Fan not spinning at all? (toshib laptop)

[joseph10444]

i have a p200 laptop and earlier today i was using the laptop with battery only for the first time and i used it from 100% to ~19%. before i went to charge it, i took compressed air and blew it all over the fan vents. you know how sometimes, the compressed air solution sometimes gets released instead of the compressed air? well it happened a couple of times. (it's some chemical liquid that dries super quickly) and i think it went into the fan..

when i turned on the computer to resume some work, the computer was going super slow and was at 100% processor utilization. eventually, it just shut itself down with no warning. i turned it on again and it was slow again and then shut itself down again.

this time i lifted the laptop while booting it and it turns out that the fan wasn't running anymore. occasionally, when i open something like firefox, there's this loud fan noise meaning that it was spinning very fast to blow the heat produced from the cpu but now it doesn't do even that anymore. the fan jjust doesn't run at all..

any possible solutions??

i recently lost a laptop due to integrated graphics failure so i hope this won't screw me over again.

thanks.

ps i can still turn it on and kill some startup process i dont need and it'll work fine for however long i can use it not intensively. i never tried watching HD video or editing a photo, or using youtube because im scared it'll crash again due to extensive heat.

 

[TVeblen]

Too late now, sorry, but the laptop maintenance guides I have read all suggest stopping the fan blades with a toothpick or similar before blowing them clean with compressed air. The worry is that the fan itself can generate electricity in reverse, which can burn up the fan or short out a circuit. I've never given that worry much weight though - seemed implausible. But maybe you have proven the point.

You could open up the laptop and remove the fan and test it to see if it works. If it doesn't work you need a new fan. If it does work you could have shorted the circuit on the motherboard.

You should find and read the Service Manual for your laptop before attempting this and only if you are mechanically inclined. Otherwise, take it to a repair shop. I would not run the unit for long without a working thermal unit or you could do more damage.

Some stuff from a Service Manual below:

 

[joseph10444]

the problem is i cannot find a service manual and sorry i wasnt clearer earlier but i put the computer to sleep mode (fan disabled), then i applied compressed air. i guess the motherboard is still drawing power meanwhile. still the computer works fine though (on soft usage - used it for like 2 hours by now)


thanks for taking your time to solve my problem.

 

[spinifex]

This may help you.

http://www.laptopcpufan.com/toshiba-satellite-p200-series-laptop-cpu-cooling-fan-p-1177.html

Taking apart and removing motherboard from Toshiba Satellite P205 notebook

 

[TVeblen]

Laptop makers do not make it easy to find the service manuals. If you find them they will be buried deep within the websites. You must be persistent.

I've had good luck finding them by searching for the model # and the word "repair", scrolling pages that explain repairs in detail, and finding links to the pdf there!

 

[joseph10444]

thanks for all your help guys. actually, when i was using the computer earlier today to watch a tv show, i heard a fan running and in fact it was back in working order but this time it wasn't as strong. the fan is super weak now. it spins but very slowly and doesn't make the loud spinning sound anymore. something's up. at least it's connected right? but it's still weak cause when i use the computer, the processor usage goes to 100% and stays there. when i put a taken apart computer fan beside the fan vents, the usage goes down and the computer starts operating faster. so the problem here is that the fan isn't spinning fast enough.. : ( i guess i can use the external computer fan constantlyy

 

[TVeblen]

The "booster fan" is a fine temporary solution. Nice improvisation!

But you need to replace that thermal fan.

There is a possibility that it is clogged with dust, hair, or sludge and could be cleaned, but my guess is burned out.

 

[shanderzyn8]

hi! im shander, i have dell latitude e6400. my laptop is working normal but the fan is not spinning, i already replace the fan w/ new and working fan, but still the laptop fan not spinning.can you help me to fix it.