Ps3 gets YLOD???? oh noez!

[Groo The Perverted]

So my buddy has been using my old PS3 Fat (bought it in 2008, not an OG 60GB one), and everything has been good. He keeps good care of it, and vacuums it out every now and then.

Today he said it gave him the YLOD. He said he was in the middle of creating a player on Madden 13 and it just beeped three times fast and shut off.

Then when he tried to turn it back on it beeped a few times again and flashed yellow and is blinking red (or flashed red and is blinking yellow...kinda blanking on that part at the moment as I'm typing).

Now he said there was a whirring sound or whatever when he started it up but it would just shut back down.

Is this just an overheating issue, or is it worse? What are the remedies for fixing this (locally, that is).

He's on a limited income as it is and I sold that to him a few years back for $150 and let him pay me in installments, so he can't afford to just go out and buy a new one or send it off for an expensive repair.

Please help out if you can, with information.

[Septimus Prime]

I had a really good experience with ps3repairshop.com and its reballing service, which was $99 (but I had to pay for shipping). I think they do reflow for cheaper, but it's not a very reliable fix, I hear.

[Clark Kent]

It's a tough call, reflowing YLOD systems really just pushes back the date a PS3 becomes garbage. Those older PS3s were simply not manufactured well enough to handle years of videogame playing.

[bluearth]

Originally Posted by Groo The Perverted

So my buddy has been using my old PS3 Fat (bought it in 2008, not an OG 60GB one), and everything has been good. He keeps good care of it, and vacuums it out every now and then.

Today he said it gave him the YLOD. He said he was in the middle of creating a player on Madden 13 and it just beeped three times fast and shut off.

Then when he tried to turn it back on it beeped a few times again and flashed yellow and is blinking red (or flashed red and is blinking yellow...kinda blanking on that part at the moment as I'm typing).

Now he said there was a whirring sound or whatever when he started it up but it would just shut back down.

Is this just an overheating issue, or is it worse? What are the remedies for fixing this (locally, that is).

He's on a limited income as it is and I sold that to him a few years back for $150 and let him pay me in installments, so he can't afford to just go out and buy a new one or send it off for an expensive repair.

Please help out if you can, with information.

Its an overheating issue that has done permanent damage that can be temporarily fixed.

Theres a do it yourself fix thats possible with $30 of equipment. It worked for me but it kept breaking down within a week after every fix. I sent it in and got a refurbished fat PS3 (3 month warranty), but it died after 6 months. YLOD again.

I suggest getting a new slim. You should be able to sell a YLOD PS3 on ebay for some money as the fix does work, but its temporary, and extremely annoying.

[beadelf]

happend to my old ps3! make sure you get disc out if you can, i smashed mine apart and got a new one.

YLOD= time for a new ps3

[dereksworl]

Originally Posted by bluearth

Its an overheating issue that has done permanent damage that can be temporarily fixed.

Theres a do it yourself fix thats possible with $30 of equipment. It worked for me but it kept breaking down within a week after every fix. I sent it in and got a refurbished fat PS3 (3 month warranty), but it died after 6 months. YLOD again.

I suggest getting a new slim. You should be able to sell a YLOD PS3 on ebay for some money as the fix does work, but its temporary, and extremely annoying.

Correct. YLoD is usually caused by overheating, which causes the GPU and/or the CPU to separate from the motherboard. The reflow process is pretty easy, but it is just temporary. I reflowed my old 60GB about 3 or 4 times, each time it only lasted about 6 months. you can do a couple things combat the overheating a little. you can swap out the Heatsink for the heatsink in 80GB or 40GB models. they are a bit better(larger?) than the older heatsinks. also you can buy an intercooler that has its own power supply(that doesnt run off the PS3).

[MoulinBlu]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

It's a tough call, reflowing YLOD systems really just pushes back the date a PS3 becomes garbage. Those older PS3s were simply not manufactured well enough to handle years of videogame playing.

I agree, but the "not manufactured well enough" part bears elaboration. The older fats are better built than the slims: better, more expensive components, better design. In electronics, getting the price down is as much, if not more, about cutting corners than increasing production consistencies and speeds. The older fats are even ventilated better than the slims, but they generate a lot more heat. The YLOD is solely a consequence of manufacturers choosing to use lead-free solder in their products for the sake of PR. It's completely unnecessary, unwarranted, and degrades the products longevity; but hey, it looks good to investors, politicians, and consumers who don't know any better. The slims use lead-free solder too, so they are not immune to YLOD, as has been well reported online, but their lower heat generation helps, despite poorer ventilation.

Supposedly reballing with traditional lead-based solder is a more permanent fix than reflowing, but the verdict is still out just how long it'll last and may depend more on the quality of the service than the solder itself. Which isn't cheap, and is harder to justify for the newer fats - which dropped backwards compatibility and I believe cut a few other corners - than the original launch models. Many people get the YLOD and optical failure at the same time, or soon after, too, so there's an added risk of even more expense, should you opt for repair over replacement. IMO, reballing is only worth it for the more collectible first gen models, if that. I wouldn't even waste my money on a cheaper reflow, unless you just want to get it running long enough to transfer your data or something. Some have reported reflows lasting as much as a year, but most only last a month or so at best. Mine lasted about 30 hours of use, despite going with one of the more expensive and respectable servicers online. From what I've read from those who've tried them, the DIY fixes usually last a couple weeks at best, sometimes for as little as a few minutes, if they work at all.

If money is tight, trading it in on a refurbished slim from Sony is probably the safest bet, and possibly even cheaper than buying something used on ebay.

[Groo The Perverted]

I'm actually buying him a new model Slim. The Amazon bundle which comes with Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale or whatever it's called, and the R&C collection.

I'll get the games (because he's not into those types of games) and he can get him a brand new Ps3 this time.

It's only $279 and change, so....I told him I know I'd be freaking the hell out if that happened to me, so...I wanted to do him a solid.

The national nightmare is almost over. lol

[MoulinBlu]

Originally Posted by Groo The Perverted

I'm actually buying him a new model Slim. The Amazon bundle which comes with Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale or whatever it's called, and the R&C collection.

I'll get the games (because he's not into those types of games) and he can get him a brand new Ps3 this time.

It's only $279 and change, so....I told him I know I'd be freaking the hell out if that happened to me, so...I wanted to do him a solid.

The national nightmare is almost over. lol

That's extremely generous of you.

[Bodyslide]

Originally Posted by Groo The Perverted

I'm actually buying him a new model Slim. The Amazon bundle which comes with Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale or whatever it's called, and the R&C collection.

I'll get the games (because he's not into those types of games) and he can get him a brand new Ps3 this time.

It's only $279 and change, so....I told him I know I'd be freaking the hell out if that happened to me, so...I wanted to do him a solid.

The national nightmare is almost over. lol

Wait until March and get him the new Red God Of War system and you keep those games...

[Groo The Perverted]

Originally Posted by Bodyslide

Wait until March and get him the new Red God Of War system and you keep those games...

I already have all the GOW games. lol.

I ordered it already, anyway. Will be here tomorrow. He thinks it won't be here til Tuesday.

[Midnight Rambler]

Originally Posted by MoulinBlu

I agree, but the "not manufactured well enough" part bears elaboration. The older fats are better built than the slims: better, more expensive components, better design. In electronics, getting the price down is as much, if not more, about cutting corners than increasing production consistencies and speeds. The older fats are even ventilated better than the slims, but they generate a lot more heat. The YLOD is solely a consequence of manufacturers choosing to use lead-free solder in their products for the sake of PR. It's completely unnecessary, unwarranted, and degrades the products longevity; but hey, it looks good to investors, politicians, and consumers who don't know any better. The slims use lead-free solder too, so they are not immune to YLOD, as has been well reported online, but their lower heat generation helps, despite poorer ventilation.

Supposedly reballing with traditional lead-based solder is a more permanent fix than reflowing, but the verdict is still out just how long it'll last and may depend more on the quality of the service than the solder itself. Which isn't cheap, and is harder to justify for the newer fats - which dropped backwards compatibility and I believe cut a few other corners - than the original launch models. Many people get the YLOD and optical failure at the same time, or soon after, too, so there's an added risk of even more expense, should you opt for repair over replacement. IMO, reballing is only worth it for the more collectible first gen models, if that. I wouldn't even waste my money on a cheaper reflow, unless you just want to get it running long enough to transfer your data or something. Some have reported reflows lasting as much as a year, but most only last a month or so at best. Mine lasted about 30 hours of use, despite going with one of the more expensive and respectable servicers online. From what I've read from those who've tried them, the DIY fixes usually last a couple weeks at best, sometimes for as little as a few minutes, if they work at all.

If money is tight, trading it in on a refurbished slim from Sony is probably the safest bet, and possibly even cheaper than buying something used on ebay.

Your tech knowledge is dead-on and impressive, but your anti-gov rhetoric about lead is waaay off. Have you (or anyone you know) ever had lead poisoning ? I doubt it, otherwise you wouldn't be ranting. You wouldn't want your worst enemy to experience it ...

[Bodyslide]

I would try and fix it your self then sale it to gamestop, once it's sorta working...HA HA

[Groo The Perverted]

Originally Posted by Bodyslide

I would try and fix it your self then sale it to gamestop, once it's sorta working...HA HA

ha ha. I would, but it's his PS3 (formerly mine) so I think he already told someone else they can have it. We'll swap out the HD's though. His HD in the old one is 500GB and the new one is 250

[MoulinBlu]

Originally Posted by Midnight Rambler

Your tech knowledge is dead-on and impressive, but your anti-gov rhetoric about lead is waaay off. Have you (or anyone you know) ever had lead poisoning ? I doubt it, otherwise you wouldn't be ranting. You wouldn't want your worst enemy to experience it ...

Lead poisoning is a very serious concern in some venues indeed, construction and gunshot wounds in various occupations and/or lifestyles being the chief among them, which I'm fairly familiar with both - not that I've had lead poisoning from old paint or been shot myself, but I've know some who have, as well as having completed a number of OSHA and related job-site safety courses and law enforcement geared first responder and other very basic medical training - but I fail to see how using lead-based solder inside electronics is any remote health risk - unless you're talking about some third world countries where old electronics are sometimes dumped to be scavenged for parts to sell, in which case reducing the longevity of modern, ever more expensive, electronics is a bandaid on a broken leg. It's passing the buck at best.

[West E]

i've been weary of this. I have the 80gig MGS4 PS3 model. When the fan starts to sound like a jet I turn off the PS3 for an hour. It's worked for me so far for 5 years.

[silversnake]

Any fix you will do will just prolong the inevitable unfortunately. Mine YLOD and then was fixed (had my extended warranty at FS) and it lasted 6 more months but it definitely wasn't as stable as before.

It makes more sense to spend that $ on a new one then fixing it IMO.

Originally Posted by Groo The Perverted

ha ha. I would, but it's his PS3 (formerly mine) so I think he already told someone else they can have it. We'll swap out the HD's though. His HD in the old one is 500GB and the new one is 250

Just know that when you put the HD in the PS3 it will ask you to format it as soon as you boot it up. You can't just swap out HD without formatting.

[Groo The Perverted]

Originally Posted by silversnake

Just know that when you put the HD in the PS3 it will ask you to format it as soon as you boot it up. You can't just swap out HD without formatting.

Yeah. He's pissed he has to redownload everything (about a month or two after doing that when he upgraded hard drives. lol. )

[MoulinBlu]

Originally Posted by silversnake

Any fix you will do will just prolong the inevitable unfortunately. Mine YLOD and then was fixed (had my extended warranty at FS) and it lasted 6 more months but it definitely wasn't as stable as before.

It makes more sense to spend that $ on a new one then fixing it IMO.



Just know that when you put the HD in the PS3 it will ask you to format it as soon as you boot it up. You can't just swap out HD without formatting.

As already stated there are two different fixes, both relatively costly, but the more expensive of the two is supposed to potentially be more reliable than a new unit, at least where YLOD is concerned. Did you have yours fully reballed or just reflowed? Just curious, as I'm still debating having my original launch model reballed, as the reflow only lasted me a couple weeks. If an actual reball might only last 6 months, that'll definitely rule out that option.

[dwane5]

sony may replace it with a refurb for $99 give them a call. if it hasnt been opened they may swap it out for free.