Xbox 360 Just Died!

[Tony9r]

Went to continue playing the fantastic Gears Of War last night, but the game kept freezing :o . Today I fired her up, and have now got the dreaded 3 red lights = hardware failure!!!

Found this news article on the web:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=67825

My console manufacture date is 02/11/05, so I rang the XBOX 360 customer service line, and they say I will need to pay for the repairs - £80.00... so I gave them the link to the article, which he read, but he then said they have no knowledge of this and to call back tomorrow after they have investigated further.Is this article for real?

Anybody else experienced probs with their console?

[Adie]

LOADS of people have had problems with the 360 and many are on their second or third console because of the 3 red lights. Have a look on the x box 360 forum mate. This has been covered loads of times and there are links to articles and even a watchdog report about it.

Mine kept freezing so after speaking to their "support" (on the phone for over an hour waiting), they had it to repair, just still in warrenty, but now I cant play my ipod on it or stream music through it.. Thanks MS :tsktsk:

[LexusIS200Sam]

My brother has the same problem with his Xbox360, Same warning lights. He brought it new and has only had it about 4months. Stick with sony and ya cant go wrong

[IRLRs200]

Yep same ***** just happened to mine, Found this link to a work around solution, but i would only try it if your console is out of warrnaty already! This first link shows a temporary solution.

Second shows how you caould do it yourself, if handy with circuits! Linky

[aido]

LOADS of people have had problems with the 360 and many are on their second or third console because of the 3 red lights. Have a look on the x box 360 forum mate. This has been covered loads of times and there are links to articles and even a watchdog report about it.

Mine kept freezing so after speaking to their "support" (on the phone for over an hour waiting), they had it to repair, just still in warrenty, but now I cant play my ipod on it or stream music through it.. Thanks MS :tsktsk:

Did you reinstall the iPod / AAC support stuff off the XBox Marketplace mate?

When did you actually buy the console Tony?

Not sure if that article applied just to the USA?

[Adie]

Did you reinstall the iPod / AAC support stuff off the XBox Marketplace mate?

Tried to. Went to download again. At 5% it says error and then gives me a code and to contact MS support or try again later

It reads the songs that are on there and lists them but wont let me actually play them. :duh:

[Tony9r]

LOADS of people have had problems with the 360 and many are on their second or third console because of the 3 red lights. Have a look on the x box 360 forum mate. This has been covered loads of times and there are links to articles and even a watchdog report about it.

Mine kept freezing so after speaking to their "support" (on the phone for over an hour waiting), they had it to repair, just still in warrenty, but now I cant play my ipod on it or stream music through it.. Thanks MS :tsktsk:

Did you reinstall the iPod / AAC support stuff off the XBox Marketplace mate?

When did you actually buy the console Tony?

Not sure if that article applied just to the USA?

I bought it back in December '05 on the official launch date.

Read on another forum that the pre 01/01/06 consoles are to have the original 90 day warranty extended to an extra 12 months?

If it just applies to America, then I will deffo put in a complaint when I ring customer support tomorrow

Found some other links stating the same fact:

ONE This one is on the UK site.

TWO

THREE

[aido]

Yeah you need the AAC / iPod support files otherwise it doesn't know what to do with the files, this might be like the Hexus download or whatever that game that came with the 360 is like, if you ever deleted that you were stuffed until MS unlocked it again, give them a quick call and get them to unlock it for you pal!

[Kazi]

Unusual for a Microsoft product to fail.....

Fingers crossed they stump up the bill mate....after all its not like they make money from the console anyway

[eXOBeX]

Three Red Lights Of Death can be fixed using a hot air gun and some foil.

Remove the GPU heatsink (the big flat one).

Insulate the connectors (and most of the board except the areas surrounding the RAM and GPU) with the foil, paying particular attention to the eject and pad-learn buttons as they melt easily (trust me, I know!).

Heat the board up using the gun for 2 minutes maximum. Keep the nozzle moving around, don't forget to do the underside (more RAM chips) too, but be careful not to squash those buttons at the front when you do so.

Now concentrate the heat on the chips themselves rather than the board, but still moving the nozzle around. Once again, 2 minutes maximum.

Let the machine cool down, then reassemble.

This method will fix error code 0102, and maybe others (got a 0110 error to fix this week sometime).

To get the error code:-

When the three red lights are flashing, hold the pad-learn button and press eject. The lights will start to rapidly flash either all four (0), one (1), two (2) or three (3) quadrants. This is the first digit of the error code.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the second digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the third digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the fourth digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will return to the three red lights of death.

[Tony9r]

Three Red Lights Of Death can be fixed using a hot air gun and some foil.

Remove the GPU heatsink (the big flat one).

Insulate the connectors (and most of the board except the areas surrounding the RAM and GPU) with the foil, paying particular attention to the eject and pad-learn buttons as they melt easily (trust me, I know!).

Heat the board up using the gun for 2 minutes maximum. Keep the nozzle moving around, don't forget to do the underside (more RAM chips) too, but be careful not to squash those buttons at the front when you do so.

Now concentrate the heat on the chips themselves rather than the board, but still moving the nozzle around. Once again, 2 minutes maximum.

Let the machine cool down, then reassemble.

This method will fix error code 0102, and maybe others (got a 0110 error to fix this week sometime).

To get the error code:-

When the three red lights are flashing, hold the pad-learn button and press eject. The lights will start to rapidly flash either all four (0), one (1), two (2) or three (3) quadrants. This is the first digit of the error code.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the second digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the third digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will give the fourth digit.

Keeping the pad-learn button down, press eject again, this will return to the three red lights of death.

Mmmm... seen the video HERE.

Might be my only way out!?!?

has the same problem *CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE*

[eXOBeX]

Go for it, what have you got to lose?

You'll need some jeweller's screwdrivers to pop the latches on the case (unless you cut your own release keys from a CD tub or buy the Xecuter case opening kit), a Torx 10 for most of the screws and a Torx 8 for the 8 screws holding the heatsinks and the 3 (pop the plastic off for the third) holding the front PCB.

[Pip]

LOADS of people have had problems with the 360 and many are on their second or third console because of the 3 red lights. Have a look on the x box 360 forum mate. This has been covered loads of times and there are links to articles and even a watchdog report about it.

Mine kept freezing so after speaking to their "support" (on the phone for over an hour waiting), they had it to repair, just still in warrenty, but now I cant play my ipod on it or stream music through it.. Thanks MS :tsktsk:

Did you reinstall the iPod / AAC support stuff off the XBox Marketplace mate?

When did you actually buy the console Tony?

Not sure if that article applied just to the USA?

I bought it back in December '05 on the official launch date.

Read on another forum that the pre 01/01/06 consoles are to have the original 90 day warranty extended to an extra 12 months?

If it just applies to America, then I will deffo put in a complaint when I ring customer support tomorrow

Found some other links stating the same fact:

ONE This one is on the UK site.

TWO

THREE

I too got my 360 on launch. I had to send mine back early last year because the piece of sh!t began failing to read discs. :tsktsk:

[Tony9r]

Just spoken to customer support again... they say that the pre 01/01/06 thing is a lie, 100% untrue?!?!?!

So wtf is going on???

[eXOBeX]

Extension of original 90 day warranty to 12 months will apply to USA only. UK buyers had a 12 month warranty anyway.

[Tony9r]

Extension of original 90 day warranty to 12 months will apply to USA only. UK buyers had a 12 month warranty anyway.

Would have been nice for them to tell me that, rather than call me a liar

[Tony9r]

Last weekend I thought b****R it, and ripped my beloved 360 apart

Monday I took the circuit board to a local audio/video shop, where I know the service man, and asked if he fixed these machines... he said no, but we went into his workshop, removed the GPU & CPU heatsinks and put the board on an infra-red machine which re-flows solder from top and bottom. After about 5 minutes @200 degrees on each chip I could physically see the solder re-flow

Put the console back together... IT WORKED!!! :) :) :)

Been playing GoW every night since... sorted! Be interesting to see how long it lasts :shutit: , at least it's good for now and didn't cost a penny :D :P

[Kazi]

Last weekend I thought b****R it, and ripped my beloved 360 apart

Monday I took the circuit board to a local audio/video shop, where I know the service man, and asked if he fixed these machines... he said no, but we went into his workshop, removed the GPU & CPU heatsinks and put the board on an infra-red machine which re-flows solder from top and bottom. After about 5 minutes @200 degrees on each chip I could physically see the solder re-flow

Put the console back together... IT WORKED!!! :) :) :)

Been playing GoW every night since... sorted! Be interesting to see how long it lasts :shutit: , at least it's good for now and didn't cost a penny :D :P

For what you pay for these things I think its disgusting how Microsh*t dont do more to help. My good old Nintendo still works! Its now getting for being 18 years old! :D

Good result though Tony9r