Macbook fan issue

[dychen85]

Hi i just recently purchased an old macbook, and the fan seems to make a weird noise when it starts spinning faster. It sounds almost like a rattling noise. Do you think it is the fan dying or is it just dust stuck in the fan?

Thanks

 

[Skippy440]

How old is this Mac?

It could particles of something in the fan itself or it could be the bearings are starting to give out.
If you can remove the bottom of laptop, see if you can test the fan for movement and see if anything is blocking it or if the fan motion is smooth or if the bearings are starting to malfunction.

Good luck.

 

[dychen85]

How old is this Mac?

It could particles of something in the fan itself or it could be the bearings are starting to give out.
If you can remove the bottom of laptop, see if you can test the fan for movement and see if anything is blocking it or if the fan motion is smooth or if the bearings are starting to malfunction.

Good luck.

it is about 2 years old.
It seems that when i move the laptop around with the fan spinning it doesnt make the noise. It only makes the noise when I set it down on the table.

 

[Skippy440]

By the sounds of that then I would say that the fan bearings are going as if there was any "loose parts" within the fan unit, they would create the noise while the laptop is being moved. Since it only happens when it's stationary, I'd look at a new fan unit.