Sony TA-VE170 Protect Mode and Fan

This amplifier can trip into protect mode if the cooling fan fails. The designers have thoughtfully incorporated a protection mechanism to prevent the amplifier from operating if the fan stopped working.

The DC brushless fan used here is very reliable and made by the Sunon Company. However, being an electromechanical part, it has a finite life before its bearings wear out.

This fan is supposed to be very silent, however if you find that your fan is becoming noisy, then an engineer may need to clean all the vent holes of the accumulated dust. If cleaning away the dust does not help then a replacement fan may be necessary.

If the fan is worn out, or sticking due to dust, then this may result in the amplifier flashing the protect mode message. This problem will have to be resolved before the amplifier comes out of this mode.

Cleaning the bearings with a good electrical cleaner will go a long way to reducing the noise and making the fan operable again, however sometimes, it is temporary, and a replacement fan will be necessary.

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