Laptop fan makes rattling noise

Problem description:

The laptop cooling fan makes rattling noise. The noise comes and goes.

Possible cause:

1. Something stuck inside the fan.
2. Fan failure.

Possible troubleshooting steps and repair solution:

First of all, make sure it’s not the hard drive noise. In some cases a faulty hard drive can makes noises very similar to a faulty cooling fan.

Take a look inside the cooling fan under a bright light. It’s possible that something got stuck inside the fan and prevents it from spinning freely. You can remove a stuck object with needle nose pliers.

Try cleaning the fan with compressed air.

If there is no stuck object inside the fan, most likely the fan has a failed bearing and has to be replaced. Replace the cooling fan if needed.