Detached heat sensor on Mac Mini - solutions/workarounds?

[Osamede]

I have a 2010 Mac Mini server. The drive in the upper bay died and I had to disassemble it to replace it. While doing so, I detached the third heat sensor socket while trying to unplug the sensor from that socket.

In the attached picture - you can see on the right side, the entire heat sensor socket (plus wires still pugged in) detached from the spot where it should be seated the logic board.

My best understanding of the situation is that this will make the Mac Mini fan run at high speed all the time, if I dont do anything.

Question is: what's the best approach to dealing with this?

FIXING
- is repair possible and if so it is expensive?
- is soldering the socket back yourself doable for a novice?

WORKAROUNDS
- If I simply use only one drive bay and thus avoid the need to use the broken sensor, will the Mini operate the fans normally?
- has anyone tried the fan control programs and can they be used to solve this?

Thanks....

 

[Celerondon]

FIXING
- is repair possible and if so it is expensive?
- is soldering the socket back yourself doable for a novice?

Yes repair is possible and yes it is often expensive. Some techs will recommend logic board replacement while others have the skill to solder such a break. If you find a tech willing to repair the problem the cost may make you search for alternatives.

Soldering the socket back yourself is not doable for a novice! Such a soldering job requires more skill than that of a typical novice. There is however a low cost solution to the problem. Don't be a novice! You took great pictures of the logic board and connectors. Anyone who can learn to take decent closeups of electronics should be able to learn to use a soldering iron properly. If you learn about the different types of solder, flux, and equipment while practicing with some defective or inexpensive electronics you can quickly gain experience with this useful skill.

I suggest that you ignore the cheap alternatives that some posters may suggest. Do not try to glue anything to your motherboard. Soldered connections are uniquely suited to providing structural strength in combination with a low resistance connection.

Like welding, an essential soldering skill is learning to manage the heat that you apply to the job. Practice is better than advice for those who seek to acquire this skill. Another key to soldering technique is to use the proper flux. Rosin-based flux is appropriate for electronics. If you try that acidic flux that you used for your home piping job, logic board replacement will become your only option.

I think that you can probably do this repair. The logic board appears to have nice fat solder pads available for your connector mounting points. Perhaps if you take more pictures of your separated connector we can provide better advice on your chances.

 

[Osamede]

Ok, so soldering is a long shot I hear. I dont want to get a diploma in electronics - just trying to run a simple HTPC for the family. I dont have a lot of time to invest in this.

Will running the unit with only a single drive be a "fix"? In other words, if I have two sensors properly working and connected to a single drive (with the other drive bay empty) will the unit run the fans at normal speed?

 

[Celerondon]

Ok, so soldering is a long shot I hear. I dont want to get a diploma in electronics - just trying to run a simple HTPC for the kids. I dont have a lot of time to invest in this.

Will running the unit with only a single drive be a "fix"? In other words, if I have two sensors properly working and connected to a single drive (with the other drive bay empty) will the unit run the fans at normal speed?

I doubt it.

Okay, if you don't want to try soldering the connector there may be another solution. There are (Mac)rumors of a new Force in our Mac universe. Visit this page and read young Skywalker. http://exirion.net/ssdfanctrl/

When you are done, please return and tell us what you have learned.