# Solved: Hp Pavillion DV^ Cooling fan



## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

So have a laptop in with this error message on start up:
The system has detected that a cooling fan is not operating correctly and continued operation may cause damage
System Fan (90B)".

So I have updated the BIOS, done a hard reset, replaced the CMOS battery and then replaced the FAN and heatsink assembly and the error message still persists. Any further advice?


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

Ensure fan wire(s) are connected properly.
Ensure fan operates at full RPM.

Please provide make and model.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

HP Pavilion DV6 6156ea
and yes the plug into the socket that activates the fan appears to be in correctly. and the fan appears to be working


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

There is no likely solution for this problem that is a simple as "push this, click that." Your laptop requires professional service.

Your laptop is no longer mechanically sound and the cooling mechanism has failed. Continued operation of the device is not advised.

Most of the possible repairs are fairly simple, but require specialized tools and skills.

Please advise if you need assistance with the repair or with finding a qualified repair shop.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

If you read my original post I have done all that. I am a repair agent lol however sometimes I come across problems which stump me just in case I have missed something or someone has had similar experience and came up with a fix. The fan is brand new and I have been running the laptop for a few hours and the temperature is stable and the fan is performing as it should. I have reset the BIOS and even left the BIOS battery out for 2 hours to clear down the memory and yet the warning message persists. At the moment my only conclusion is that the motherboard has a fault, however the customer budget does not stretch to that.


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

Peter2301 said:


> ...I am a repair agent lol... I have reset the BIOS and even left the *BIOS battery out for 2 hours to clear down the memory* ...however the customer budget does not stretch to that.


Perhaps the customer's budget will stretch to find a _*qualified *_repair agent

Please refer the end-user to a qualified repair shop.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

Who do you think you are? I have been repairing computers for 20 years and own my own shop. Sometimes, very rarely, I come across a problem that I try to fix within a budget for the customer, hence why I post on here to try and find an easy fix in case the problem has arisen before for someone else, thats what these forums are for. And as for you highlighting taking the CMOS battery out, clearly you have an issue with that, yes I am grasping at straws a little but this error message persists no matter what I do even the the FAN is clearly working correctly and doing the job it was intended for.


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

BIOS POST reports a fan operating out of spec. Your original report includes steps taken which do not address the POST error. Qualifications are determined based on reported actions.

Please detail what purpose this served:
_removing the CMOS battery for 2 hours_

Correctly reset CMOS.

Assumption:
BIOS POST reports a fan operating out of spec.
Cooling assembly is in working order. Fan RPM is to spec. 
Heat pipe is not vapor locked (note: POST error IDs fan RPM, not CPU temp).
Operating temps are within spec.

If error continues to present, disable fan RPM monitoring.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

Now that is more informative thanK you, removing the CMOS battery was a long shot, however it was a possible solution posted by an HP technician on the HP support forum, in the end HP never posted am actual solution to this problem (across several threads), it appears to be quite common with this range of HP laptops.


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

dv6-6156ea > Troubleshooting > Restoring the BIOS
This procedure includes a CMOS reset.

dv6-6156ea > Troubleshooting > Updating the BIOS
This procedure includes a CMOS reset.
*
Performing a CMOS reset on the HP Pavillion DV6 series*:

Shut the Pavilion dv6000 down completely and close the display. 

Disconnect the AC adapter cable and all peripheral hardware
Turn the Pavilion dv6000 so it faces down
Push and hold the tab next to the Pavilion dv6000 battery
Rotate the battery outward while lifting it out of its compartment
Locate the vented rectangular panel on the bottom of the Pavilion dv6000. It has a rubber foot on one end and two Phillips-head screws on the other
Remove the Phillips-head screws and lift the panel up to reveal the memory compartment
The coin cell battery for the CMOS is on the side of the memory compartment
_The CMOS battery for the Pavilion dv6000 is held in place by double-sided tape. When resetting the CMOS, be careful to remove the battery connector while leaving the battery in place. If you remove the tape, you may hear rattling inside the computer when you move it.
_

Lift the white plastic connector for the CMOS battery to disconnect it from the motherboard
Turn the Pavilion dv6000 over and open the screen
Connect the power cable and turn the computer on. *CMOS is reset.*
Allow the Pavilion dv6000 to boot completely, and then shut it down
Close the screen and turn the computer back over
Replace the Pavilion dv6000 CMOS battery connector
Place the cover back on top of the memory compartment
Replace the two Phillips-head screws
Please note:
Waiting two hours is not involved.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

I have done all that, you are to obsessed about the 2 hours thing, the only reason I did that was I had other things to do, I simply, on top of that , again, an HP technician on the HP forum also suggested it, and as I had other things to do just left it there. Either way it didn't work. Nor has resetting the BIOS updating the BIOS hard rest or anything else. So if yo have something useful to add now is your chance


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## Antman (Jan 26, 2011)

You have *SPECIFICALLY *described an *INCORRECT *CMOS reset procedure.
The correct procedure has been detailed for you.

My original advice remains valid. Please refer the end-user to a qualified repair shop.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

tell you what just go away you silly man, I am sick of telling you I already tried the correct procedure. Now unless you have something truly useful please leave this thread for those that might be helpful


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## dvk01 (Dec 14, 2002)

That doesn't actually sound like a bios error message. Have you checked whether HP have added amongst their usual bloatware some sort of motherboard monitor that has malfunctioned , perhaps the HP support assistant software needs updating

But according to this 
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?cc=uk&lc=en&docname=c03620929
it might not actually be the fan but a lack of, or damaged thermal compound on the cpu chip

The other thing that HP recommends is a "hard reset" to fix any incompatibilities between what the bios reports & the computer memory is retaining, although generally leaving a computer powered off with Bios battery out for 2 hours should sort that, although there have been odd cases known where the capacitors have retained enough power to the memory for up to 7 or 8 hours to not flush the memory out 
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01684768&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=5318902
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01684768&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=5318902


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks for that. Will look at a couple of options you have mentioned. As for the Thermal Paste it has been replaced. When I replaced the fan the replacement comes complete with the heatsink assembly.


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

Thanks Derek, reading through your post and following the links. I have seen them previously thanks. As you can see even HP dont seem to have a definitive answer other than try this try that. But I will now update all of the HP software on the laptop just in case


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## dvk01 (Dec 14, 2002)

The only other thing that I can think of is a dodgy sensor itself, but where the sensor is, or whether it is replaceable on a HP laptop motherboard, I really don't know
If you have access to the manual, does it show sensors. It might just be possible for one of the wires from the sensor to the fan control unit to be damaged or broken inside the sleeve. I have seen that a few times on desktops when the wires got unwittingly trapped between something and squeezed. Although they look intact, the wire inside the sleeve was broken. 
Sometimes you might need to change the wiring loom from the cpu/fan assembly for a complete new one to see if that makes a difference


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## Peter2301 (Feb 15, 2014)

Thought of that to. Unless the software update solves it, the only conclusion is an issue with motherboard itself as everything else has been replaced or updated.


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