G5 iMac Fan Sticks at full throtle.

My iMac has started to have a problem with the fans. Obviously CPU intensive jobs gets the fans going a little but mine go to full wack a stay there even on the login screen. For the most part shes still working OK but it's noisey as **** and can't be good for my system. Have still got apple care but have a lot of jobs on still and would rather not send her back any ideas??
Thanks

It would be helpful if you could specify exactly which model you have. In general, as long as it's not the iSight, opening the case and vacuuming the dust out is helpful. You might also consider that the power supply unit is beginning to fail, since you still have Apple Care (wise person), I would call them and describe your problem, it could well be hardware, I'm sorry to say. See what accomodation Apple can make so that your business is not interrupted.
Please let us know how things turn out,
Miriam

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Very noisy iMac, fans running at full speed even when performing smal tasks

I have a 2009 21 iMac, recently the computer became very noisy with the fans running at full speed all the time even when checking the email or just using Safari. I don't do anything crazy like 3d renderings so I don't know why the fans wont stop. I recently cleaned it but this didn't seem to solve the problem.
Anyone knows what's the problem and how can I fix it?
Thanks

Hello irisfailsafe
Welcome to Apple Discussions
Reset the SMC > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
+1. Shut down the computer.+
+2. Unplug the computer's power cord.+
+3. Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.+
+4. Release the power button.+
+5. Attach the computers power cable.+
+6. Press the power button to turn on the computer.+
Dennis

IMac : Fans run at full speed after computer turns on and male terrible noise

The noise is unbearable.
I have tried plugging it off/on, w the power cord, resetting SMC and NVRAM-nothing. Also, when I put it
to sleep mode, it goes quiet, but then goes back to sleep mode every 5 sec until i RESTART IT.
Current values show, left fan: 998 RPM
RIght fan: 1256 RPM
Please, help, I'm not a pro so use basic language, please.
<Edited by Host>

*MAKE, sorry

After a few minutes after start up my fan comes on full and stays on

After a few minutes after start up my iMac fan comes on full and stays on, loud and quite annoying!

Try an SMC Reset.

IMac fan runs full speed on shut down

Hi Everyone, this has probably been discussed before, but I may have some new information to add that could interest the tech savvy people out there.
My iMac runs perfectly fine; more or less as it did when it was new. In OS X, when I shut down the computer, the fan runs at full speed indefinitely, unless I unplug it or boot back up. When running, the fan is perfectly normal (increases speed a bit when doing something taxing). I've never heard it at full speed before until this started happening. After following the SMC reset procedure with no luck (I'd like to add that the SMC reset only says it relates to fan problems when the computer is ON), I searched a bit and noticed there are one or two cases where a problem like mine was believed to be a motherboard issue, and therefore a costly fix.
However, here's the fun part. When booted into Windows 8.1, shutting down the iMac does not cause this issue to occur. It stays silent, as it should, even if I disconnect then reconnect the power. This leads me to believe it's unlikely to be a motherboard issue. However I've wiped, restored, and reinstalled fresh copies of Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Windows 8.1, and the result is still the same: if I don't want to have to unplug it from the wall, then I have to use Windows to shut it down.
So then, my questions are these:
-What is the difference between shutting down from OS X and shutting down from Windows?
-Is an operating system allowed/able to touch BIOS settings?
-Is it possible to still be a hardware problem, given this difference?
My default OS is OS X, and it makes no difference if I change that to Windows. I also did a PRAM reset, even though that has nothing to do with fans...
I'd certainly like to avoid a costly repair, if it's just something that a future software update will fix.
Thanks in advance!
-Jon
iMac 27", Late 2012, 3.4GHz i7, 3TB Fusion Drive, 16 GB, OS X 10.9.4

Hey, thanks for the response.
The "Startup after power failure" option was not checked.
I'll try the Extended Hardware test when I get some spare time again - probably tomorrow night. After that I suppose it is time to either take it in for service/diagnosis, or just keep using Windows to shut it down. Sleep mode is unfortunately not an option because it eventually goes into hibernate state, which has the same problem as turning off. I don't like to leave the computer on all night, just from a power-conscious point of view (but yes, I know today's iMacs use very little power). I have it on a power bar now, so I just flick the switch off when I power down. It's not bad as a temporary solution - perhaps permanent if the shop says they have to replace the motherboard.
As for contacting Apple... I had a 1-hour conversation with them about my iCloud account, because it suddenly stopped working on this Forum site (hence the new account with no points). Anytime I sign in, it forwards me to the "page not found" error page. This happens even if I sign in on the apple store then click over to here. If my login info has an open session, then Discussions just doesn't work. They were completely baffled (understandably), because the account works on iTunes, iCloud.com, Apple store, and everywhere except Discussions. I was on the phone with them for over an hour - and the kicker is, even after telling them the same thing happens in other browsers, from other computers, they actually forwarded me to the iMac team. This is when I lost faith in Apple support. When one of the staff asked why I don't just phone about the issue, instead of trying to get access to the forums just to post about it, I told them I didn't want to pay $50/hr (or whatever the insane rate is for Mac hardware issues), only to be put on hold and sent around between departments, just to be told I need to send it in for service, which I'm probably not going to do if it's the motherboard. They never did get back to me about my account issue...
Anyway, sorry for the rant, I'll keep you posted about the hardware test and more SMC resets.

My iMac G5 Fans run at full speed when using regular everyday applications.

When using just normal everyday applications such as using about 30 min of Safari to surf the web or maybe something else, my fans run at full speed. I have just got a new logic board replacing my old faulty one. How can I fix the fan problem?
Thanks!

Hi again Miriam,
With more news for you and iMacG5 on the fans go crazy. I just got back my computer from the repair center. After more than a week under observation, the technician told me that they just couldn't replicate the problem. They had the computer running non-stop during all this time, not even allowingit to go to sleeo mode and nothing.
The CPU fan never went beyond 2300 rpm (or so) and never went to sleep mode on and off by itself. Furthermore, they ran all possible tests and everything comes back as OK.
Right now I have a movie running on the background, together with a photo processing software open and other smaller processes and the CPU fan is running at 4361 rpm !!! the temp of the CPU is 66.3 Celsius.
Any thoughts??? It's really making me crazy because the computer was neverlike this and now it sounds like a hair dryer. I emphasized with them the fact that this just started after they changed the logic board and as coincidence after Ioaded the security update 2006_04. The technician told me it may be software related. If the computer doesn't go to sleep by itself, then he recommended to reload the operating system.
Any comments appreciated.
Zwirek

Late model iMac fan noise

Hi..
There seems to be many threads on this topic but I seem to be making headway on fault finding.
We have 3 late model intel iMacs (all with SMC).
All have been very quiet until recently when mine started running with fans at sometimes full speed.
I think I have tracked it down to only doing it with a high drain device in the USB port. Namely an EyeTV hybrid. I have it plugged into a Logitec powered hub. It seems that whenever the stick is plugged in it doesn't take long before the fans start up. After removing the stick.. after a little while the fans begin to slow down and eventually stop all together.
I'd be interested if anyone else out there can duplicate the issue wheter it be with an EYE TV stick or anything else.
Cheers

OK.. so its seems that it was incidental about removing the eye tv stick as the problem has returned.
I do believe this time that I have a better understanding of what is going on for me at least.
I installed "temperature monitor" to keep an eye on what was going on. The problem appears to be with the CPU A sensor. I just this moment woke my machine up and shortly afterward the fan started. I looked at the temps and the CPU A sensor read 127 C which was obvious rubbish since it had been asleep in a low ambient room. I suspected a bad reading from a bad connection or sensor so I tapped the machine on the back a few times (not too hard) and the reading returned to 33 C and the fan stopped.
My problem now seems clear (I must have bumped the machine when removing the EYE TV stick the first time leading me down the garden path a bit).. maybe this will help others.

Fan runs at full speed all the time

The fan on my brand new iMac 17" runs at full speed all the time, creating an unbearable amount of noise. The activity monitor shows 99% spare time, i.e. nothing much is running.
I updated all software, checked the firmware version (it was the latest already) and performed an SMC reset. I also unplugged it for several hours, as some people have suggested.
I downloaded smcFanControl and it says that the ODD fan is running at 5200 rpm all the time. The CPU and HDD fans seem to run at normal speeds. smcFanControl also reports a cool 39 deg.
Does anyone have any idea of what to try to fix this problem?

I don't have a solution but thought I'd add a computer that showed the same behaivor.
A 20" iMac I was configuring for my company did the same thing, but just once so far. I used it briefly just out of the box and didn't have any problems. It's a stock install of OS X 10.4.8, no other software installed. Turned it on several days later and the fans ran during the 2 hours I used it to run Safari via Airport. I turned if off after it started to smell like hot electrical components. Activity monitor looks completely normal. After shutting it off for two hours, unplugging and re-plugging AC and keyboard, it came back on with no fans. I did not do the SMC reset or any updates between the power cycle.
ps. Repairing permissions is Voodoo
http://daringfireball.net/2006/04/repairpermissionsvoodoo

Fans run at full speed

As in subject, my brand new iMac Aluminium 20" 2GHz has a problem: fans run at full speed...
After reset of PRAM or SMC, fans start slowly (1200rpm) but rise ti 3500rpm after few minutes and they don't change until a new restore of SMC.
cpu 3-4%,
no apllication opened,
nothing in dashboard.
What's happen?? I've never had a problem with my mac!
PS: sorry for my bad english, I'm italian!
cerion
Message was edited by: cerion86

Hi, just an update -
I ran the Apple Hardware Test on startup, and it returned this hardware error: 4SNS/1/40000000:TpoP
I brought my machine to the Apple Store where I bought it and they ran their diagnostics and said there was nothing wrong. So when I picked it up we booted it up in the store and the fan was about 1200rpm, no problem. We ran the Apple Hardware Test in the store and it didn't give the same hardware error that I'd had before.
So, I didn't really have any ammunition to press them any further on it and for the last week it's been fine. I had the fan race on me again last night but I hope it was an isolated incident.
As for downgrading to OSX 10.4, I'd consider it but I don't feel that I should have to do that to make my hardware perform correctly.
Re. smcFanControl, I thought the purpose of that is to make the fans run faster/more often, but if anyone's used it to stop them from running too fast/too often I'd be glad to hear from you.
Maybe the 10.5.2 version of the OS will take care of this problem, if indeed a problem exists.

IMac fan issue

My late 2013 model iMac has just started with an issue of the fan running at full speed on start up and taking up to 90minutes to slow down to normal silent ops. The air coming out is cool, no sign of overeating or CPU spiking etc. I tried resetting SMC, no impact. I ran apple diagnostics and it said possible issue with fans code PPF004 and possibly PPF003. I called apple support who rather unhelpfully had to be told what apple diagnostics was but then told me to take it into my nearest store for them to look at. Does it sound likely to be a hardware issue or is there an easy fix for those codes that mean I could avoid taking it in? My iMac is whisper quiet as I type this! Many thanks

I have an iMac early 2009. Had it for about 6 months. I took it to the Apple Store to get my SuperDrive repaired. After bringing it home and plugging it in, I noticed the fans were gushing at full speed although I had no apps or programs running.
IT WOULDN'T STOP!!! I started to get ****. Went hunting online for solutions. Tried the SMC method, unplugging and re-plugging. Tried every outlet in the house. Nothing worked! This apparently is a major issue with a lot of mac users. I couldn't fix this myself.
The next morning I took it back into the Apple Store. The technician plugged it in with their power cable and mine and the problem wasn't fixed. He took it in the back and came back out and.....
SUCCESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Apparently the heat sensor was lose!!!!!!!! He didn't even have to keep my MAChine. He tightened it back into position in like 10 minutes in the store and voila: PEACE AND QUIET!
To a lot of folks this is a major headache. Because the fans are so loud you can't even hear yourself think. Just thought I'd share my success story. Hopefully my fans don't start blaring unnecessarily anymore.

TS1433 Fans run at full speed after computer turns on

Fans run at full speed after computer turns on, and a lot of times while i'm working they suddenly start blowing and won't stop. Tried the reset SMC, nothing happens. Also the unplug powercord-method does nothing.
Anyone?

Exactly what method did you use to reset the SMC, every Mac has different methods and I want to ensure you used the method for an Intel based Imac. The correct instructions are in the iMac SMC and PRAM reset link. Do the SMC reset at least 2X!

Fans run at full speed sporadically

Hi all,
I know there's been a lot written about iMac G5 fans and I apologize if this has been covered elsewhere, but I couldn't find it.
My iMac fans will occasionally speed up and run at high/full speed. Doesn't appear to be temp related (normally CPU runs 125-130F and CPU temp gets down to about 95F while fans running full) and fans return to normal following restart - this leads me to believe it's software related. I haven't done any software updates for a while (last was 10.4.3 upgrade). Logging out/in doesn't help, a restart is required.
Anyone else seen this? Any ideas?
Thanks,
Brad

I have had my iMac G5 since Dec. 2004. Never had a problem with fan noise until I finally installed Tiger and all the updates. I haven't yet tried any of the fixes suggested in these discussions as each one is different from the next and they will work for some users but not for others.
My fans do not rev up due to amount of time the computer is running. I too believe this is a software issue rather than temperature and something in one of the latest Tiger updates is the culprit or maybe the manner in which I installed them. I am up to ver. 10.4.4
I've been trying to note what I am doing on the computer when I hear the fans rev up. So far it seems that as soon as I log onto a web game that I am an administrator for, the fans rev up. This is a drawing game and highly dependent on Macromedia Shockwave.
Has anyone else noticed shockwave having an affect on the fans? Whatever is causing it, it is unacceptable! I am quite sure this is not a power supply issue as about a month ago, I had the logic board replaced due to the recall on my model and all was fine until I installed Tiger and the updates. BTW, I had no extra fan noise occuring due to the power supply issue.
Over the last few days, the revving fans have taken longer to get going than they did initially. The first time I logged onto that site, the fans revved up immediately and very loud. As I am typing this I have opened another browser and I am logged on to the game I mention above. The fan noise was not present for the entire hour and a half I've been on this computer and now since I logged onto the game site they are slowly getting louder.
iMac G5 20inch Mac OS X (10.3.9)
iMac G5 20inch Mac OS X (10.3.9)

G500 fan running at full speed for no apparent reason

I have G500 that worked perfectly for a year now. My operating system is Windows 7 Professional. Yesterday the fan started working full speed while the laptop was idle, I wasn't using it and the software that was running in the background were the usual programs I have been running for the last year. First step was to check the temperature of course, which is normal. Then I checked if anything weird is running in the background and creating high cpu usage, but that was not the case either. What I noticed though was that fanspeed is not recognising the fans or counting their speed. Is it a problem on the hardware? It is really annoying. The speed also fluctuates very often, reminds me of how it should work while gaming and definately not when idle.
Thanks

Hi Zoe,
Welcome to Lenovo Community!
As per the query we understood that you are facing fan issue in your G500 laptop.
Please try to boot the system to safe mode and check for the issue.
Also perform a clean boot and check for the issue, if still the issue persists try to update the BIOS and check for the issue.
Click here for the BIOS update.
Hope this helps. Do post back if issue persists!
Best regards,
Ashwin.S
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IMac Fan Noise - Not The Usual Problem

Hi,
I have seen plenty of discussions on iMac fan noise but mine is a little different. A week ago, a 'tink' noise (similar to tapping your fingernail on a glass) started coming from my mid 2011 iMac. At first, I thought it was the "click of death" for my hard drive, so I replaced it myself. This didn't fix the noise, so I ran an extended hardware test. This came back with a 4MEM error. I had some spare RAM, fitted it, ran the test again, no 4MEM error.
So, I booted the iMac again. 'Tink'... 'tink'. I finally located it to the bottom right of my iMac, where the optical drive fan is located. This fan has always rattled a little now and again but now it seems intent on driving me round the bend with its very own form of torture. At first, the 'tink' was now and again, but now it constant. 'tinktinktinktinktink'. Is there a way to stop the optical fan for now? I don't use the optical drive often anyway. Or would it just be a replacement fan?
Resetting SMC or PRAM does nothing.

This may be way off target, in which case ignore me. Do you have an app called Free Memory installed? There have been a few posts on here where it seems to cause repetitive odd noises to occur, particularly when running Mavericks?

IMac Fans continue to run after iMac puts its self to sleep Automtically

My iMac fans continue to run when it puts its self to sleep using the energy saving preference pane in settings. The iMac sleeps normally, The Fans Turn Off, hard disk sleeps and all when i press the power button and do it manually but not when it does it automatically. Does anyone have a fix to this as i need it to sleep its self for the new free government EnberTech Power Saving AC adapters to automatically shut off all of my connected devices

My iMac fans continue to run when it puts its self to sleep using the energy saving preference pane in settings. The iMac sleeps normally, The Fans Turn Off, hard disk sleeps and all when i press the power button and do it manually but not when it does it automatically. Does anyone have a fix to this as i need it to sleep its self for the new free government EnberTech Power Saving AC adapters to automatically shut off all of my connected devices

G5 iMac Fan Sticks at full throtle.

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