Unofficial eMachines Forums

Well, this thread was lost last week when the server experienced a database problem. So here we go again - instructions for cleaning the heat exchanger.

I'm reusing the same post I reused last time (was "Keyboard Removal Instructions") so any external links to the last set of instructions will still be good.

Dan East

The eMachines m5310 notebook (and perhaps other similar models) seem to experience overheating problems on a significant basis. It is my experience that the cooling system provided for the AMD Athlon 2400 is barely adequate. Any compromise to the cooling system (blocking the output vent on the back of the notebook, heat exchanger clogged up with dust, etc) can result in overheat shutdown if the CPU runs at 100% load (at 1.8 GHz) for more than a minute or two. You can identify an overheat shutdown because the machine will instantly power off, and you have to push the power button twice to turn it back on.

Here are instructions on disassembly of the eMachines m5310 to gain access to the heat exchanger for cleaning. These instructions should be applicable to other eMachines models using the same chassis, such as the m5305, m5309, m5310 and m5312.

I have attempted to vacuum the dust out externally (via the vent on the back side of the notebook), but I saw no affect from that vacuuming at all. Thus from what I've experienced it is only possible to clean the exchanger internally. In order to completely clean the heat exchanger I had to physically rub it with something like a wetted Q-Tip (alcohol works well because it evaporates very quickly, water is not recommended). Vacuuming (from the inside) removes the bulk of the dust, but enough still clings to the radiator to reduce the efficiency, as well as provide a "sticky" surface that allows the dust to accumulate back very quickly.

Be careful removing the three screws holding the fan in place. It is easy to drop them through the fan onto the motherboard / chassis below. You must retrieve any screws dropped into the notebook, because they could cause a short as they slide around within the notebook. The easiest way to retrieve a dropped screw is to remove the mini-PCI cover from the bottom of the notebook, and tilt it back in forth (while holding it in the normal upright position) to get the screw to fall out the bottom.

Make sure you do not use a magnetized screwdriver, because it could damage the HDD.

Use these instructions at your own risk. Opening your notebook may void the warrantee. Perform a backup, power down, disconnect from external power, remove battery, etc before beginning.



Open display completely, so it is laid back as far as possible.







Please don't redistribute these images without permission.

Dan East

Wow!

How awesome is this.

I whip open the computer .. clean out the fan ... and NO MORE Overheating.

I was like "Scoore!"

I was so glad that I could play cs for more than 20 minutes and not crash. So far not one crash since.

Thanks Dan.

I just recently had my 6-month old m5310 replaced by a new m5309 because they aparently could not fix the overheating. So far, I have had no problems with my m5309 overheating and I have used it for 24-hours at 100% full throttle. Is the newest M5309 fixed?

Does this void the warranty?

Only if you bust something whilst doing it! :shock:

No, there are no seals or anyway they can tell if you've been in there as long as you are careful and don't strip out the screw recesses or threads. It's a relatively simple thing to do and may very well be all that is wrong. (I saw your other post)

...Ed

If your machine is still under warantee then you should of course send it in and have eMachines fix it. From everything we can tell here on the forums, eMachines is doing something to actually correct this problem (enhanced cooling system). However if you are in the same boat I was in, where I couldn't spare sending the notebook off, then go ahead and carefully clean it out to make due for a month or two until you can send it off.

The big software project I was working on is complete, and I've copied all my other stuff over to my old Inspiron 7000, so I'll be sending my m5310 off in the next few days. I've got a few keys that don't work, my modem won't detect a dialtone, and I of course have the recurring overheat problem, so I've built up enough issues to finally send it off (plus it's frigging hard to code when the Enter key doesn't work :) ).

Dan East

I just tried this method only without compressed air. I tired running a game and it worked for more than it used to, but then, shut down. Looks like I have no choice but to send it in

I now tried this again WITH compressed air and still it shuts down. I guess it's time to send it in

Hey guys! Great job on this. I've had my M5312 for about 4 months now. I first started experiencing the problem with overheating about 1 month ago. After cleaning it with this instruction page, no more overheating! Thanks guys.