MacBook Pro Fan on continuously

One of the fans on my MacBook Pro is staying on continuously from start-up and making a louder than usual noise [clicking]. I performed the firmware update earlier this year. This is a recent issue. Anyone else experiencing the same?

The clicking noise is probably indicative of a failed (or failing fan)... I would take it to a local Apple store (or call AppleCare) and ask to have it replaced.

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Macbook pro fan running slow

macbook pro fan is running slow and hot. it fluctuates between 212 and 375 rpms. heat rises up to 104c. do i need to replace the fan?

Before I suggest advice, I urge you to keep your machine under 160F at all times. I don't want to sound like an alarmist, but you can seriously damage your machine with that kind of use. Some solders melt at 225F, weaken at 190F.
You may have to replace the fan - or you may need to clean the inside of your machine and fan. It's hard to tell without inspecting your machine.
Or you may find that you need to get a different browser, and become more aware of temperature; laptop machines are much more sensitive to termperature issues than desktop Macs. Some day, you'll thank me for that advice.

What is causing my Macbook Pro fan to run constantly?

Hello. Recently my Macbook Pro fan has begun to run constantly at high power. I've checked the activity monitor and even when there is little RAM or CPU this occurs. I am wondering if the issue is the hard drive because the I am seeing spikes in disk activity at random times even when I am not using the hard drive. The computer is actually heating up when the fans are on at full power, so this also leads me to believe it could be the hard drive. I have already tried resetting the system management controller. Any other ideas? What should I do about this?
Thanks a lot.

Try raising the the the machine with wood, or , plastic botttle caps t get it up an inch or so, that way there is more air flow under the MBP to help with the air flow to help keep the cooling more een. Hope this helps.

Mainstage 2.1 makes my Macbook Pro fans run full bore.

Upgraded to V. 2.1 and Snow Leopard. Now my Macbook Pro fan kicks in at full blast whenever I play any patches or run backing tracks. Cpu hit looks low and memory usage is average. This never happened before. Any ideas as to what's happening?

My MBP fans have always run at full capacity when using MS 1, 2 or 2.1. They start out running normally but then start to rev up after a couple of minutes. You could try running some fan control software to manually adjust your fan thresholds but ultimately, does it really matter if the fans are running hard? Seems to me that they're running hard because they need to....MS is still very hard on system resources even if the meters say otherwise. It's the only app I run that causes the fans to run flat-out.

My MacBook Pro fan runs while sleeping

My MacBook Pro fan runs constantly, even while sleeping.
The problem started about 2-3 months ago, but was pretty rare. When I noticed the problem, I would restart the computer and it would stop for 1-2 weeks. More recently it has become more constant, and now it always has the fan running when it's sleeping.
Any ideas on what I should do? Thanks!

Mine too. If you're worried you might like to try a laptop cooler like one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_kk_2?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Alaptop+cooling+pad&keywor ds=laptop+cooling+pad&ie=UTF8&qid=1344763538
Not sure how well they'd work on a Macbook as there aren't any vents on the underside but it couldn't hurt and they're quite cheep.

My Macbook Pro fan

My Macbook Pro fan is always running and slows don't my computer, What's the issue and is there various ways to try and solve the issue?

Hey Unknownflavour,
There an be a few different reasons why your fans are running. I'd read up on the function of your MacBook Pro's fans in the following document:
Learn about the fans in your Mac
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4543
Regards,
Delgadoh

Do you think my macbook pro fan could be broken?

Earlier today when I opened my laptop the screen was black and it appeared to be shut down. I hit the restart button and when the screen came up it said that I had "shut off my laptop due to a problem", though I did not manually shut it down. It was working 100% fine yesterday, so I'm not sure what could have happened to it. I know it wasn't my battery, because I had a full charge prior to shutting it and upon restart I still had a reasonable charge. I was more or less ignoring my laptop's unusual pop-up until I noticed that my computer was feeling much hotter than normal, so I checked iStat pro to look at temperatures. The CPU temp was around 82 degrees or so when I checked, while I was playing a videogame, which doesn't seem too high but the area around my keyboard felt much hotter to the touch than normal. What is really concerning me is that iStat says my fan is running at 0 rpm, even while I was playing a graphic-intensive game. The CPU is down to 65 degrees since I have stopped playing the game, however I have heard that your laptop will shut itself off to prevent overheating, and I'm wondering if this is what happened to my laptop sometime between yesterday and today. Does it sound like my fan could be broken? There isn't an apple store very close to me and my warranty just ended so I'd rather work it out myself if possible. I don't believe it is a faulty sensor either as iStat gave me temperature readings for everything. If you think my fan is broken, do you have any advice or know how much it would cost to fix/replace?

Good detective work.
I don't believe that 80ºC is extreme for occasional use, but over extended periods of time, this can stress your machine. I beleve you should visit your local Apple Store. They can determine if the fan is broken.
In the meantime, I could avoid:
- CPU-intensive activities like 3D gaming for extended periods of time.
- Using your notebook on your lap. That can raise its temperature thirty or more degrees.
- Dust or dirt can choke the fans, increasing temperatures and even the risk of fire.
Replacement of a fan is not very expensive, if it comes to that. You can also do it yourself:
http://clarebayley.com/2011/10/how-to-replace-a-macbook-pro-fan/

Macbook Pro Fan Trouble.

I recently sent my Macbook Pro Fans to get replaced. The problem was that my fans started to work even when the computer didn't need it. They would accelerate up to 6000 RPM and I would only be running Safari and iChat. Then the computer's fans would start to slow down and then speed back up. I sent in the computer for repair to get the fans looked at and they replaced them. Well the problem is still persisting. Should I call them about it again or is this normal? I only ask because I don't know if it is or not.

I have the same trouble with mine. I took it in for repair as it had a logic board issue, and they gave it back to me yesterday, but when I started using it, the fans ramped up to 6000rpm constantly for the entire day.
This morning I installed Fan Control to see if that would help, but it appears that Fan Control is not actually doing anything. The fans have been stuck around 4400 rpm at 35 degrees celsius even though I told Fan Control not to run at anything above 2000rpm until it gets to 40 degrees.
Is there a mysterious apple setting that says don't go above 35 degrees, or if you do ramp up the fan speed to max until it gets below it again, because according to Fan Control that is what is happening. It is not logical to be wanting to keep a powerful modern laptop at that temperature when the fan noise is so high. 45 degrees would be a fine operating temperature.
BTW, I checked the Hardware test and there is nothing to report from it.

Macbook Pro Fan Speed

Hi. I was having some trouble with my temperature of my MBP, but I somewhat solved it using Temperature Monitor and smcFanControl. I turned the fanspeed to Higher RPM in the smcfancontrol menu, and my temperatures are down from ~95 celcius to ~65 celcius (when playing Minecraft / other extensive tasks.)
Now, I would like to bring them down more (should I?) because I feel 65 c - 70 c is still really high...
So, my only question is: In smcFanControl, the Higher RPM setting is 4000 RPM, should I change that to 5000 RPM? I know it would help, but, can the fans handle that?
Thanks in advance
Could 70c (max) shorten it's lifespan?
(sorry I just am extremely extremely paranoid)

I am seeing a lot of negative talk about third-party software to control fans:
Istat menu 5 is good.
It conforms to apple's SMC; this means that it will never allow the fans to go slower than what SMC is asking, thus your computer will be safe using this software.
In contrast I have a Macbook Pro fan controller for bootcamping Windows 7 called MacFanx64.exe (64 bit) that requires you to understand command prompt.
It's nothing difficult, you just need to make sure that you enter parameters properly.
The only way I see one of these damaging any hardware components would be if you accidently told the fan to spin faster than the max speed.
I would agree that for OS X you aren't going to really need this because the engineering on the SMC isn't terrible, but if you happen to have SMC screw up like it sounds like you had, there's no way to know it unless you feel it getting really hot like that which I'm sure isn't great for your MBP.
Therefore having a monitor system is helpful because you can see the temperatures constantly.
Now for Windows 7 bootcamp it's a whole different story.
There is something wrong with the drivers that control SMC for bootcamp because the computer will get hot fast even in idle.
I was marking temperatures around 60-70 C just in idle - the fans still stay at 2000 rpm.
If someone finds something better than MacFan for Windows 7 bootcamp let me know.
Moral of the story, if you pick a good third-party application you're not going to harm your computer.
Think of it like a second line of defense.
Last but not least, if you're still having this problem do an SMC reset.
Apple has instructions on how to do it, just note that you need to pay attention to whether your MBP has a removable battery or not when doing SMC reset.
Cheers

HT202179 MacBook Pro Fan is very loud overnight. How are they replaced?

MacBook Pro Fan just started to make a lot of noise.This is a MacBook Pro 15 inch 2.4/2.2GHz purchased June 2007. Is this something that most people can replace or does Apple need to fix it or is it time to get a new one base on age and potential repair cost?

Your Mac uses measured temperatures to determine fan speed in a feedback loop.
Racing fans are an indication that your Mac is overheating, or a temperature sensor is not working properly. Replacing the fan will not fix the problem.
Your appointment for an evaluation at the genius Bar of an Apple store is free, in warranty or out. There is no obligation to have them do any work for a fee, but if you choose to, charges are generally flat rate for guaranteed repair, no surprises.
If you recently replaced components, such a RAM DIMMs, with parts that do not have Apple-approved temperature sensors, that can also cause such problems.

Macbook Pro Fans Just Went Spinning Nuts

Hi.
So I'm surfing the web (using firefox) have 2 tabs open and suddenly the fans on my macbook pro start to spin faster. Then they spin faster gain finally maxing out at 5360 rpm. The temperature all the time was never above 55 degress C. They spun at 5360 rpm for about 10 minutes and then spun down to a normal level of 3154 rpm.
I checked the processes and some kernal task is up at the top using 1.84 GB of virtual memory. No other programs running but plenty of other tasks listed as sleeping.
First question ... what is the max rpm that the fans should safely spin at?
Second question ... why would it suddenly take off like that spinning fans when there's only one program running?
I had an alienware before and it started running its fans like that after a few months ownership ... a few months later it chew the hard disk and lost a lot of data on me.

The maximum RPM for the MacBook Pro fans is 6000rpm.
I have no idea why the fans would suddenly "take off" like that but try running the Apple Hardware test. You can do this by inserting your original install disk 1, restart the computer with the D key held down until the hardware test starts loading. Once the test has loaded select the option to perform extended testing and then start the test. Note down any error codes and post them here.
Note that when you load the hardware test up the mouse will be very jittery and the computer will appear to freeze during the test, I have encountered this on all the tests I have run and consider it normal behaviour.
Hope this helps
J.C

MacBook Pro fans are deafd

Hi all.
After some unexpected shutdowns, I discovered that my MacBook Pro fans are both dead. iStat Pro shows them always at 0rpm and after some hardware testing with Tiger DVD I get the error code that fans are broken.
When MacBook Pro gets too hot it just shuts down so I wanted to repair it but I'd like to know an aproximate cost. Apple shops here in Barcelona (Spain) say they first want to ckech the laptop out (paying, of course) but i don't know if two broken fans can imply a motherboard change or whatever that can be expensive or worth it.
Any idea of an aproximate cost?
Thanks.
R.-

You should have it checked out by an authorized service provider to make sure nothing else is wrong. Better to be safe than sorry.

Macbook Pro Fan Continues Running After download Error -- Please Help so Loud

Hello,
I recently tried to download the Citrix reciever application onto my Macbook pro. The installation was taking an excessive period of time and it was obvious that something had gone wrong in the download because it had taken several hours and was stuck at a certain step. I tried to cancel the installation but it wouldn't allow me. So I force quit the installation and thought that it was shut down, but I was mistaken. The next time I opened my computer the fan was running at an increased rate and was very loud and the computer was heating up. I tried to restart the computer and it said that the program was still trying to download and that the computer could not be shut down until completed. I got frustrated and basically forced a power down by signing out and holding the power button or something of that nature till it shut down. I waited overnight and then powered it back up but nothing had changed and the fan was still running like crazy but it says the program is not trying to install anymore though. I checked the activity level and CPU but nothing is out of ordinary of high. The program is not anywhere on my computer either so I have no idea what is going on and cannot figure out how to stop this fan running like this. It is draining my battery, overheating my computer and is annoying too.
Any help, hints or ideas would be greatly appreciated or I will be forced to visit the apple store for some help I guess.
Thanks,

Unfortunately, spoke way to early. The fan issue is still a big problem. From the second the machine is turned on, the fan cranks up. Frankly, I think this is overheating the machine to some extent (running the fan at max speeds when it's not even warm). Additionally, the noise caused by this has only gotten worse, and now it is even making a "whistling sound." Looks like I'm going to be making the trek to the Genious Bar, but based on comments by others on this issue I am not optimistic about a fix.

MacBook Pro fans won't speed up

I have a MacBook Pro (Early 2008) 2.6Ghz with a 200GB drive and 4GB RAM.
The problem is that i.e. I'm creating a movie in iMovie, so the computer does a heavy task, the CPU works at lets say 75% and according to iStatPro, it's temperature reaches 80-82 Cº, but the fans won't go over 2500 rpm! Is that normal? Because I'm pretty sure that when I first got the machine almost 2 years ago the fans would go much faster on occasions...
I noticed the problem while I was still in Leopard, and now that I upgraded to Snow Leopard it continues...
I tried the SMC reset but nothing happened. Should I be worried? I always use a fan pad underneath my MacBook Pro and I still get these temperatures! What should I do?

Hi spyros_1,
I find that the fans are "reactive" rather "proactive" in cooling the machine. With that being said, I don't really hear my fans fire up until the temperature on the machine begins to reach the low 70s (Celsius). However at 80 degrees, the fans are usually humming closer to 6000rpm than they are to 2500rpm.
The other thing, I've noticed a few separate instances where iStat Pro does not report the correct reading. Over the weekend, my fans were very audible and iStat Pro reported that they were at 2000rpm (idle).
It might be worth bringing the machine in for diagnostic, just for peace of mine.

Early 2011 15" Macbook pro fans full speed/unresponsive

I have an early 2011 15" Macbook Pro, running OSX 10.10.1 Yosemite. I can't say this problem started right after I upgraded to Yosemite, but it definitely did not happen before. Upon going to wake my computer up from sleep (whether the lid was open or closed - it has happened either way) the fans are running at full speed and the computer remains unresponsive to mouse clicks, keystrokes, hitting the power button once. I end up having to force a power off/on cycle. This does not happen every time the computer enters sleep. It most often happens after I have left it overnight but I have had it happen after only 30~ minutes of non-use.
Any ideas?

Hello Etherel90,
After reviewing your post, I have located an article that can help with in this situation. You may want to consider performing a PRAM reset:
OS X Yosemite: Reset your computer’s PRAM
If your Mac doesn’t seem to be remembering your speaker volume, display resolution, or the disk it should be using during startup, you may need to reset your computer’s PRAM.
Resetting PRAM may change some system settings and preferences. Use System Preferences to restore your settings.
Important: To print these instructions, click the Share button in the Help window, then choose Print.
Choose Apple menu > Shut Down.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Option, Command (⌘), P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on your Mac.
Immediately press and hold the Option-Command-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
Continue holding the keys down until your Mac restarts, and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
Release the keys.
After resetting your computer’s PRAM, you may need to update your speaker volume, display resolution, and startup disk preferences. For more information about PRAM, see the Apple Support article About NVRAM and PRAM.
Thank you for contributing to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers,
BobbyD

MacBook Pro Fan on continuously

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