Sony Vaio Fan Problem

[Hangman]

I've got a Sony Vaio PCG-6111M laptop with a faulty fan.

The laptop boots and cuts out almost immediately. At first I thought it was a faulty HDD so I tried replacing with a spare one I had but the problem was still there so I took the bottom off and noticed that the fan wasn't spinning. I gave it a twirl and it started working and the laptop booted fine. The fan has 4 or 5 of the fins missing ( no idea how that happened). I have tried to remove the fan but I can't get it out.

When I put it back together the problem came back, so it definitely needs a new fan. Has anyone got any experience with the Sony laptops on how to get the fans out and where I could get a replacement from?

Cheers

[MsDG]

Sony are absolutely shits when they design their laptops. They make everything totally bespoke and unlike any other company. To make matters worse, they sell a model for about 5 minutes before making a completely different model, using completely different bespoke parts!

Usually, Sony intergrate their fans as part of the whole heatsink unit. Of course it will be totally bespoke and unlike anything else on the planet!

Does this look about right?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparepart-So.../dp/B003V6HWUG

[evilsatan]

Not to mention they are built to piss technicians off, stupid over complicated designs. I have had a fair few of them which require the top case to be removed to access the HDD.

[Hangman]

Sony are absolutely shits when they design their laptops. They make everything totally bespoke and unlike any other company. To make matters worse, they sell a model for about 5 minutes before making a completely different model, using completely different bespoke parts!

Usually, Sony intergrate their fans as part of the whole heatsink unit. Of course it will be totally bespoke and unlike anything else on the planet!

Does this look about right?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparepart-So.../dp/B003V6HWUG

That is spot on, thanks.

Now all I have to do is work out how to get the old one out

[funkyg]

Not to mention they are built to piss technicians off, stupid over complicated designs. I have had a fair few of them which require the top case to be removed to access the HDD.

The slimline Toshiba Portege's are the same. Had to swap a hd out in one, case off jobbie.
Rang Toshiba to get a replacement drive (under warranty) and they're not user replaceable. Taking the drive out invalidates the warranty!
Had a right old ding dong to get the drive and the warranty reinstated. (the guy originally told me to take the drive out)

[Over Carl]

I had the misfortune of saying to someone I would change a cpu fan (knackered bearings) on a very slimline sony for £30 + parts.

The part ended up costing £22 on ebay! and it took me around 5 1/2 hours to strip the entire laptop to get to the fan and put it back together again. I had to strip the thing down just to get the part number of the fan, then ordered it and reassembled the damn thing, and even though I was careful I managed to muller a few clips.

I was surprised at how long it took as I even managed to download a service manual for it when the last df ftp was up. (checked through those and can't find one for vgn 6111)

[MsDG]

The other thing about fricking Sony Laptops, is that they have multiple model numbers (just to confuse matters)!

I believe your model is also known as a VPC-CW1S1E ???? If so, the below fan will be a cheaper option... but obviously check the pic with what you have 1st.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laptop-Fan...item20c812f531

[DejaVu]

IIRC, to remove the Heatsink and Fan from your laptop (as with most Sony's) you need to remove the motherboard completely and turn it over to get to the screws that connect it to the motherboard,

Sonys are a total PiTA.

[Hangman]

IIRC, to remove the Heatsink and Fan from your laptop (as with most Sony's) you need to remove the motherboard completely and turn it over to get to the screws that connect it to the motherboard,

Sonys are a total PiTA.

In that case it's a job that I'm REALLY looking forward to

[Hangman]

New development - I've now managed to remove the old fan unit, so just need to buy a replacement and some thermal paste and can re-fit I'm very chuffed with myself lol.

[Hangman]

Final update, fitted the replacement fan and the laptop is now working again.

I'm like a laptop repair expert now

[evilsatan]

Glad to hear you managed it by yourself mate, that feeling of achievement is hard to beat.

[akimba]

Just a matter of remembering which screw come out of which hole as when you put it back together the worse thing is was that a big or little screw and was it there before or after took case off ;-)

[Over Carl]

The thing I really hate is by the time I've fully assembled a laptop, I normally can get into the heads of the designers and figure out the general rules on which type of screw goes where, but by this time I often have a fully assembled laptop and three screws left over

That's another reason I love Dell - you can get decent service manuals easy of their website.

[akimba]

I got a pot of screws from laptop where I have given them back with a few missing lol the good thing is I only really deal with HP so if I ever lose a screw I always now have a spare ;-)

[Hangman]

I must admit I can't believe how many screws were holding the bottom of the case on it was about 30.

[akimba]

sounds about right, what I try and do now is have about 3 pots (well they like ashtrays but are magnetic ;-)
1 for all the screws from the bottom, 1 for the top and 1 (maybe 2) for the insides.

This way when assembling you know you if you missed any from each section (and try and find where to put it) before moving on to the next section as nothing worse than putting the whole thing together and having 2 screws left realising they were holding the motherboard in :-0 I have been in this position so many times and thought fuck it I aint stripping it again lol ;-)

[Over Carl]

Another handy idea - if you ever have a dead hard drive, remove the magnets and keep them safe (especially away from other drives, old crts, floppys, etc).

If you drop a screw in a really awkward place, rather than turning it upside down and shaking it then hoping you don't loose the screw as it falls out, just wave the magnet over it. (Ensure the laptop drive is removed and far away first).