Overheating.

[MHSACKS]

I have a tivo series 2 with life time subscription. The machine is about three years old.

It overheats frequently. Rebooting ,starts it again. It then works for a few weeks until it again turns off with the overheated message.

It is happening more frequently.

What is the machine telling me. I keep it in a well ventilated place.

[RoyK]

I have a tivo series 2 with life time subscription. The machine is about three years old.

It overheats frequently. Rebooting ,starts it again. It then works for a few weeks until it again turns off with the overheated message.

It is happening more frequently.

What is the machine telling me. I keep it in a well ventilated place.

Is it possible that your fan has stopped? If so a spritz of compressed air might be enough to clean it. Or it can be replaced if you're up to the job.

[gastrof]

You could also do what I did for my VCR, which didn't like the cabinet it was in.

Buy a small fan that works off 6 or 12 volts DC from Radio Shack, and hook it up permanently to an AC adapter the puts out 6 or 12 volts of battery type electricity (DC).

Put it behind the unit, blowing on it. Plug the AC adapter in, and leave it running all the time.

This worked GREAT for the VCR. Not that I use it much any more, but the thing had failed on me at least twice and needed to be repaired, apparently due to overheating in the cabinet. (Not enough air flow.) Since the fan, the thing hasn't failed ONCE. It's been several years.

This may solve the TiVo's problem, if you don't feel up to opening it up to fix the fan problem.

Even if your fan is working, with it overheating this should still take care of things.

[MHSACKS]

Is it possible that your fan has stopped? If so a spritz of compressed air might be enough to clean it. Or it can be replaced if you're up to the job.


Could you help me out more with "up to the job."
I presume when I take the top off the fan will be evident and held in place by some screws so that replacement will be a simple task.

Do you know where I could get a replacement fan?


thanks.
michael

[Odysseus]

First of all you should probably figure out whether this is your problem or not. I have not opened up my TiVo (and opening it up does void any warranty you may have, potentially knocking this thread "underground"), but if it is like any other computer I would expect to see two fans, a larger one near the power supply (where the power cable enters the box) and a smaller, more delicate one on top of the CPU. Make sure that they both are spinning freely when the box is turned on?

Also note that I believe that the power supply does not contain a cover in the TiVo's. This means that there is very dangerous voltage in that region, potentially even with the TiVo unplugged.

[JimSpence]

What temperature is reported on the System information screen?

[MHSACKS]

Thanks for pointing out that there is that information. I did not know it.

When I have an external small fan blowing on it and it is elevated so that the bottom of the box is flush with the shelf it reads 56 degrees.

With the external fan is off and the box lies on its bottom it goes up to 66 degrees and there is a note saying "high. clear vents".

As far as I can see there are no vents on my series 2 box.

Michael

[JimSpence]

The vents are located on the bottom on the left and right side. I have my T60 raised an extra inch. It sits on top of my HR10 which is also raised an inch. I don't have an external fan and they both report 40-44 degrees. If you are reading 56 with the external fan I think that your internal fan has failed or there is dust built up blocking the vents. I'd take the cover off and check to see if the fan turns and clean out any dust.