TiBook Fan Noise normal?

[bryanus]

Hi all, I just picked up a used TiBook 1GHz to relive my old OS9 glory days.

The unit is fully functional and I loaded up OS9.2.2 and everything runs smoothly.

The only issue is that it has a lot of fan noise, but I am not sure if it is normal or not. I haven't owned one of these in forever so I can't remember what they were like.

As soon as I turn it on, I can hear the fan. It isn't crazy loud, but definitely noticeable and certainly not silent either.

Should these Powerbooks be "silent" unless being pushed really hard? I also have it dual booting to a clean 10.5.8 and the fan noise is still present right at boot until shutdown.

Is there a way to determine if there is something else going on with my unit that I should check into?

TIA!

 

[galgot]

Yes, on mines the fan always turns on. Maybe not at startup, but after 10-15mn, there is always one that start. If I put it to heavy work, then second starts, and there is noisy...

I've tried changing the thermal paste, it delayed the time before the fan starts after boot. So guess it did some good. one fan running often on these is normal. Second fan, less so.

Maybe check if there is no dust blocking the air entries to the fans.

 

[TheWhiteFalcon]

10.5.8 is going to push a TiBook fairly hard, so I expect the fan would run a fair amount.

 

[bryanus]

Thanks guys. I guess the noise I'm experiencing is pretty normal then. Not sure why my fan turns on at boot, though. I was also thinking of applying new thermal paste, so maybe I'll try it just to do some maintenance on the unit anyway.

 

[butterburger]

In my observation of (Titanium PowerBook G4 DVI 800 MHz, 2002 "Ivory" PowerBook3,4 A1001), both fans are controlled independently, each in one of three states:

off (0 V)

low (3 or 3,3 V)

high (5 V)

Do you have a voltmeter or multimeter? Remove bottom panel, turn it on, hang TiBook off table/counter edge or use as closed clam, and measure fan voltage. If voltage is 5 V, then I might suspect damage resulting in fan always at high speed. If voltage is 3 V (low speed), then I might suspect standard behaviour thermal strategy.