iMac 24" (early 2009) fan noise

[explicitluser]

I recently got my display and HDD replaced under AppleCare. After my iMac was returned to me, it made a whirring noise which was very noticeable in a room with little ambient noise. It was essentially silent prior to the repairs.

I sent it back to the AASP, who claim (a) they couldn't hear anything and (b) nothing awry was evident in the diagnostics. I then phoned Support who arranged for it to be sent by courier to another AASP. They also claimed to not hear the noise.

I have since identified the noise to be due to the fan, using SMC Fan Control - the whirring gets louder and faster as I increase fan rpm. This noise starts as soon as I boot the machine (before the Apple logo), my temperatures are fine and my fan speed is normal (around 800rpm). My nearest Apple store is 2 hours away by public transport and I do not have access to a car. I think the only way I'll be able to draw attention to the problem is to go with my iMac and make them compare it to a machine in-store.

Has anyone else had a similar problem? Any reccomendations for how to get this fixed once and for all?

 

[Detrius]

If you just tell them it's noisy, they're not likely to notice anything--especially if it's not loud. If there are other computers all around and there's a hefty air conditioner running, it would have to loud in order for them to hear it. The vast vast majority of noisy fans are impossible to miss, and they even fail the Apple diagnostics, since they aren't spinning right. They may have started the diagnostic and walked off, figuring since it passed that there was nothing wrong. It will help them a lot if you tell them exactly what you said here to diagnose it. Noisy fans are covered--even if they don't fail the diagnostic.

 

[explicitluser]

You make some good points. I guess I'm just worried that when I call AppleCare they'll tell me to ---- off due to my repair history. Should I beg my dad to take me to the nearest Apple store and talk to a Genius face to face?

 

[Detrius]

Yes. Even show them the noise, if you can.