Designjet Z3200 PSU Fan Replacement

[BrettL]

The PSU of my Z3200 has developed a very loud noise which appears to be caused by the bearing in the PSU fan. I'd like to replace the fan and was hoping for a little guidance when it comes to opening and working inside the PSU itself. There are guides online but unfotunately the only one I can find that gives info on servicing the PSU seems to point to an expired address. So it can't be accessed (http://adriantsang.info/2012/03/reparing-designjet-z3200/).

I realise it's not a job for the faint hearted but my Z3200 is currently thoroughly stripped down due to another ongoing problem (posted elsewhere on this forum: https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/DesignJet-Large-Format-Printers-Digital-Press/HP-Designjet-Z3200-PS-co... ) so I've nothing to lose.

Any advice or pointers would be very gratefully received. Many thanks!

[Repairatrooper]

Likely you will not find a lot of guides. Remove the power supply from the plotter, Remove the screws that hold the main board into the case and then tilt the board out. Remove the fan and source a replacement from an electronics supplier such as Digi-Key, Newark or the equivalent in your geographic location. Most HP products like this will use a 24V fan not 12V so check the label on the fan carefully before you order or purchase.

[kspl]

My personal experience is that aftermarket fans, even those with the exact same specs as the OEM fan, may not work.  I know this from both trial and error and through confirmation by the Z3200 expert at LPS Computers.  The tech is as mystified as I am- on paper there's no reason they shouldn't work, but there's something in the logic board that recognizes some fans and not others.  

I've got 2 Z3200s and both have intermittent noises in the PSU fans which are alarming but benign. Again, according to LPS it's almost normal.  My noises seem to come and go with warmer weather (my printers operate in a room that is only partially heated/cooled, but the temps are within HPs specs). 

[BrettL]

Thank  you. It's reassuring to hear that your machines suffer similar noises intermittently. Suddenly the very loud noise mine was making has stopped. The fan now whirs almost silently. The noise was too great to be just dirt. I honestly don't understand what it was...

[kspl]

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@BrettL wrote:

The noise was too great to be just dirt. 

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According to LPS, it's commonly the blades hitting the fan chassis.  But, who knows?  

Both of mine are curiously silent now as well.  I've learned a bit more about this from another forum. See https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=137423.0 If the noise starts up again (it will) I may try the replacement procedure detailed there.  

[chris1designjet]

Dear Sir 

My advice is not to try to open a power supply as the danger of getting hurt or making more damage is not fun . so use a spray lubricant as wd40 or similar to spray from the outside of the main logic board (nothing to dismount only the left cover  to access the fan from outside ) and locate the fan center and spray inside the axes of the fan . and clean the fan with a brush   always from outside .