How To Fix the Xbox 360 Red Light Error Yourself
Posted: Wednesday, October 03, 2007
by Jeffery Fairow
If you are reading this chances are you where playing one of your favorite games and it started with the freezing ups. So you had to reset and play again. Then one day the screen went blank only when you reset it this time you get the Xbox 360 red light error.
This problem is happening on a daily basis all over the world. This is the reason Microsoft extended their warranty to three years and had to set aside a billion dollar budget. They really dropped the ball on this one and left a lot of us frustrated. Especially some die hard Halo fans.
When you get your coffin you'll have to ship it of and wait and wait. And after your finished waiting, wait some more. This is due to the large number of consoles they have to repair. If your Box 360 is registered you can go online and check the status of your repair order but it will not speed up the process.
I know what the problem is and why theses consoles are failing. Heat is their worst enemy. The Xbox 360 gets so hot inside you can literally fry an egg on the heat sink. Inside the consoles are two heat sinks, one for the CPU ( Central Processing Unit) which is the brains of the system. And one for the GPU ( Graphics Processing Unit ) that produces all those mind blowing images you love.
The heat sinks become so hot that they melt the thermal compound between the processing units and the heat sinks. When this happens the processing units come in direct contact with the heat sinks resulting in general hardware failure. That is the main reason why you get the Xbox 360 red light error.
The excess heat also causes the motherboard to flex. When this happens it causes solder joints to become loose. There are two clamps called X-clamps that hold the heat sinks in place. They don't do such a good job and there replacements sold online, but I have another method I use that works as well and It's free.
The Xbox 360 red light error are easy to repair. I have modified and repaired several consoles since this problem has surfaced. I am no computer wiz or anything. I just like to tinker with things around the house. If you don't feel comfortable opening the console then don't. Send it to Microsoft and let them fix it. But be prepared to wait awhile because there are a lot of consoles are breaking down.
There is a a Step by Step guide complete with pictures and everything that walks you through the Xbox 360 red light error. CLICK HERE!
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)yeah very helpful im just wonder have you got a step by step guide of how to do it coz i wanna fix it myself not wait along time for ir to get send bak so if u added a step by step guide to fix it that would be coolI feel your pain. - Had the same problem and ended up fixing it myself...It was quite easy - but only if you have a guide to tell you what to do....I would recommend the guide from x-box360redlightfix. My friends have used as well. and no problems for them as well... good luck =)ok i had the bottom right light only with e74 error and was told by a friend to put something in the back of xbox to stop the fans from spinning (toothpick,cotton bud)and turn on for ten minutes then turn off and leave for another ten minutes to cool down.i did it then my xbox was alive again.
Just send console back to Microsoft, they replaced ours within 10 days with a brand new console at no charge. Couldn't be happier, they also sent a complimentary gold card for 1 month.
The dogs bollocks.... Just done the toothpick jobby, worked a treat.. Cheers....................................
Cool. I'm gonna do just that, fix it myself. Thanks for the article.
Great article! I have to say though, it really makes me upset knowing that Microsoft knew about this malfunction before even releasing the system to the public. Bring it to Microsoft, or do it yourself? Do it yourself, no question about it.
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