# Bolt Fan Noise. Please help.



## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

I just got a Bolt+ last week as part of the March Madness sale. This thing is noisy. It sounds like a computer running all the time in my entertainment center, and there is a high pitched whining sound. I ended up buying an AC Infinity S4 fan to try to cool the box enough to make the internal fan shut up, but that isn't working. The AC Infinity did drop my ODT from 66 to 57 though. After the external fan didn't help, I put the Tivo inside a cabinet with glass doors on it (ODT averages 59 with the AC Infinity fan in the cabinet as well), which muffled the sound, but I can still hear it from more than 20 feet away. I have had DVRs from DirecTV, Cox and Fios over the years and none of them make a peep, but this TiVo sounds like a Desktop PC running right next to my TV.

I was thinking about taking off the top of the Tivo, disconnecting the internal fan, putting it back together for aesthetic reasons and keeping the AC Infinity under it blowing into the Tivo. Would that be enough to cool it, or is this thing likely to overheat with the case still on? I can't just hide the Tivo as I use an Harmony One remote, so I need line of sight for the IR and I don't want to go back to the Fios DVR, but every time someone stops talking on a show, I can hear the whining or buzzing sound and it is driving me crazy. Any thoughts?


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

I would return it for an exchange.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

For whatever it's worth, my Bolt is no louder than my Series 2 box and I can't hear it across the room (15' away) or when the TV is playing.


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## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

Tony_T said:


> I would return it for an exchange.


Does Tivo send a new box and then I return this one, or do they want it returned before they send out another? I would have no way to watch TV for a week if the require a return first.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Not sure, but it won't be a new box, they'll send you a refurbished Bolt+


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## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

Tony_T said:


> Not sure, but it won't be a new box, they'll send you a refurbished Bolt+


This is a refurb from the March Madness deal anyway, so that isn't an issue for me.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

FWIW, my White Bolt is silent.
You should call them and see if they ship the replacement to you before you send back the defective Bolt. (This is where a streaming stick (i.e. Roku) helps as a backup)


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## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

Tony_T said:


> FWIW, my White Bolt is silent.
> You should call them and see if they ship the replacement to you before you send back the defective Bolt.
> (Not a solution, but this is where a streaming stick (i.e. Roku) helps as a backup)


On the phone with them now. Thanks for your help. Quick question, will I have to redo all my Onepasses or are those saved to my account in the cloud or something?


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

You can use the 3rd party java program kmttg to backup the 1passes
See: New program for 1 step TTG downloads, decryption, encoding - kmttg

Also, I've read here that users have replaced the stock fan with a Noiseblocker BlackSilentFan XS-2 (search here and see the Amazon comments)


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## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

Tony_T said:


> You can use the 3rd party java program kmttg to backup the 1passes
> See: New program for 1 step TTG downloads, decryption, encoding - kmttg
> 
> Also, I've read here that users have replaced the stock fan with a Noiseblocker BlackSilentFan XS-2 (search here and see the Amazon comments)


The guy at Tivo said that my Onepasses are synced to my account, but I don't know if that is correct. At any rate, they are shipping me another box, but they charged me a deposit of full price in order to advance ship the new box. Seems kind of BS that they want to charge me for a replacement and then credit me back when the old box is returned. Most companies would just send the replacement and expect the other in return. Whatever.

One last question. I have a couple of Minis installed as well. Will they automatically sync with the new box or will I have to do something with them in order to see the new Tivo?


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Not sure about the 1passes syncing to your account, but for it to work, _I think_ that you need to activate the replacement Tivo, then sync from the old Tivo from your account before the old Tivo is deactivated. As you'll have both boxes in your possession, try that first.
I don't have Mini's so can't help you there.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

callmebob12345 said:


> Does Tivo send a new box and then I return this one, or do they want it returned before they send out another? I would have no way to watch TV for a week if the require a return first.


I've seen TiVo do it both ways in the past, at the customer's option--in the former case, putting a charge on your credit card until the old one is received back.


Tony_T said:


> Not sure, but it won't be a new box, they'll send you a refurbished Bolt+


Which could be a new one.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

callmebob12345 said:


> One last question. I have a couple of Minis installed as well. Will they automatically sync with the new box or will I have to do something with them in order to see the new Tivo?


First, if it came from TiVo it should already be on your account. You can check on line. I suggest you power off the Mini boxes when you decide to change the host. After it is happy, then power up the Mini. They should find it. No promises.


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## Dave Methvin (Feb 27, 2018)

About a month ago I got a replacement/refurb Bolt+ and it came with a defective fan. The blades of the fan were hitting on the fan frame which was causing a horrible noise. The tolerances of the fan must be extremely close because I could actually stop the fan by holding either side and twisting a bit. I tried pushing the case in various places but couldn't get it to stop the noise. I had to return it and get a new one, which was super annoying because they were holding a nearly-$500 deposit that they kept for another week because of that.


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

For what it’s worth my new TiVo-renewed Bolt is “noisy” too but for me I think part of it is that at the current moment (until we move at the end of next week), it’s on a wood sea chest that seems to be amplifying the sound a little bit.

I knew coming in to buying one that it might be louder than my TiVoHD. But for me it’s not a big deal as the house we are moving to, it will be in a room completely away from other rooms we will also spend time in.

ODT on mine is 59 so I don’t think it’s running abnormally hot or the fan spinning more than it should. Heck, with RF remotes I could move it around too....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## callmebob12345 (Sep 10, 2015)

Dave Methvin said:


> About a month ago I got a replacement/refurb Bolt+ and it came with a defective fan. The blades of the fan were hitting on the fan frame which was causing a horrible noise. The tolerances of the fan must be extremely close because I could actually stop the fan by holding either side and twisting a bit. I tried pushing the case in various places but couldn't get it to stop the noise. I had to return it and get a new one, which was super annoying because they were holding a nearly-$500 deposit that they kept for another week because of that.


Was the new one quiet? I've read quite a few posts about noisy Bolts and I just don't understand why cable and satellite can make their DVRs silent and Tivo, a premium brand, can not. It's not like Fios, Cox and DirecTV don't have 5 or 6 tuners in their own boxes with large HDDs. I love the Tivo interface and think it is superior to what I had before, but if the new box is just as noisy, I don't think I can live with it and, frankly, I shouldn't have to crack it open and replace or disconnect the fan to make it acceptable.


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

Most of the posts I read about noisy fans were older posts.
(I even bought that fan I linked when I ordered my Bolt because of those posts, but my stock fan is very quiet, so I never installed it).


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

idearz said:


> I hate it. I hate having to feel for the back button. I hate the show guide setup. I hate that I cant see just the shows on a particular network, instead I have to scroll contnuously left and right and I'm always stuck between time slots. I hate that I can't easily stop and delete a show I'm watching without pressing every conceivable sequence. I hate that SKIP is automatic as I sometimes like watching commercials. I hate that I switched. I used to always praise my Tivo. I've been a loyal customer since 2004. I've owned about 5 over the years and have recently upgraded to the tivoBolt for $500+. I can no longer say that Tivo is the gold standard. I used to love it. Now I just hate it.





callmebob12345 said:


> Was the new one quiet? I've read quite a few posts about noisy Bolts and I just don't understand why cable and satellite can make their DVRs silent and Tivo, a premium brand, can not. It's not like Fios, Cox and DirecTV don't have 5 or 6 tuners in their own boxes with large HDDs. I love the Tivo interface and think it is superior to what I had before, but if the new box is just as noisy, I don't think I can live with it and, frankly, I shouldn't have to crack it open and replace or disconnect the fan to make it acceptable.


But no DVR is silent. Every DVR I've ever seen, I can easily hear from 15 to 20 feet away. I can easily hear the fan and the hard drive in a quiet room.

But as far as the Bolt, the noise is typically from the circuit the fan is connected to. Or something like that. I replaced my Bolt fans with quieter ones, but you could still hear the buzzing. But then all seven Bolts I've owned have made the same sounds. I ended up moving the Bolt out of the room I sleep in, and just use a Mini in there since it is silent.


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## Skanter123 (Feb 28, 2015)

callmebob12345 said:


> Was the new one quiet? I've read quite a few posts about noisy Bolts and I just don't understand why cable and satellite can make their DVRs silent and Tivo, a premium brand, can not. It's not like Fios, Cox and DirecTV don't have 5 or 6 tuners in their own boxes with large HDDs. I love the Tivo interface and think it is superior to what I had before, but if the new box is just as noisy, I don't think I can live with it and, frankly, I shouldn't have to crack it open and replace or disconnect the fan to make it acceptable.


I upgraded to Bolt because my Premier fan was noisy and I didn't feel like replacing it. Bolt is silent for now - but get's pretty HOT. Is this normal?


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## Tony_T (Nov 2, 2017)

What the ODT? Mine is ~ 60°C


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