Gateway NX860XL - Second fan error

I have a Gateway NX860XL and the second fan stopped working a few months ago.The error was "02FB Second fan error!!" And it won't turn on (obviously). So, I ordered a new fan and replaced it. It worked great when I first turned it on. The battery died so I plugged it in to charge. When I turned it back on, the error came up again!

I was able to chat with a tech and he told me to perform a power drain. Before I did so, I turned it on once more and it worked with no error. I restarted and it worked again. I informed the tech and he suggested I perform a power drain anyway. I did (stupidly) and when I turned it back on, the error came up again. I chatted with another tech and he told me to download an application to update/(flash?) the BIOS and put it onto a CD. Which I did and of course my laptop wouldn't boot it.

What could the problem be? It's the second fan... the smaller one. It also has shiny black pad underneath it. Is that a thermal pad? It has a slight tear in it, could that be the problem?