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I recently re-imaged my computer to a version of Windows 7. It was working fine until it started shutting down whenever I played a game online. Even just browsing online it is getting too hot and I'm thinking maybe it is overheating and shutting down. I can't hear a fan and think maybe my fan is not working properly? Are there any easy fixes I can try before sending it in to Lenovo to replace the fan?
Lenovo Thinkpad W500 laptop
pongahead
Posted 2011-09-21T23:18:53.097
Reputation: 131
1
Download this manual: W500 repair manual and then disassemble your laptop. Remove all the dust from the inside. You will need a vacuum cleaner and a brush. You might also need some small screw drivers. If the fan is completely broken the laptop won't boot at all because he will halt during the boot process with a fan error.
Some duct tape would be handy, too. You could fix it on the table and then put all the screws you loosen onto the tape. This way they won't get lost and you could more easily remember where each screw belongs to.
If you feel confident you could also disassemble the complete fan part and put some WD40 in the fan. But you will have to pull the fan out of his socket. This will surely remove any warranty left. I did it a few times with my laptops and they all run fine and without any noises. To get to the fan in one of my laptops I had to use a drill to get rid of some rivets.
Darokthar
Posted 2011-09-21T23:18:53.097
Reputation: 1 361
3Never put WD40 in a laptop. While it can be good for cleaning, it leaves a residue which is just going to make things worse down the line, and if I'm not mistaken it's also slightly conductive, so if that fan flings it somewhere it shouldn't go you're in trouble! – Shinrai – 2011-09-27T14:22:21.257
@Shinrai as I stated I never had a problem with WD40. And it always helps for at least one year. Plus i had the laptop standing on my bed during the night, because i usually watch a movie or surf a bit before going to sleep, thus there was a lot of dust. Although I see that WD40 in Hardware should used carefully. But the fan is normally in a safe distance to circuits thus I considered it safe for my hardware. There is an aluminium frame around the fan which holds off WD40 from circuits. – Darokthar – 2011-09-27T16:18:36.193
2You're more willing to take risks with a US$1000 laptop than I am, I guess. :) – Shinrai – 2011-09-27T16:33:33.937
Just use Ballistol. – Denis Ivin – 2011-10-09T23:19:09.757
I still use this technique with WD40. And i have till now used it on a lot of different Laptops. I never had any problems with it. I'm only using WD40, if I'm able to get the fan out of the socket. And then I put some WD40 on the axle of the fan. Afterwards i remove excess oil with a paper towel. Works fine for me. – Darokthar – 2013-03-26T21:44:10.667
WD40 contains gummy petroleum products that eventually become sticky on spinning shafts. Never use in electronic equipment. A light high-grade machine oil would be preferable. – ThomasMcLeod – 2014-01-13T14:00:14.563
You may try this as it has worked for my ThinkPad as well.
– CᴴᴀZ – 2015-05-10T10:45:51.397Do you have all the Lenovo power management software installed? – Shinrai – 2011-09-21T23:22:59.320
Install ThinkVantage System Update 4.01 to get Important software and drivers for your Thinkpad...http://support.lenovo.com/en_GB/downloads/detail.page?LegacyDocID=TVSU-UPDATE
– Moab – 2011-09-22T03:11:16.200It may need a bios update since you moved to Windows 7. – Moab – 2011-09-22T03:12:48.070
I have imaged from Windows Vista to Windows 7 before and it didn't need a bios update.... I think this laptop was windows 7 previously though and I was just wiping the hard drive with a new image so that a different person could own it. I will try that driver update though because it was giving me some errors about some drivers, I just don't know if they were drivers relating to the fan. – pongahead – 2011-09-22T06:59:58.690
You can try replacing the fan yourself. It generally isn't hard, and the fan is cheap online. – Brad – 2013-08-19T01:59:26.620