How to get to the fan in a Dell XPS L501x

Lovelyjoolz

Hi guys
My 2 year old Dell XPS L501x has recently started cutting out on me after about 40 minutes of use. I finally figured out that it was overheating causing this to happen, so guessed that the fan might need a clean. There's a panel on the base of the laptop which I opened but it just gives you access to some circuitry and no access to the fan.

Logic dictates then that the entire back needs to come off and that's where I get scared! Is it a relatively simple job to should I have a professional do it? Bearing in mind that the past time I furtled around inside a computer was when I built a desktop PC in 1999 and that I've never delved inside a laptop before - I hardly know what I'm doing here!

Any advice?

zappahey

From the Service Manual
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3. Remove the battery (see Removing the Battery).
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4. Remove the module cover (see Removing the Module Cover).
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5. Remove the memory module(s) (see Removing the Memory Module(s)).
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6. Remove the palm-rest assembly (see Removing the Palm-Rest Assembly).
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7. Remove the keyboard (see Removing the Keyboard).
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8. Remove the display assembly (see Removing the Display Assembly).
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9. Follow the instructions from step 9to step 14in Removing the Top Cover.
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10. Remove the two screws that secure the fan to the base cover.

WhiteChristmas

If you've built a computer then you have the basic ability - stripping down a laptop is slightly more fiddly but shouldn't be beyond you.

Step by step...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goVrdbWoOnA