't mind waiting, as long as it gets fixed in the end.

 

***RESULTS***

I brought my CS110D to the local "Sony" repair facility in Calgary...

Today I picked it up and have been using/testing it for the past few hours.

Since purchased new, the fan has been making this noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFdpRrRsAdc&feature=related

So far it seems everything is as it should be. The whirring noise from the fan spinning on and off still exists, most likely as was originally engineered and intended. The rattling/chirping/farting/grinding sound is no longer there.

The work order notes the fan assembly was replaced (stock# A1563411A).

I will post an update if the new fan assembly developes a noise.

 

Good to hear about yours!

Just to note on this as well. I'll be having a tech come to my house shortly to apparently swap in a new type of fan. I spoke with Terry at sony and he said there are new fans, though the first batch retains the same part # i believe he said (which might be why yours has the same part # but is fixed). He claimed there were good results with this new batch.

I also asked if there were any plans to address the power management causing the fan to turn on and off so quickly, but said there hasn't been much concern over that cause. Hopefully in the future.

I'll report back with the results of mine after it is replaced.

 

I am having the same problem with a CS115J-R.

But, it started some weeks ago, and I bought it for Christmas (Not from Mr. Kringle but from my own pockets).

I'm going for the Robert83 solution, re oiling the fans. How much time did it worked until you have to re oiled Robert?

I am jealous of you guys, I bought this VAIO in Miami, FL, and now I am in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I'm kinda screwed here

 

I have the Sony VAIO CS 215J, I just bought it about a month ago from Best Buy for $799. I never really noticed that the fan was turning off and on constantly until it was quiet in the house. I do find it quite annoying, and I do believe that this is a power management/BIOS problem and issue. I don't hear any other noises besides the whirring for about 4 seconds, then quiet for 15 seconds, then back on for another 4. This repeats the cycle. I believe that a fan should remain on low, instead of turning off and on. I have contacted Sony by email and phone, they are sending someone out to my house to replace the fan, I hope this solves the issue, however, I really do think that this is a software/firmware problem, because THAT is what controls when the fan and turns it off and on. BTW I have updated all software from Sony's website, including the power management update that they said would resolve the issue. I am unhappy that my computer has this problem, but I think there will be a fix out there soon enough. I have the Best Buy three year warranty so I'm not too worried about it at this time. I will just make sure that my data is backed up on this laptop in case of a severe hardware failure due to the fan issue. I hope every one on here can resolve their issue as well, but personally, I would never open my laptop to oil the fan unless I was out of warranty and that was my only option.

 

an update on my situation.
my laptop was returned after its THIRD time being sent out and "fixed". The first hour of use was great and I was thrilled. Then the on/off fan cycle started up again, although without the chirping/door creaking noise. It progressively got louder the more I used it and so I'm sad to say that the problem hasn't actually been solved.

Sony has told me that if after 3 repairs my problem hasnt been solved, they will replace mine with this year's model, which I believe should be the CS200 series (I have CS100 series). BUT it appears that people on this forum with the 200's are having the same problem!

Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should do? I'll be calling Sony this evening to discuss this issue.

 

I THINK I finally have some good news...

After speaking with Terry at Sony, numerous times, we finally got a new fan put in that seems to be silent. I've only had it for a couple days, and my wife has been using it mostly, but I believe it's silent now. So I'm very happy about that. I do not have a model # but it might be the same. I'm hoping this one stays silent, really.

The bad news is, and this isn't Sony's fault, the repair tech who came to my office seemed to have broken the black row of buttons above the keyboard. I noticed this after he left, but the buttons no longer work. So that's a new issue that needs to get fixed. And I still need them to fix my burnt out caps lock LED light.

Getting closer to a, *ahem*, properly working laptop one repair at a time...

 

I just received a vaio bz series and this noise is driving me nuts!

I have emailed Terri from Sony.

Has anyone verified that there is a documented fix and if so the reference number so I can discuss this with support?

Also, has anyone had any luck with having Sony come to you instead on mailing in your notebook?

 

A quick update: Terri from Sony called me and a repair guy will be installing a new component to take care of this lousy fan noise.

My confidence is restored, for now.......

I will update all when things move forward.

 

Hi guys.

I'm thinking of getting a Vaio BZ. I was just wondering, where abouts are you guys who are having the problem located? Are you in the US or is the problem worldwide?

I'm in the UK so hopefully this is just an isolated issue. Won't be buying it until around August time though so maybe it will be ironed out by then.

 

I can tell you all my problem has been fixed (about 36 hours from emailing Terry from Sony) and, at least for now, my notebook is quiet. Sony support is awesome!

The BZ, which was purchased in the US, is an excellent, fast machine.

 

My new VGN-CS215J also has this annoying fan noise. The fan comes on and off intermittently and makes this sighing noise which drives me crazy in a quiet room. I don't think that this is a hardware problem, but rather a software control issue. Replacing the fan does not sound promising. I am surprised that Sony still has not come up with a software patch to allow fan control. I am going to return the computer. I have had it.

 

I was also very skeptical but sony came thru. Email Terry from sony (about 2 pages back on this thread) and he will take care of it.

 

It is sad to see cs 2 series users are too suffering from this problem. I got my fan replaced on feb and now the noise is slowly coming back (although i dun have "grrr" sound at the moment). Hopefully this new fan is available in all sony service center globally. Because i have a feeling my fan is going to die on me soon, which force my to visit service center the 3rd time for the very same problem.

 

Ryo, please contact me at [email protected]. I can have the fan replaced and working properly. E52GTerry

 

VAIO Fan Noise, please contact me at [email protected]. I can have the fan replaced and working properly. E52GTerry

 

Just to confirm what Terry is saying. The new replacement fans DO FIX THE ISSUE! Mine has been noise free for a couple weeks now. Everyone with the noise should send it in now and let Terry know.

Thanks again to Terry for helping out with this issue.

 

Good to hear that, i had contacted terry too, unfortunately we both stay in a different country. Anyway i'm going to send in to service center again, hopefully the replacement fan is available in my country.

I did a search on google and discovered that a new part number for cs laptop fan, it is A1563411B. Wonder is this the replacement fan ?

Called up sony spare parts center in my country, they still have the old stock (i think) which the parts number is A1563410A. Hm..guess i have to wait...

 

I got mine fixed at E-link in Toronto, I had to wait 1 week for them to order the updated version of the fan, I checked my repair paper and the part # does indeed end with a "B". Now my laptop is quiet as a mouse.