How to fix a PC fan.
How to fix a PC fan.
I recently found a way to address an issue with my PC fan. Initially, I noticed some grinding sounds coming from my laptop fans. When I searched for replacements, I found they were expensive—around $100. However, I learned that you could disassemble the fans and apply a small amount of oil to lubricate them. Since these were laptop fans, I wasn't sure it would help. But I considered using mineral oil to cool my PC instead. I thought about whether it could also serve as a lubricant. Ultimately, I decided to try it anyway.
The method involved removing the fans from the laptop, soaking them in baby oil, and gently spinning them in the oil with a screwdriver. After flipping them and repeating a few times, I removed the fans and dried them on a paper towel. Then, I used compressed air to blow out any excess oil and rinsed them with rubbing alcohol. The fans have operated smoothly for nearly a year now.
The only cost was a $3 bottle of baby oil and some rubbing alcohol. This solution has worked well in several other cases without any problems. It’s important to act quickly—delaying could lead to damage from grinding noises, which might require replacing parts like the GPU cooler or fans later. I’ve reused the same oil multiple times and it continues to function perfectly.
Used a real grease and on a very loud PSU fan, it functioned properly.