Help - fan problem with new macbook aluminium

B

Blue-sparkle

Registered
Hi everybody,
I'm a new mac user, just bought this aluminium macbook 13,3'' two months ago, and I've not been really lucky till now. After a month I discovered that the optical drive of my Macbook was not able to pull cd/dvds inside by itself, unless I pressed the ejection botton; they tried to substitute the drive, but the problem was the same, finally the fixed it by substituiting another thing I did not understand. Now that this problem is fixed, I discovered a new one. Yesterday I noticed that the macbook was getting unusually hot, then the desktop got white... the macbook was still working, because I was listening to some music and it did not loop, but went on without problems, only the video drive was gone. I immediately thought about some cooling problem; at the beginning I didn't know what to think, but then, by using istat-pro, I noticed that my exhaust fan is running at 0 rpm, while I remember, before bringing it to fix the optical drive, that it was always on at about 2000 to 6000rpm!!!! In addiction, before noticing this cooling problem, i had installed the new firmware efi 1.3, i guess, so now I was wondering if the problem could be software one, or hardware one.
Now I'm quite scared, because if I only surf the net or similar stuff, cpu temp never goes over 50/52°C, but if I only go on youtube the temp immediately goes over 70/80°C and the fan always 0rpm!!!
I don't know what to do, and I'm asking my self if it was better to keep on using Pc :(
 
If the fan really doesn't come on (0rpm), it's dead and needs replacing, sorry to say. Either way: I'd go back and tell them to either replace the device or have it serviced correctly this time. The temperatures, however, don't look _that_ far off. Are you sure the fan is at ZERO rpm?
 
How can I find out? As I can remember I've never heard any sound from the fan, even when istat-pro was still giving some resonable rpm...
Now it is really silent, I just hear a little sound from the pc, like a fan, but is really almost unhearable, but not different from before... the thing I noticed it that the temp, in some particular situation, keeps growing without stopping... some minutes ago I reached 90°C, so turned it off... in this moment the cpu A is 58°C. What I also noticed is that immediately after I close youtube or the application that makes the temp grow up, the temp it self goes down in few minutes to 50/60°C...
The problem is that I'm really new to mac-world, so I don't know how to move... is there any hardware test which could tell me if the fan is working or not?
 
Yes. Start the machine holding down the "d" key. That should take you to the hardware test suite. Let it have the _long_ test and see whether something comes up. The long test _does_ take long, though, so be aware.

What you describe _does_ however sound like something's wrong with the fan. Could be as simple as a cable not being connected. Could mean you'll get a new motherboard the next time you have it serviced. Either way: Do the test, then take it to your dealer.
 
I did not have the time to take a complete test, so I took a simple one, and the result was:
4MOT/1/40000002:EXHAUST-0
I really think the fan is dead :''''(
Is it necessary to take a complete test or is this enough?
Thanx a lot
 
That should be plenty to take it back to the store and ask that they either fix it or replace the machine entirely with a working one (seeing as how many problems you've had).
 
Unfortunately I could not take the complete test, because the CPU got too hot, and the pc turned off automatically after half an hour...
I only have to bring it back to apple and hope they fix it in a reasonable amount of time... but I'm getting really upset because I abandoned Pc and windows because every mac user told me about how stable, safe and wonderful macbooks are, and now in two months I couldn't enjoy this pc more then a consecutive week :(
 
Well: They _are_ stable, safe and wonderful, unless of course you get a lemon. ;) ... Obviously, something's wrong with the hardware here. This could either be a failure out-of-the-box (and I'd try to get them to recognise the machine as DOA) - or something went wrong when it was first serviced.
It's a pity, and it certainly doesn't happen to a lot of people, or Apple wouldn't be so good in service polls, but give them another chance. Once your system is actually running, you'll find many a good thing about it.
 
Yes, I know... I'm just upset... just tell me, is it normal that without any fan running, when I surf the net, chat by adium and stuff like that, the temp. of CPU A is always around 50°C ?
 
That's the inactive cooling at work. With the processor being able to power down most of the time, the aluminum case acts as enough cooling aid together with the on-processor heatsinks and the airways etc. Only when the processor and graphics card are heating up (see your youtube problem) the heat becomes too much for those.
 
I really wanted to thank you for you patience and kindness.
I have one last question: I cannot take my Macbook to applestore till january 2nd, and so I need to know either I can use my mac even in this conditions, or I'd rather let it switched off: I mean, if I use it and avoid the temp to go over 60/70°C, can I be safe?
thank you
 
Just click the "Thanks" Button. :p

I'd actually not use it, because you could cause more damage, and who knows whether they could call it improper use then...
 
Hi,
I have the same problem. Hardware test give me the following message:
4HOT/I/40000002 Exhaust

Do you solve the problem by changing the fan? Because I brought my MacBook to Apple Centre and they told me that I need to change the motherboard.
 
f4bry, are you sure it's not 4MOT in the beginning?
You did not mention the model of the MacBook or the AHT you run. In AHT 3A114 we have 4MOT code but no 4HOT.

4MOT would ask for
a) Shutdown, power up, then retest
b) Reset NVRAM, then retest
c) Replace Main Logic Board
 
Giaguara said:
f4bry, are you sure it's not 4MOT in the beginning?
You did not mention the model of the MacBook or the AHT you run. In AHT 3A114 we have 4MOT code but no 4HOT.

4MOT would ask for
a) Shutdown, power up, then retest
b) Reset NVRAM, then retest
c) Replace Main Logic Board
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick response.

I have a MacBook late 2006, black, 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2GB of ram. OS X 10.5.

Yes, it's "4MOT".
So it is useless to try to change the fan?

How can I do steps (a) and (b)?
 
a) Shut down the Mac, power it on and run the test again (ideally looped and in full mode)
b) reset pram and nvram
Ah, good, so should be from the same version of AHT codes I had available..
 
Giaguara said:
a) Shut down the Mac, power it on and run the test again (ideally looped and in full mode)
b) reset pram and nvram
Ah, good, so should be from the same version of AHT codes I had available..
Click to expand...

Thanks. I din't get good results. But for now the fan runs better and my computer too.
So, maybe it's only a fan problem.Can I try to change it or it is useless?The fact is that I can't change my motherboard right now.
 
f4bry said:
Thanks. I din't get good results. But for now the fan runs better and my computer too.
So, maybe it's only a fan problem.Can I try to change it or it is useless?The fact is that I can't change my motherboard right now.
Click to expand...

Well if you don't have AppleCare on that laptop then check out a store like MacService. I find they do the best work at the best rate.
 
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