I've had my Wii U for more than a year now. I've used it fairly frequently, and for some time now I've noticed that it will make periodic clicking noises. These are fairly faint, not so loud that they are immediately alarming, but loud enough so that I can usually hear them over the TV.
These clicking noises come in two forms, which makes me think they have two different causes.
First, the console will click soon after it is turned on and when I start playing. This happens whether or not there is a disk in the system, so I don't believe the disk drive is at fault. The clicking will occur every few minutes at first and then gradually subside. If I have the Wii U on long enough, it will stop altogether. It makes me think that the sound may be due to the Wii U heating up and causing the plastic case to expand slightly. I have noticed that when I put a disk in after playing a Virtual Console title, the clicking tends to pick up. I assume this is because the system is working harder. The system also cliks for a bit after I turn it off, while it is presumably cooling down.
If this were the only cause of the noise, I probably wouldn't think much of it. But I've also noticed that the system make a similar sound when the red light becomes yellow, signaling that it is checking for spotpasses. In addition, I've heard clicks coming from the machine on evenings when I haven't used it at all. These tend to happen at roughly the same time every night, and even though I don't see the light change, I assume the console is checking the Internet.
And yet, this is happening while the system is off. There shouldn't be any moving parts making any noises, so what gives? Is there some kind of switch in there?
I should note that my WIi U has worked fine the whole time I've had it. It's only frozen once while opening the Netflix app, and I think that was due to a recent Netflix update. Other than that, there have been no crashes or any other issues. I suppose I sound paranoid, but it's only because Nintendo's digital policies are bare-bones enough that I am overly concerned about my console dying and losing all my save data (Sorry Nintendo, I love you, but serious, get it together on the whole Internet thing).
Has anyone else experienced noises like this coming from the console? If it's a common thing, I suppose it's no big deal. I'd really prefer to not have to go through the hassle of getting the console repaired or replaced.
Any input would be appreciated.