My unit is shutting itself off. Runs ok on "fan" but when I put it on "cool" it shuts off (completely) after a few minutes. I bought it in June of '08 and it has run fine until now. HELP!!

check the cooling fans of the laptop whether they are working or not

Sounds broke. What is model number, can't find afra.

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The fan is controlled by a thermostat, it will (should) shut off by itself after a few minutes, after the engine has cooled down a bit.

If it continues to run after about ten or fifteen minutes (i.e., it does not shut off at all, and will run the battery down if you leave it overnight), then most likely the fan relay is sticking on, and should be replaced. Less likely is that the fan thermostat is bad.

But if it turns off by itself after about five minutes, this is normal and desirable, it gets some of the excess heat out of the engine.

Ensure proper voltage to the unit. Check for overheated/damaged wires and/or connections in the control panel as well as at the fan motor and compressor.

First of all, DO NOT unplug the unit until the fan stops. The fan should continue to run until the lamp has cooled down completely. This is normal. If the unit is shutting down on its own, perhaps the fan is not working good enough. Check for debris in the fan area and be sure that there is enough ventilation to keep the unit cool. The shutdown may be a safety shutoff because of heat.

Check the fans and update this with what you find.

Dan

you must check the condenser fan make sure its running if ok then clean the condenser itself. take a water hose to the fins and clean them from front to back with the power off to a/c unit

all the laptops on the world have warm problem. if you use your notebook dirty place your fan could get dirty and not working well and not makes cool anymore. in warm system can shut down itself. it is often does. if you open your laptop back case you will see the fan. there are olny 4 screw. clean the fan and screw again. try it.
sorry for my enghlish.

Having the fan run on for a bit after the engine has stopped is not abnormal in itself, but 20 minutes sounds excessive.

If the fan does eventually shut off, I'd consider changing the thermoswitch (this is a sensor screwed into the radiator somewhere near the bottom, with a pair of wires connected to it - to change it, you'll need to drain the cooling system).

If the fan stays on continuously until the battery is completely flat, see what happens when you unplug the wires from the thermoswitch. If this stops the fan, you need to replace the thermoswitch. If it doesn't, then you need to examine the wiring associated with the switch and the fan, looking for damaged insulation.

A.

Without the model or make sound like a bad thermostat..check amps the the compressor and voltage... if the compressor is locking up or the thermostat cutting voltage to it..
Hope this helps