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livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
My Powerbook recently stopped turning it's fan on when it got hot. I mean, in a way this is a good thing for me, because I kept having to put it to sleep when I was in the library and that wind turbine would come on. My only worry is that this could cause damage to the processor or other parts of the laptop. It does feel like it's getting decently hotter than it used to, even under just regular daily tasks like email, word processing, and web browsing. I can't get an exact number on the heat, as there appear to be no sensors inside it anywhere that Temperature Monitor can find. I can however feel heat through the keyboard, which is something that I never used to feel.

Do you think the Powerbook could suffer any harm from being used for such light use as listed above for a few hours without a fan? Or should I look into somehow replacing it (if that's even possible)?
 

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
RGunner said:
you are Nuts for even using a PowerBook with a fan that has failed.

go find a fan at http://www.pbparts.com, or pbfixit.com.

Crazy like a fox!

Anyways. Well, see, even though the fan stopped, I'm not sure if it's the fan itself that's broken, or if maybe it's something else. And replacing the fan seems like quite a delicate operation, so I don't know if I want to do it. So you're saying it's really bad to use it at all without a fan? Hmm... but I need it for class!
 

RGunner

macrumors 6502a
Jul 3, 2002
706
95
Midnight Sun
Can you...

throttle the CPU down in the Power Savings tab under System Prefs? Or was that not a feature of the 667?

pbparts has a take apart of that system, yes... if you have not worked on small electronics or laptops I would not do. (its not too terribly tough).

alternatively you can send it to one of these 'shops' who would replace pretty quickly (and a fan replacement would not cost too terribly much). a burned up logic board would be throwing the machine away (ie $400-700).

IF you are daring, go buy a vantec (or others) laptop cooler.. it has built in fans and MIGHT.. MIGHT save the system. As it is now, i think you are prone to a future (soon) failure.

Good luck!
 

wozzlewoozle

macrumors regular
Jan 3, 2005
138
0
sarkoland
I had an old hp and the fan stopped working, It would just overheat and stop working after about 30 - 40 minutes. I opened it up and somehow the connectionhad worked itself free. I just plugged it back in and it worked fine. my little sister still uses that laptop.
 

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,936
156
livingfortoday said:
Crazy like a fox!

Anyways. Well, see, even though the fan stopped, I'm not sure if it's the fan itself that's broken, or if maybe it's something else. And replacing the fan seems like quite a delicate operation, so I don't know if I want to do it. So you're saying it's really bad to use it at all without a fan? Hmm... but I need it for class!
And they like to hunt foxes with packs of rabid dogs.

No fan is bad news, it basically means you machine is quickly marching towards a logic board failure.

Have a nice day. :eek:
 

TheMonarch

macrumors 65816
May 6, 2005
1,467
1
Bay Area
I wouldn't be too worried. The PB will shut off before it damages itself due to heat. I doubt the fan failed though.
 

livingfortoday

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 17, 2004
2,903
4
The Msp
Okay, I looked at PBFixit and figured I might be able to replace it myself. I opened up my powerbook planning on running it without the cover, and found a one centimeter long piece of plastic jammed into the fan, making it unable to spin. I have no clue what it's from, and I'm guessing it got in through the back heat vent.

So, thank you to everyone for your comments, but apparently my problem is fixed. Oh, and as far as the Powerbook turning itself off in case of heat, I had been folding with it, as well as watching a DVD for at least 40 minutes before I realized that the fan wasn't screaming away like it should have been when I first noticed the problem. I wonder if the laptop would have turned itself off, or just burned out in that situation.
 
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