Attention VGN-CS11 users and SONY!! Problem with FAN!

[Vamp1387]

Hi everyone!

If you have recently bought a new VGN-CS11 series notebook, I'd ask that you take a moment to read this post.

Since I unboxed the new notebook, I have been experiencing strange noises from the fan unit evey time it operates. Before, it used to be simply that every time the fan stopped working, it made a soft "growl" noise (probably due to some internal vibration) for a mere second or two. Recently, however, it has also begun to make a strange, barely audible "clicking sound" as the fan starts up and operates, accompanied by the "growl" at the end, like before. At first, I was led to believe that it was just the normal operating noise that the fan made (although quite annoying!), but due to these recent developments, I am more and more convinced that this is some problem or malfunction that perhaps, will only get worse with time.

Other CS11 users have already posted in the thread "Problem with fan!!" that they also experience this problem, and, from what I've been able to gather, it does not seem like an isolated problem... but this is what we need to confirm.

That is the purpose of this thread.

I would like to ask and encourage all CS11 users to post in this thread if they also experience the same "problem" with the fan (abnormal noises that are clearly distinguishable from normal operation) or anything fan-related, especially if you have experienced them since you bought the notebook and haven't done anything that could "provoke" them (like dropping the notebook or hitting it in some way, blocking the ventilation vents, etc...). This is to have a general scope that this is not an isolated problem that is only happening to a few, and that way, perhaps Sony will take an interest and take the necessary measures to correct this problem if this, in fact, turns out to be a generalised problem.

I have already created a new case with e-Support regarding this issue. Note that these are brand new laptops that have been out on sale for barely a month, and now would be a good time to correct any problems that may arise. If this turns out to be a common problem for most CS11 users, then we should all contact Vaio-Link or e-Support and report the problem, so that Sony will take this problem into consideration if enough people have it.

Remember: the sooner, the better!

Also, perhaps it would also be of interest that those CS11 users that DON'T experience this problem also post in this thread, to see how many DO and how many DON'T... it may be interesting to also know.

Ok... without taking any more of your time, I leave this thread to fellow CS11 users and to anyone that might be able to lend a helping hand. Thanks!!!

[Skyberia]

Hi

Mine is also a VGN-CS11S bought last month. The fan spins normally but when it stops spining I hear this click sound, which is not very loud but it worries me a bit. There is no problem with the computer, it seems to work fine, but I think this sound is not normal.

New threat was a good idea, makes it more visible, cheers

[pezbaerchen]

same problem here, i think it is a general issue... i also found this thread - http://www.computerbase.de/forum/showthread.php?t=503402

i hope sony does something about it, because it's really annoying.

[Thalamus.]

i hope sony does something about it, because it's really annoying.

Hi all,

Sony are, as far as I am aware, currently troubleshooting the fan issue with Vamp1387..

Hopefully when a solution or explanation is found Vamp1387 will share this with you all..

[Vamp1387]

Hi!

I contacted eSupport but still haven't gotten a straight answer. They've told me to restore the BIOS settings to default, run the VAIO hardware diagnostics and restore Windows to the last "known" instance when the fan was working properly. I've done all that and I've still got the same fan issue . There was no fault found in the hardware diagnostics and, how can I restore Windows to the last known point when the fan was working correctly if the fan has been doing this since I bought it?

Nevertheless, I'll call them tomorrow morning and hope to get a more detailed and "final" answer.

I'll post here what I get from them and if any solution has been reached.

I've been doing some web surfing and also found more evidence that this is a generalised problem with the VAIO CS, and not only in Europe, but in the US and Canada too. Just take a look at this thread, it'll make an interesting read:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=312303

I have also found similar complaints on the CS fan in the Spanish forum.

I really hope that this problem is solved, since I really like my CS (both on the inside and outside) and it works perfectly fine to my needs apart from this ever-so-more annoying fan issue!! If it's a faulty fan, then we're in our right to have it replaced with a better quality one.

Ok, I'll post as soon as I get any new relevant info .

[Vamp1387]

Hello again!

I got off the phone a while ago with the VAIO-link technician and he told me to follow these instructions:

1) Turn off the notebook, disconnect the power cable and take out the battery.
2) Press and hold the "on" switch for about 20 seconds.
3) With a vacuum cleaner, apply it to the fan vent to see if there's anything stuck or loose inside.

I still haven't tried this, and probably won't be able to until tomorrow, but I highly doubt that this will fix the problem. However, the most important thing that's worth mentioning here is that when I told him that this seems to be a generalised problem due to the evidence we've been seeing here and elsewhere on the net, he was surprised and said that they haven't received any report from Sony commenting this. He said that when there's a design flaw or general problem on a particular model of laptops, that they get the call from Sony and all of them are made aware of the problem. Nevertheless, upon my insistance, he said that he would talk to his superiors about this issue.

Therefore, I would ask all of the fellow CS users and owners now, more than ever, to report this problem (if you have it, of course :smileywink:) to Vaio-link ASAP, either through the net (eSupport) or by phone (in the end it's the same thing), so that they may begin to realise that not only a few of us have this problem (don't forget to tell them that you're not the only ones with this issue!!)

Please keep posting if you have this problem, even if it's just to say "hey! the same thing happens to me!". The more of us that insist on this issue, the sooner Sony will be forced to admit it and take measures to correct it.

Cheers

[lewchenko]

My new CS pink laptop does exactly the same. Its annoying as hell, and Ive raised an e-support ticket too. Looks like they have used a cheap fan with dodgy bearings, or have mis volted it so it doesnt start or stop properly.

Im really disappointed with this purchase as its a christmas present, and Im now going to have to explain this fault to my wife on christmas day, who will probably be wishing that I had bought her a macbook instead.

Will post back IF I hear anything from Sony. This issue needs to be more widely known .. I read a review of the CS laptop and it didnt mention this issue at all. Im giving it till the end of the week before I spam the likes of amazon etc with negative reviews telling people to be warned... faulty fans experienced by many buyers of this laptop... Sony has no comment.

[lewchenko]

A bios update released 18th Dec 2008 seems to make the fan come on a bit less, but doesnt change the 'errrring' noise.

It seems to help though, even though the bios fix doesnt list anything to do with the fan.

Still a problem, but slightly less so.

[maja-rossi]

Mine does the same! The whirring fan noise is killing me, every time it stps spinning it makes this 'wrrr' noise, from the very first day! 😞 it was also a present and I feel so disappointed; I contacted Sony and they were v.rude, they said that it must be 'normal'. I have been to some shops and listened to other CSs, the fans did the exact same noise...however, I have not heard any complaints from people who have the upgradet versions with blueray (whch come in red and black), does anyone have it?

WE NEED TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, THE NOISE IS ANNOYING and it is a brand new laptop from a brand new series.....

[Vamp1387]

Hello,

Sorry for not posting sooner, it's just that I haven't been able to get on the net. About the thing I said about the vacuum? It doesn't work. At least for me. The VAIO-link guys don't know anything about a generalised problem with the CS, and there's no word from Sony.

The fan noise is getting annoying, it's not just that "err" at the end, it's the noise it makes while it's operating that's driving me nuts!!!

I don't know what else to do... Anyone heard anything from their open cases from VAIO-link? Any word from Sony at all? Why are they ignoring us like this? THIS IS CLEARLY A PROBLEM!! THIS FAN NOISE CAN'T BE NORMAL!!!!!

Thanks for posting all those that have, with each post we're seeing that this is not just a few isolated cases, but a massive fabrication or design flaw in one of the key components of a laptop!!

Regarding the red and black CS, I wouldn't know. I didn't buy it because I thought that it would be just like the rest but with a blu-ray reader, that's all, and I figured that it wasn't worth the money. It would be helpful if anyone with one of these CS11Z would be kind enough to let us know if they have the same problem.

Merry Christmas, and keep posting!!