Tilting screen back turns on fans??

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Tilting screen back turns on fans??

My 6month old macbook pro has started running very loud, with the noise of the fans. This is often on a worktop surface, with very few applications running (safari and word). The noise is often constant and does not stop.

Recently I have found if my screen is at 90 degree (straight up) or further closed the fan turns off. Tilt the screen back again past the vertical position and the fans immediately start up again. The time from tilting the screen forward and back and the fans starting and stopping is instant.

I understand air to be vented out from where the screen hinge is, but should this really be an issue? I do not understand how the screen could be blocking the vent and making the computer hotter because like i said the fan instantly turns on once the screen goes past a certain angle.

Any help would be very much appreciated!

MacBook Pro 15" 2009, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Dec 27, 2009 10:44 AM

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Answer 1

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Dec 27, 2009 11:01 AM in response to RichWIlson

Welcome to Apple Discussions!

What you describe does not sound like not normal behavior--the screen angle should not affect fan speed. It sounds like there is some sort of mechanical problem at work here.

Since your Mac is just 6 months old, you are still under warranty. The best course of action would be to contact Apple or make an appointment at the genius bar. I think you have some sort of a mechanical hardware issue at work here.

Good luck!

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Answer 2

RichWIlson Author

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Dec 27, 2009 11:08 AM in response to S.U.

Thanks, I agree I think getting in touch with apple is my best course of action. I haven't found the symptoms I posted anywhere else on the internet so hope when I do perhaps take my macbook into the genius bar it doesn't fix itself for that brief period.

Thanks again. Rich

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Answer 3

Dec 27, 2009 12:11 PM in response to RichWIlson

Please update me on this when you get back from the apple store, cheerz.

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Answer 4

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Dec 27, 2009 4:54 PM in response to RichWIlson

I haven't heard of anybody else having this exact problem so it may be unique to your Mac. Possibly there is something loose which is being pushed into the vent when the screen is tilted back or something like that. Can you see anything?

Do you have iStatPro? That will give you the fan speeds. You could take pictures or even a video with how the fan speed varies with screen position to take to the genius bar so that if it won't do it in front of them, you can show them what it has been doing.

Good luck!

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Answer 5

RichWIlson Author

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Dec 29, 2009 12:05 PM in response to S.U.

Have downloaded istatpro. My fans run at a steady 2000rpm when the screen is upright, or slightly forward. The very second I tilt the screen back, the fan increases to around 6000rpm. No change in temperature, other than after the fans have been at 6000rpm for a minute or two the temperatures do decrease. But as long as the screen is tilting up or slightly forward, the temperatures remain the same with the fan at 2000rpm.

Will not get a chance to book in at the genius bar till the end of the month, but will record a video of the problem to show them, as sometimes it works fine.

Getting very annoyed, the fan becomes so off putting I am struggling to concentrate on work.

End of next month I mean. January 2010

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Answer 6

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Dec 29, 2009 3:02 PM in response to RichWIlson

It may be worth running the extended version of the Apple Hardware Test to see if anything shows up in the form of an error code. I'm beginning to wonder if a thermal sensor is involved since the change is so sudden and does not appear to be heat related. I believe that malfunctioning sensors can cause the fans to run all out by default, and possibly this is what's happening. Run the AHT when the fans are at 6000 RPM. If you do get an error code, that will point towards what is wrong.

Good luck!

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Answer 7

RichWIlson Author

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Jan 5, 2010 9:08 AM in response to S.U.

Hi

UPDATE, after installing istatpro, my screen began to flicker, and sometimes wouldn't turn on after a reboot or coming out of sleep. Googled this issue and apparently this is a problem with istatpro (I think I downloaded an old version). Either way it caused me to consider doing a fresh install of snow leopard. I performed the fresh install and the fan problem went away ... only to come back a few days later.

Initially I could simply turn the fan off high by moving the screen back for forth, now it is back to having to have the screen vertical to make the fan stop. Whilst the fans were running particularly high I ran the AHT like your recommended. I did it twice and received a different error code each time, both of which though it appears are linked to a faulty temperature reader on the logic board.

4SNS/1/40000000:TCOD
4SNS/1/40000000:TNOD

I found these discussion threads about the problem (on much older macs however)

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=5829544
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=10601376

However I have still not heard of any other users being able to somehow control the fan speed by moving the screen on their macbook. This obviously is unique to my problem. But I feel fully prepared now to book in at the apple store and get this fixed hopefully.

Thanks for all the Help S.U

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Answer 8

S.U.

Level 6

9,601 points

Jan 5, 2010 9:25 AM in response to RichWIlson

With those error codes, Apple certainly should be able to fix the problem. It may even be a simple as reseating their connections to the logic boar, as a loose connection could be the problem.

Good luck!

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