HP dv3-2155mx fan troubles

[karthikv]

I've noted that in a lot of places fan troubles keep popping up, mainly of constantly running fans and overheating CPUs.

I'm a pretty confident user and I opened up my dv3 all the way to clean it when these problems cropped up. I removed the heatsink and the fan from the CPU, used compressed air, cleaned out the vents,  used q-tips to clean out the blades completely, and applied thermal paste to the cpu while re-fastening the heatsink onto the cpu.

My fan still runs constantly. It also spins erratically (short bursts, repetitively). I understand that the bios option to disable the fan from running constantly wont work. Could there be problems in the motherboard/fan contacts that causes this behaviour?

I've heard that the fan bearings may be problematic - is there any way I can fix that? Can anyone provide me with a definitive source to buy a replacement fan/heatsink setup? 

[Knute]

I couldn't find any information in CSN for your model BUT I did find it in PartSurfer, here's the link:

http://partsurfer.hp.com/Search.aspx?type=PROD&SearchText=NV149UAR

The part number you need for a new fan is 531813-001 unfortunately it costs around $48 and part of the reason is that it ships with a heatsink as well.  You can buy it directly from HP or search for a cheaper 3rd party alternative.

Hope this helps!

[karthikv]

Thanks for the help - I opened up the laptop again and found a whole bunch of dust blocking the vents.

I didn't have access to this previously as the fan was taped to the heat sink, and I didn't want to separate the two - While this seems to have helped cooling the laptop, my cpu still clocks in at 52C while idling..is this normal?

Is there any program to read fan speeds? Is it possible to change the BIOS all together on the motherboard?

I found cheaper replacement parts on ebay - though I'm still looking out before I finalise my buy..

Thanks again!

[Knute]

You can update the BIOS to the latest release version, I do not know of any program for fan speed, and with the newer processors heat is an issue, just not one you can do much about, this is for all manufacturers not just HP. You may want to invest in a laptop cooling pad as well to help.

[maryoooo]

Hi, do you know, since you know some stuff, if ... my laptop fan runs a lot a lot, and the laptop runs hot, i would say: not comfortable to maintain a touch of the underneath. too hot.

Also, the battery won't retain a charge. The laptop, when unplugged, shuts down in three minutes.

Will a new battery help the constant running of the fans, or the overheated condition ?

I really think that, since my home is currently very dusty, that ventilation ports have been blocked. Any tips or diagrams on how to clean ?? I already used compressed air into the visible vents, but to no avail.

Thank you, in case you can help

Mary Oliver

[Personal Information Removed]

[karthikv]

A new battery would definitely take care of the charge retaining problems. If you laptop is still under warranty, you can have your batter replaced free of charge by HP.

I don't really have any diagrams to help you, but constantly hot laptops are caused by usually one of two problems - 

1. A hot processor by default (If your laptop has a AMD processor, they usually run uncomfortably hot. A cooling pad is the best way to go.)

2. Not-so-hot-processor but blocked vents. You will have to open up your laptop/give it to a service center that will and clean the vents for you.

Compressed air didn't work in my case. It just blew the dust bunnies back into my laptop. Compressed air best works on desktop PCs. They're not the a good solution for cleaning the fans/vents on laptops.

If you're bold enough, you can follow this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOdmGuiq1l8, which served as a reference to me when I opened my laptop. I ADVISE YOU NOT TO OPEN YOUR LAPTOP IF YOU ARE UNSURE AND NOT CONFIDENT.

That said, if you have got all the screws off your laptop, and are following the above video, in a couple of places (like removing your keyboard) you may need to just tug on your keyboard as it may be slightly glued onto the chassis. Tug gently at the sides and the parts should eventually come off. 

Good luck!