Chosen Solution
Hi all, I replaced the battery in my 2017 MBP 15 yesterday and now the system runs the fans at max and the CPU is used in excess of 500% by kernel_task. As per a different post here on iFixIt I loaded TG Pro which indicates a possible fault with the hard drive temperature sensor. This sensor is not serviceable except with a logic board replacement. I’ve already purchased a replacement PC complete. I’m wondering if there is a way to disable hard drive temperature sensing so this current PC is at least reasonably useful while I wait for the new computer to arrive.
I once asked this same question and have not yet found a solution for this. It is something that is baked into the firmware as far as I can tell, and it would need to be corrected in some form on the hardware level. I’m not entirely certain where the SSD temp sensor is on this model. And even so. I feel like the TG Pro label for that may be misleading since there are quite a few NAND packages on this board if it’s a high capacity drive, so having just 1 temp sensor for the SSD seems improbable. The board itself can likely be repaired by the correct person, if you’re feeling especially adventurous I would check and see if components on the board look loose, missing,or otherwise abnormal. It’s not unusual for some small component to be dislodged when taking the board out, or disconnecting connectors. EDIT: You may be able to get some information from system logs if you’re interested. https://logi.wiki/index.php/SMC_Sensor_C… has the full list of sensors and their corresponding Apple names. It does look like there are potentially a few SSD sensors. i will see if i can find some more info about that.
Temperature sensors never go bad, it’s either the SMC or depending on machines a mosfet gone bad.It’s fixable by a Pro but of course not on a do it yourself basis. You can disable the temperature check and relevant throttling by removing the kext file relevant to your machine but then you have to use a third party utility to engage and regulate fans in order not to overheat and burn up your CPU. It requires some time and work, but it’s a good trade-in to avoid a costly repair or a new logic board. Disabling the kext differs from version to version of the OS and not knowing what you’re running I’d recommend looking on the net for “IOPlatformPluginFamily.kext”, with a little patience you’ll find the right solution for your Mac Os version.
Let me put it more bluntly: You think the cars oil pressure sensor is bad, so you shorted it out, did you fix the problem? NO! Altering the hardware or disabling SMC’s ability to communicate with the OS so its sensor alarm is not seen (hence you don’t get bothered) really doesn’t fix things. Besides SMC will still reduce the CPU’s clocking! Figuring-out the root cause is always the best answer and fixing the issue.
