Aurora R4 overheating problem SOLVED!!!

Your welcome  , Happy to see my post helped you  

Thank you so much for posting this.

I have an Aurora R4 that is 2 months out of warranty with these exact symptoms.  

I figured out it was the pump, but unfortunately could not find anything online about repair or maintenance, and decided to just replace it.

In any case, I ordered a replacement from a 3rd party and fixed the problem ($150 later)

I have my original part and will break it down and see if it the same issue.

/begin rant

Even though I just wanted to order a replacement part, Dell would literally not talk to me by phone or respond to email since my $2.8k computer was 60 days out of warranty (no response for 2 weeks)

Since I explained this was a serious heat failure to the CPU, I can only suppose they hope you just cook it and have to buy another system.

I have been buying Dell systems for my family almost exclusively for 10 year (including the first gen XPS laptop), I currently own two Auroras and two XPS 13 laptops.

Given that Dell had no regard for me as a customer or the slightest inclination to address a serious part performance defect, this is sadly my last Dell.

/end rant

I bought my Aurora a little over a year ago and it just recently started to roar, too.  Of course my warranty was up last month; so, I began to research online what the issue might be and came across your thread.  Sure enough, my cooling system was clogged.  I went out and bought a Corsair Hydro Series H55 cooling system from Best Buy for 70 bucks.  With very few adjustments (I simply didn't use the washers that attached the fan and radiator to the back and installed the fan backwards,  as exhaust, like the Nidec fan that was attached to my Asetek radiator) I was able to fix my system and bring my temperatures down from 105 Celsius to 40-50 Celsius. 

Note:  I have very little computer assembly/disassembly skill (hence, the reason I bought an Alienware instead of putting my own kit together on TigerDirect like the rest of my friends), yet I was able to figure out how to install the Corsair fan listed above.

Thank you for posting this thread! I know that we are not alone...just google "Aurora R4 overheating" and you will see the mess of people complaining about this.  I'm very happy with my Alienware, otherwise.

my Aurora R4 is overheating,  stops and starts, some times i get a black screen at start up. power bution sticks. lights change or turn off. I have 44 days before warent expirer. but i dont know were i boought it from, becuse my paper work is in an old pc, that will not start up.. so i can copy it from my email, and know were to send my pc for repair.  

If it's still under warranty call Alienware Tech Support, give them the service tag number, your name etc. and they should have it on file. Which country you bought the computer and live in may make a difference.

Thanks for the post on this Goldfire.

Turns out I'd the same issue; followed your guide and was able to resolve issue.

Cheers mate!

Wayne3842,

There are many complaints, but those complaints are not translating into part dispatches. Because of this "non-translation", there are not enough Liquid Cooling units being replaced in the field for Dell to define this as a systemic issue. I will of course send this data up the line to the Alienware team.

For systems still under warranty, we will replace the Liquid Cooling unit 5560W.

For out of warranty systems, the user will need to either buy part number 5560W:
http://www.impactcomputers.com/5560w.html

Or replace it with a 3rd party Liquid Cooling unit:
http://www.corsair.com/en/cpu-cooling-kits/hydro-series-water-cooling-cpu-cooler/hydro-series-h55-quiet-cpu-cooler.html

Thanks for the replay, Chris. I am not too worried about my setup as I have a 3 year extended warranty and it looks like the trouble starts at about 14 months, Mine is 9 months old now, but will still keep an eye on things. Dell/Alienware as always given me excellent service when it comes to replacing bad parts.

For out of warranty systems, the user will need to either buy part number 5560W: http://www.impactcomputers.com/5560w.html

These are used parts (probably about as good as the one they already have).

Customers need an easy way to buy a NEW exact replacement Dell-Alienware part.

While the Corsair part you linked to might work in some fashion, there is no easy way to interface it to MIO-Board so it will show up in Command Center Thermal Controls.

Tesla1856. I totally agree with everything you are saying. After reading all the troubles people are having with these liquid cooled units I expect I will have that same problem. I have a 3 year warranty so the cost is not a issue now, but can I expect to have the unit replaced every year or so because of a manufactures defect? Then, what happens after my warranty runs out? I appreciate Chris M giving his input and what can be done and what parts can be used, but to me that's just a band aid and not a solution if that same part is put in only to fail in X number of months. I too wondered about that Corsair unit working right with the Aurora R4. Thanks for your thoughts on that.

Hi, i did not change the liquid because i had nothing to remplace it when i opened my pump. I just held the pump verticaly and i almost lost no liquid but i know i am going to have to change it one day. I will probably make my own coolant with distilled water.

If you chose distilled water, check this article http://www.overclockers.com/pc-water-coolant-chemistry-part-ii/  

Goldfire

Great! - Thanks for the tip, and for the thread.

I'll update with some pics when I take a look later!

Nick

Hi there -

I've got an R4 also, and I suspect this has happened to my Liquid cooler, too - The symptoms are near-identical:

One hose cool, the other blisteringly hot -

Temps of 100+ deg C (with minimal CPU-usage)

14 months old (and JUST out of warranty)

I wanted to ask you, when you cleaned the filter, what did you re-fill  the cooling loop with?

distilled water, or a branded coolant?

Thanks.

Nick.