# Replacement Premiere Fan's I have tried



## RichB

My5 month old TiVo Premiere fan got too noisy for me. It developed a clicking noise.

My Other new Premiere is much quieter.

I decided to try some other fans:

The Sunon fan is very quiet but does not move enough air. When the TiVo starts up it, it runs very slowly. This is a problem since TiVo will slow the fan down automatically.

This Evercool fan worked well, it cools the TiVo to 34C in my open rack. It is better than the noisy TiVo fan the noise level is acceptable but not silent at a few feet.

- Rich


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## turbobozz

Does tivo actually use the sense pin? Or does it only use the power and ground pin?


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## RichB

turbobozz said:


> Does tivo actually use the sense pin? Or does it only use the power and ground pin?


TiVo does not have a sense pin, just the two wire power and ground.
However, you can attach a 3-pin fan by connecting the right pins.

- Rich


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## alex50

I also just changed out the OEM fan in the premiere, and coincidentally, it is the same Evercool fan that Rich linked above. In case it is helpful to someone, the oem fan is a Cofan F-5025L12F (50mm x 50mm x 25 mm). 

The evercool fan is only 15mm deep. The deeper blade design of the OEM fan may have been more efficient at pushing out air. But for now, the replacement seems to work.

Thank you Rich, for your help with this process.


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## RichB

No problem.

I am trying the 50mm x 10mm Evercool  fan in another Premiere. It is very quiet but does not move as much air. The Unit is running about 39C which should be OK.

I would recommend the 50MM x 15MM Evercool if you have an enclosed TiVo.

The 10mm fan is supposed to be from StarTech.com but it is really an evercool fan.

- Rich


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## doog11

I got 2 new Premiere's 2 weeks ago and both fans are very noisy compared to my old Series 2's. TiVo sent me 2 replacement units and they are just as noisy. I am looking at replacing the fans in them and am glad to see success with the Evercool fan. Is anyone familiar with this fan Rasurbo?


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## husky55

RichB said:


> TiVo does not have a sense pin, just the two wire power and ground.
> However, you can attach a 3-pin fan by connecting the right pins.
> 
> - Rich


What color pins on the Evercool fan would be the right one? I bought the original Tivo fan and it was just as noisy as the OEM fan, which I thought was a defective one.

Just bought a couple of Evercool fans based your experience. Like the price, shipping was only 2.99.


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## RichB

I believe it is red and blank.

- Rich


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## husky55

RichB said:


> I believe it is red and blank.
> 
> - Rich


Thanks!!!


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## rederic8

fyi, Just noticed a bigger fan while looking for the evercool you mention. 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835119054

20mm thick, more airflow and quieter than the 15mm (by the details listed on newegg)


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## Dangler

I just noticed mine making noise today. I pulled out the fan, peeled the sticker off and removed the rubber plug in the center. I packed it with a lightweight fishing reel grease I had laying around the house. Pressed the plug back in and held it forcing the grease in futher while working the fan wheel. 

It is completely silent and cost nothing to fix, we'll see how long it lasts...


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## shikemd

I just got a Premier XL and have been using it for about a week. There is no clicking noise yes, but the whoosh of air is keeping me up at night. I have not ventured to open the box yet, but I assume the case (and case fan) is identical to the non-XL Premier. Anybody know?


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## aaronwt

I can easily hear the fan in any TiVo from across a room but I have not noticed the Premiere fan to be any louder than previous TiVos. It is loud when it first boots up but then it slows down and is much quieter. I can still easily hear it from twenty feet away in a quiet room, but that has been the case with any TiVo the past ten years.


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## 1080p guy

Dangler said:


> I just noticed mine making noise today. I pulled out the fan, peeled the sticker off and removed the rubber plug in the center. I packed it with a lightweight fishing reel grease I had laying around the house. Pressed the plug back in and held it forcing the grease in futher while working the fan wheel.
> 
> It is completely silent and cost nothing to fix, we'll see how long it lasts...


While I have the fan out I'll apply a coat AVM(anti vibrational magic) to the fan housing before I re-install it. AVM is pretty expensive but I plan on using it on a few of my audio components anyway & I already know that I'm a "certifiable" A/V nut, so why not live up to my image, right ?


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## unitron

Dangler said:


> I just noticed mine making noise today. I pulled out the fan, peeled the sticker off and removed the rubber plug in the center. I packed it with a lightweight fishing reel grease I had laying around the house. Pressed the plug back in and held it forcing the grease in futher while working the fan wheel.
> 
> It is completely silent and cost nothing to fix, we'll see how long it lasts...


That sounds like my usual fan treatment except that I use ignition lube and add a little 3 in 1 or sewing machine oil as well. The oil helps the gease distribute itself evenly.

Is that fishing reel grease lithium or molybdenum based?


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## speed_phreak

I wanted to post a reply detailing my research into replacement Premiere fans. If anyone goes with option 3, please post results on perceived loudness.

*Option 1: Stock*

It died, why buy another?

Stock fan specs, found here: http://www.ms2006.co.kr/goods/content.asp?num=431&big=4&middle=5&small=9

Available from: http://www.weaknees.com/tivo-fans.php

Part: Cofan	5025L12
Size: 50 x 50 x 25
Bearing: our part number ends in F, which supposedly indicates long life bearing (or not).
Volts:	12
Amps: 0.1
Watts: 1.2
RPM: 3500
CFM:	12.26
Pressure InchH2O: 0.084
dBA: 22.1
Life Hour: Six months at best?!?!

*Option 2: Evercool*

The option I chose, seems decent enough and good price/performance. I think I feel more air coming out of the fan, but I don't remember what the stock fan felt like when operating correctly.

Specs: http://www.evercool.com.tw/products/fan_5020.htm

Available from: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835119054

Part: EVERCOOL FAN-EC5020M12CA
Size: 50 x 50 x 20
Bearing: 1 Ball, 1 Sleeve 
Volts:	12
Amps: 0.17
Watts: 2.04
RPM: 4500
CFM:	13.49
Pressure InchH2O: .13
dBA: <24
Life Hour: 50,000

*Option 3: Delta*

This sounds like an interesting option, but I fear it may be too loud. It is hard to say though, since the TiVo appearently throttles the voltage to control the fan, it may be just fine...

The CFM specs don't seem right on the site above, so I would look here: http://www.delta.com.tw/product/cp/dcfans/download/pdf/AFB/AFB50x50x20mm.pdf and Here: http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/2155508-12v-dc-fan-50x50x20-mm-afb0512hd.html

Available from: http://www.cwc-group.com/afb0512hd.html

Part: Delta AFB0512HD
Size: 50 x 50 x 20
Bearing: 2 Ball (seems to be the best of breed for our application)
Volts:	12
Amps: 0.10
Watts: 1.2
RPM: 5600
CFM:	15.79
Pressure InchH2O: .182
dBA: 33
Life Hour: 70,000


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## sharkitus

Really 5 months? What the heck does the Tivo warranty actually cover?


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## kels83

My Premiere XL started making racket after about 5 months too... I can't believe they would cheap out on such a minor component when that thing cost so much. I called customer support and they wanted to charge me $50 "service fee" to look at it. I yelled at 3 different levels of phone support before a manager finally waived the fee because I've been a customer since 2005. I got a refurb...yay : ( in the mail a day later and the fan has been working for about a year now. 

With lifetime service and no warranty left, it's good to know my options on such a basic component. Thanks for these posts!


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## DrSnoCaps

Dangler said:


> I just noticed mine making noise today. I pulled out the fan, peeled the sticker off and removed the rubber plug in the center. I packed it with a lightweight fishing reel grease I had laying around the house. Pressed the plug back in and held it forcing the grease in futher while working the fan wheel.
> 
> It is completely silent and cost nothing to fix, we'll see how long it lasts...


I used your suggestion this morning and it seems to have done the trick. Thanks


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## e_identity

Recently, the fan in my Premiere box became much louder.
I replaced it with an EVERCOOL FAN-EC5020M12CA
A few notes:
1) I reused the original tivo fan screws. They did not seem to bite very securely into the Evercool fan housing, but I tightened them till they started to spin, and that seems to be enough to hold the fan securely in place. No vibration or noise detected.
2) I didn't see an airflow direction arrow on the fan. After install and before replacing the cover, I powered on the tivo box to verify airflow direction (fan blows air out of the tivo box).
3) It appears that when the Tivo boot up completes, the fan throttles down (?reduced voltage?). So at first, the fan blew a steady stream of air at a moderate noise level. After a few minutes, the fan slowed down, the noise was much reduced, and so was the airflow. While the specs for the fan are useful to compare it to the OE model, those specs don't tell you much about airflow/noise in actual use in the Tivo box.
4) the original Tivo fan has two wires (red and black). The Evercool has three wires--red/black/yellow. also, the original Tivo fan has a molded 2 wire plastic connector and the Evercool has a slightly differently shaped 3 wire plastic connector. I was VERY careful to connect the Evercool wires so that the red and black wires were connected to the same pins as the red/black wires of the original fan. The yellow wire was not connected to anything. The Evercool plastic connector fit w/o problem. I experienced no problems related to the wiring/connectors.


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## unitron

e_identity said:


> Recently, the fan in my Premiere box became much louder.
> I replaced it with an EVERCOOL FAN-EC5020M12CA
> A few notes:
> 1) I reused the original tivo fan screws. They did not seem to bite very securely into the Evercool fan housing, but I tightened them till they started to spin, and that seems to be enough to hold the fan securely in place. No vibration or noise detected.
> 2) I didn't see an airflow direction arrow on the fan. After install and before replacing the cover, I powered on the tivo box to verify airflow direction (fan blows air out of the tivo box).
> 3) It appears that when the Tivo boot up completes, the fan throttles down (?reduced voltage?). So at first, the fan blew a steady stream of air at a moderate noise level. After a few minutes, the fan slowed down, the noise was much reduced, and so was the airflow. While the specs for the fan are useful to compare it to the OE model, those specs don't tell you much about airflow/noise in actual use in the Tivo box.
> 4) the original Tivo fan has two wires (red and black). The Evercool has three wires--red/black/yellow. also, the original Tivo fan has a molded 2 wire plastic connector and the Evercool has a slightly differently shaped 3 wire plastic connector. I was VERY careful to connect the Evercool wires so that the red and black wires were connected to the same pins as the red/black wires of the original fan. The yellow wire was not connected to anything. The Evercool plastic connector fit w/o problem. I experienced no problems related to the wiring/connectors.


Those fans always blow toward the non-blade side of the assembly, the side where the sticker is that you lift to re-lube the axle/shaft.


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## LoneWolf15

I have tried two fans this week: The Sunon KDE1205PHV2-3, and the Evercool EC5015M12CA that others have mentioned here.

I cannot recommend the Sunon to anyone based on my experiences. I had hoped for better, as the Sunon is a maglev design, which is usually a long-life design My fan's startup voltage appeared weak; I had to manually spin it the first time for it to turn. Once it did, I found its airflow to be extremely low, unable to match the Tivo OEM CoFan or the Evercool models. And (as e_identity mentions) since the Tivo Premiere turns its fan speeds down after booting, the possibility exists for the fan to stop and not start back up.

The Evercool is running well so far, similar to others experiences here. I would have liked to try some of the Delta 50x50x15mm fans as well, but they're harder to source.


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## unitron

LoneWolf15 said:


> I have tried two fans this week: The Sunon KDE1205PHV2-3, and the Evercool EC5015M12CA that others have mentioned here.
> 
> I cannot recommend the Sunon to anyone based on my experiences. I had hoped for better, as the Sunon is a maglev design, which is usually a long-life design My fan's startup voltage appeared weak; I had to manually spin it the first time for it to turn. Once it did, I found its airflow to be extremely low, unable to match the Tivo OEM CoFan or the Evercool models. And (as e_identity mentions) since the Tivo Premiere turns its fan speeds down after booting, the possibility exists for the fan to stop and not start back up.
> 
> The Evercool is running well so far, similar to others experiences here. I would have liked to try some of the Delta 50x50x15mm fans as well, but they're harder to source.


While sorting through emails notifying me of posts I spotted something in yours I missed the first time.

The way TiVos vary fan speeds is not by changing the voltage that pushes current through the fan, it's by changing how long it turns on full voltage relative to how long it leaves it off.

It's called pulse-width-modulation, or PWM.

You use direct current, but (on a circuit for a fan rated for +12V) you don't just turn the current on and leave it, you turn it on so that the fan gets "kicked" by the full 12V, then you turn it off, then you turn it back on, then off...

That way it gets enough current to start it with each pulse, but the pulses come often enough that it hasn't finished turning from the previous one.

You can vary the overall frequency of how often the beginning of each pulse happens, and you can vary how much of the time between those two pulse starts is the "on" period and how much is the "off" period, which is otherwise known as the duty cycle, i.e., what percentage of the overall time period is the "on" period.

This has the effect of averaging out to an overall lower voltage, and therefore overall lower current, without the risk of the fan "stalling" at a lower voltage the way you'd have with an old fashioned rheostat.

That's why model train speed controls use that technique nowadays, you just feed a pulse train to a switching transistor.


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## rich

The fan in my Premiere started making a constant vibrating/whirring noise recently. I ordered the replacement stock fan (Cofan) from Weaknees and completed the installation in about ten minutes. Now it's quiet again! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions here.


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## unitron

rich said:


> The fan in my Premiere started making a constant vibrating/whirring noise recently. I ordered the replacement stock fan (Cofan) from Weaknees and completed the installation in about ten minutes. Now it's quiet again! Thanks to everyone for your suggestions here.


Don't throw out the old one. It can be re-lubed and reused somewhere.


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## Joshuaad

My fan was making intermittent noises as well until it became constant and extremely loud. The use of the grease lube worked for me perfectly as well. It required a very little amount. Thanks for the tip!


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## CatScratchFever

Joshuaad said:


> My fan was making intermittent noises as well until it became constant and extremely loud. The use of the grease lube worked for me perfectly as well. It required a very little amount. Thanks for the tip!


same here, thanks for the tip.


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## GreyhoundR

Ok, I think I have something potentially promising to contribute. I have 3 Premieres (bought at maybe 12, 24, 24+ months ago?) that all had the typically loud OE fan.

- One of them got bad after a few months and I was able to semi-permenantly quiet it with grease.

- Another has been moderately noisy, but pretty much as when new since day 1

- The final one had the fan die so I replaced it with the Sunon mentioned above. The Sunon got very noisy for me after a few days, so I popped the label off of it and greased it, better but still pretty noisy (even at slow speed).

--> So I did some browsing on eBay and came across one I hadn't seen mentioned yet here (to the best of my knowledge). And, turns out it's also sold on Newegg. Please keep in mind I've only been running it for 72hrs (however both the out of the box Sunon, and the greased Sunon showed conspicuous signs of noisiness developing within that timeframe), but it's literally dead silent.

It's the Gelid FN-SX05-40 50 and runs $7.99 + S&H on Newegg, or can be found for around $11ish including S&H on eBay. It's a 3-wire fan, but I just experimented and the connector built in fit fine with only 2 pins connected. It does respond to the Tivo's on-rush of fan speed during boot-up.

Using a halfway decent SPL meter app on my phone, from 12" away I measured 55-56 dB on bootup, and around 44 dB ambient once running (which is basically the SPL of a "silent" room). I run a new WD 2tb EURS drive in this particular Tivo, which is also dead silent, and my Tivo has been up for 72hrs straight w/o problem and is showing a MBT of 36 deg C (around 90F), I just checked my Tivo with the untouched OE fan that's still quietish and it has a MBT of 35 deg C right now - close enough for g'ovt work. 

I will update this post immediately if the Gelid starts getting loud or anything of note should happen.


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## MeInDallas

I had posted this in another thread but I cant remember which one. Since this one popped up again I thought I would post it in case anyone needs it. I got this one from Amazon. Its the same exact size as the one that comes in the Premiere. The picture posted is from another smaller fan, I dont know why its posted like that. Anyways, its a perfect fit and a lot cheaper than the ones the other websites sell for Tivo fans.

http://www.amazon.com/IPCQUEEN-50x50x25-Bearing-connector-fan-ipc-505025/dp/B004H6GZCU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3E335VWVNRJEK&coliid=I1SXUUXCG2RIEI


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## appleye1

MeInDallas said:


> I had posted this in another thread but I cant remember which one. Since this one popped up again I thought I would post it in case anyone needs it. I got this one from Amazon. Its the same exact size as the one that comes in the Premiere. The picture posted is from another smaller fan, I dont know why its posted like that. Anyways, its a perfect fit and a lot cheaper than the ones the other websites sell for Tivo fans.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/IPCQUEEN-50x50x25-Bearing-connector-fan-ipc-505025/dp/B004H6GZCU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=3E335VWVNRJEK&coliid=I1SXUUXCG2RIEI


hey Dallas or anyone else who tried the pcqueen fan. How did itwork out? I need a fan but I just don't want to fork over $25 to weaknees for it. Seems like way too much money even considering the "free" tools you get (that I already have).


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## MeInDallas

It works great! Cools exactly the same as the stock fan


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## JimPa

My S3 is on life support and I've been looking at a Premiere.

Is there any reason to believe that Tivo has started putting better fans into their boxes? I don't want to swap one set of problems for another set.


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## Bruzer

GreyhoundR said:


> It's the Gelid FN-SX05-40 50 and runs $7.99 + S&H on Newegg, or can be found for around $11ish including S&H on eBay. It's a 3-wire fan, but I just experimented and the connector built in fit fine with only 2 pins connected. It does respond to the Tivo's on-rush of fan speed during boot-up.


FYI, this is now back in stock at Newegg. I had an AUTO NOTIFY set up, and I just got the email. If you have ShopRunner, you get free shipping. Also, I'm on their "promotions" mailing list and got an email this morning offering 20% off case fans. Even though I had deleted the email (since the fan was still OOS this morning), I was able to call customer service after placing the order and get 20% credited back.


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## leiff

I'm not sure my xl4 premier has always been so loud, but I'd like it replaced with something quiter. Is the newegg linked to above good choice? I assume I loose TiVo 12 month warranty? Any other downside? This is easy to do right. Don't need tools?


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## sboy1999

Thanks for the tip on adding fishing reel grease inside the fan. My Premiere XL had started to make very loud noises and was very difficult to sleep at night. Cleaning the fan of accumulated dust and taking off the sticker, pulling out the small rubber plug and adding reel grease worked very well. 

I am a little amazed that Tivo can't put in quieter fans to begin with or specify to their parts supplier to have the fans greased well and with a low decibel level.

I would add for people who are unsure if the noise is coming from the hard drive spinning or the fan, to put something like the end of a pencil in the fan vent to stop the fan from spinning. If the noise stops, it is the fan - if not, you will have to deal with replacing the hard drive or making sure the drive did not come loose from its housing.

Thanks again for the tip.


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## Dan203

We had a power outage yesterday for about 4 hours. I have my TiVos connected to UPSes, but it was just out too long and eventually they all died. Anyway this morning I noticed that the Premiere XL in my office is making a loud fan noise. I blew it out with some canned air, but it's still doing it.

I'm not a fisherman so I don't have any fishing reel grease, what's a good alternative? I have some lubricant for my shredder will that work? I also have a little bottle of oil that came with my electric razor and some WD40.


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## crxssi

Dan203 said:


> We had a power outage yesterday for about 4 hours. I have my TiVos connected to UPSes, but it was just out too long and eventually they all died. Anyway this morning I noticed that the Premiere XL in my office is making a loud fan noise.


Yep- that is exactly how it starts. Mine is also on a UPS so it rarely gets turned off- even with updates it is a reboot, not a power cycle. Once when it was power cycled is when it started that type of noise and it was very annoying



> I blew it out with some canned air, but it's still doing it.
> 
> I'm not a fisherman so I don't have any fishing reel grease, what's a good alternative? I have some lubricant for my shredder will that work? I also have a little bottle of oil that came with my electric razor and some WD40.


Oil and WD40 are not going to help.
Grease- maybe... depending on type and how it is applied.

Me? I replaced the fan with a new one from WeaKnees.


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## MeInDallas

I got a little bottle of this, works great for computer fans:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-IN-ONE-ELECTRIC-MOTOR-OIL-10145-3-OZ-made-by-WD40-3-in-one-/160677962411?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25692722ab


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## Dan203

The weaknees one is expensive. I think I'll just buy one of the other ones listed here. I have shoprunner so I can get one from NewEgg for $6 with free shipping.


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## Dan203

Seems to have quieted down today. Guess I'll leave it alone until it starts acting up again.


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## crxssi

Dan203 said:


> Seems to have quieted down today. Guess I'll leave it alone until it starts acting up again.


Yep, that is exactly what it will do. Go crazy for several hours or even a few days after a power cycle, then go away........ it will return worse with each power cycle and probably return after a few more months of operation.

At least they are consistent.


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## Dan203

It came back for a few hours this afternoon so I just went ahead and ordered a fan from NewEgg. ($6 w/Shoprunner 2 day shipping) If that one doesn't work for some reason I'll just pay the $20 and get one from Weaknees.


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## Dan203

It was quite for like 5 days so I assumed it had fixed itself. But today it's noisy again. I guess I'm going to have to install that fan I bought.


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## RichB

Dan203 said:


> It was quite for like 5 days so I assumed it had fixed itself. But today it's noisy again. I guess I'm going to have to install that fan I bought.


I may try this one:

Gelid 50MM fan because I have had good experience with their other fans and it has Fluid Dynamic bearings.

- Rich


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## late for dinner

I haven't heard a peep out of my noisy Premiere since I greased (IIRC I used bicycle grease) the fan over a year ago. No way would I buy a new one when the repair is so easy.


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## Dan203

I bought this one...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835168013

$6 with free 2nd day shipping through ShopRunner. (which I got for free)

Would have cost me at least a few dollars, plus a trip to the store, to buy any sort of grease. (I don't have any)


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## Dan203

Ahhhhhh..... Silence once again. The fan got so bad it started to make a clicking noise that sounded like a noisy hard drive running a defrag. It was driving me nuts so I took a 10 minute break and replaced the fan. Now it's silent again.


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## unitron

Dan203 said:


> We had a power outage yesterday for about 4 hours. I have my TiVos connected to UPSes, but it was just out too long and eventually they all died. Anyway this morning I noticed that the Premiere XL in my office is making a loud fan noise. I blew it out with some canned air, but it's still doing it.
> 
> I'm not a fisherman so I don't have any fishing reel grease, what's a good alternative? I have some lubricant for my shredder will that work? I also have a little bottle of oil that came with my electric razor and some WD40.


What works best is a combination of light grease and light oil.

Clean out the old stuff with a Q-tip and some de-natured alcohol or such.

Pack in the grease, then add a drop of oil, turn the blades a few times and add another drop.

The oil can be something like 3-in-ONE, sewing machine oil, the stuff that comes with razors and beard trimmers, etc, and the grease, well, I used to use some lithium based stuff called IgnitionLube which was intended for the multi-sided thing (rubbing block) that opened and closed the points on older ignitions (pre-transistorized). Can't find it anymore, but last time in the auto parts store found a little tube of stuff called Dielectric Tune-Up Grease by Permatex that also works.

Going to try to get to the local sporting goods store and check for fishing reel grease to have a back-up supply. It's nice to have something to lubricate CD/DVD drive trays and spindles as well.


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## late for dinner

I used bicycle grease only and worked perfectly


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## floridabowler

I see it has been a while since anyone added to this thread...I just found it this morning after waking up a few days ago to a very noisy fan on my bedroom TiVo. I had to replace the fan on an old Series 3 a couple of years ago...it was easy to find, cheap to buy and no problem installing....now, on to the Premier...

After reading through a number of the posts here I decided to try the "lube-it-yourself" routine...success!!!!

After removing the fan, peeling the sticker off and popping out the little round rubber cap, I took a look at what was down in the hole using a loupe for extra magnification. What I saw was a few small "globs" of yellow grease kind of stuck to the sides of the little hole...very possibly indicating nothing more than "bad aim" on the part of the assembly person in applying the grease. I think he just missed the mark and the poor fan was starving for some lube. I used a cotton swab to clean out the hole, carefully applied a couple of small drops of sewing machine oil and ,voila, no more noise!!! How long it will last is yet to be seen, but the whole operation only took a few minutes...my toolkit already had the proper tools (allen wrench & star drivers) so it was a breeze. If I have to do it again to keep it running smoothly, no problem...and best of all NO COST!
Thanks to everyone for the ideas...hope my 2 cents helps someone else.


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## replaytv

I replaced a fan on one of my Premeires when it got noisy. I used a fan from a extra Premier i had. After reading this thread I am thinking of trying to fix the fan. 


Dangler said:


> I just noticed mine making noise today. I pulled out the fan, peeled the sticker off and removed the rubber plug in the center. I packed it with a lightweight fishing reel grease I had laying around the house. Pressed the plug back in and held it forcing the grease in further while working the fan wheel.
> 
> It is completely silent and cost nothing to fix, we'll see how long it lasts...


I am thinking lithium would be better as I have read that it lasts longer and doesn't dry out. Is that true? 


MeInDallas said:


> I got a little bottle of this, works great for computer fans:
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-IN-ONE-ELECTRIC-MOTOR-OIL-10145-3-OZ-made-by-WD40-3-in-one-/160677962411?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item25692722ab


I have read that oil will only work if you have dried out grease in there that the oil will bring back to life. If there is no grease, then the oil will rapidly dry out.

I am also reticent about using oil as some oil damages plastic.


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## unitron

floridabowler said:


> I see it has been a while since anyone added to this thread...I just found it this morning after waking up a few days ago to a very noisy fan on my bedroom TiVo. I had to replace the fan on an old Series 3 a couple of years ago...it was easy to find, cheap to buy and no problem installing....now, on to the Premier...
> 
> After reading through a number of the posts here I decided to try the "lube-it-yourself" routine...success!!!!
> 
> After removing the fan, peeling the sticker off and popping out the little round rubber cap, I took a look at what was down in the hole using a loupe for extra magnification. What I saw was a few small "globs" of yellow grease kind of stuck to the sides of the little hole...very possibly indicating nothing more than "bad aim" on the part of the assembly person in applying the grease. I think he just missed the mark and the poor fan was starving for some lube. I used a cotton swab to clean out the hole, carefully applied a couple of small drops of sewing machine oil and ,voila, no more noise!!! How long it will last is yet to be seen, but the whole operation only took a few minutes...my toolkit already had the proper tools (allen wrench & star drivers) so it was a breeze. If I have to do it again to keep it running smoothly, no problem...and best of all NO COST!
> Thanks to everyone for the ideas...hope my 2 cents helps someone else.


Doubt it was bad aim in initial lube so much as years of centrifugal or centripetal force, which ever one is supposed to actually exist.


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## unitron

replaytv said:


> I replaced a fan on one of my Premeires when it got noisy. I used a fan from a extra Premier i had. After reading this thread I am thinking of trying to fix the fan.
> 
> I am thinking lithium would be better as I have read that it lasts longer and doesn't dry out. Is that true?
> 
> I have read that oil will only work if you have dried out grease in there that the oil will bring back to life. If there is no grease, then the oil will rapidly dry out.
> 
> I am also reticent about using oil as some oil damages plastic.


The best thing to use is often what you already have on hand, because at least that way it gets done.

Do not use Vaseline.

Do not use bear grease, Daniel Boone.

Do not use lard.

The stuff you use to pack wheel bearings on automobiles is too thick.

If you happen across an old tube of something called PhonoLube, that'll probably work if it hasn't dried out or gotten hard.

Something with molybdenum* will probably work as long as it's not too thick.

I bought a tube of White Lithium Grease at Lowe's or Home Depot recently for use on our clothes dryer's "axle". I'll probably use it from now on in conjunction with 3-in-One or Singer Sewing Machine oil.

*On the subject of molybdenum, allow me to recommend an old John Astin movie, "The Brother's O'Toole".


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## CelticKnot

My TiVo Premiere has been really noisy for the past month and finally I searched around and found this thread. I went to my local Fry's (electronics mega depot) and bought a tube of grease and a new 50mm fan. Well, let's just say the fan is going back, and I'll apply that $7 to a $50 flashlight or something... 

While I was at it I also upgraded the HD from the 320GB to a nice fat 1TB. That should hold me until it's Roamio time.

For those considering either the fan replacement or greasing, it's very simple. The hardest part is getting the TiVo out of your entertainment center and then plugging things back in the correct way when you're done. Good luck! Thanks everyone for the tips!


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## jclem

My 3 1/2 yr old Premier xl started getting REALLY noisy. I said, Oh well, I know I bought a square trade extended warranty for this, so at least it's covered. OOPS, nope, ran out 2 months ago! So, I got on Weaknees website and started reading. I've got lifetime service so no choice but to send away for repair. What a pain! Then I remembered this site and searched for "noisy tivo". I ordered one of the recommended fans for less than $10, installed it in less than 1/2 hour and Voila! a nice quiet TIVO. Thank you!!!!!!! :up:


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## smudge47

For anyone reading this thread, many of the fans mentioned are no longer in stock.

I bought an EVERCOOL 50x50x15 from NewEgg for around eight bucks. It works, but it doesn't push as much air as the factory fan (a 50x50x25) did. My temps were 32C, now 39C-40C. From what I've read, this is acceptable, but I wish my TIVO ran cooler. 

If you are in the market for a new fan, my advice is to check out the GELIDSolutions Silent5 FN-SX05-40 50mm Case Fan from NewEgg. It's also a 50x50x15 fan, and it's a bit more expensive, but it claims to push more air than the EVERCOOL does.


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## Protonus

These guys stock the original OEM fan, for $9.99 with free shipping.

Free shipping COFAN F-5025L12F DC12V 0.10A 5025 5CM 50MM 50X50X25MM 2pin Cooling Fan | network-supplier

Just an FYI


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## ToddJ

where is the cheapest place to buy an original style fan for the TiVo Premiere series 4? the cheapest i've found is $24 which isnt too cheap


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## jrtroo

ToddJ said:


> where is the cheapest place to buy an original style fan for the TiVo Premiere series 4? the cheapest i've found is $24 which isnt too cheap


Um, did you happen to look at the post right above yours?



Protonus said:


> These guys stock the original OEM fan, for $9.99 with free shipping.
> 
> Free shipping COFAN F-5025L12F DC12V 0.10A 5025 5CM 50MM 50X50X25MM 2pin Cooling Fan | network-supplier
> 
> Just an FYI


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## wedenton

Protonus said:


> These guys stock the original OEM fan, for $9.99 with free shipping.
> 
> Free shipping COFAN F-5025L12F DC12V 0.10A 5025 5CM 50MM 50X50X25MM 2pin Cooling Fan | network-supplier
> 
> Just an FYI


The item condition for that Cofan is listed as "Used". I certainly wouldn't put in a used fan. Wonder if that's a mistake or they only have 1 in stock.


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## ToddJ

Here is another place I have found. They have it for $10.80...


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## ToddJ

Protonus said:


> These guys stock the original OEM fan, for $9.99 with free shipping.
> 
> Free shipping COFAN F-5025L12F DC12V 0.10A 5025 5CM 50MM 50X50X25MM 2pin Cooling Fan | network-supplier
> 
> Just an FYI


Sorry i missed that! lol.... Does this work with the TiVo Premiere Series 4 and is it the exact same thing as the one that came with the TiVO?


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