Chosen Solution
I have a 2011 MBP that I am working on right now to fix the display as it is broken. While working on it I set it aside to charge up. I noticed that the fan will come on full blast for 5-6 seconds and then turn off completely, and It happens at least 4-5 times per 20 min. The machine is cold so this puzzles me. I tried doing a SMC reset but to no avail. Is this normal and if not do you have any advice? UPDATE: The owner of the MBP said he uses Macs Fan Control for when he plays games to regulate the temperature, I don’t know if that makes a difference or not. @danj I tried to download and test the temperature sensors but I have to pay in order to do the testing.
Did you try resetting SMC? I would give that a try. I’ve noted my system often does this when I’ve used it and its still a bit warm. As you are stating it was cold, you might have a sensor issue. I would give TG Pro a try to see if the sensors are working correctly. Or, it just maybe something was still warm enough for the system to want to cool things before powering down which you didn’t sense your self.
