Tips, Tricks and Fixes

[Thegemte]

PS3 original my pet hate is that the fan clean function the 40gb offered on later models didn't work so i have had to use a vacuum on the original PS3, whilst fan clean mode on the other. Quite irrating.

I have noticed the original locking up as of late, which is a concern.

[paul0908]

my 60gb ps3 got the yellow light of death afew days ago with a game stuck in it i was gutted, even more so as its region A coded and im from the uk, but i did the heat gun trick that i followed on youtube and to my suprise it worked not only have i got my game out its working again so ive been able to back up my data, ive watched 3 films on it since the heat gun trick and still its ok, even if it only lasts a couple of months and i have to keep doing the heat gun trick it still saves me money for the time being

[Frank White]

Originally Posted by paul0908

my 60gb ps3 got the yellow light of death afew days ago with a game stuck in it i was gutted, even more so as its region A coded and im from the uk, but i did the heat gun trick that i followed on youtube and to my suprise it worked not only have i got my game out its working again so ive been able to back up my data, ive watched 3 films on it since the heat gun trick and still its ok, even if it only lasts a couple of months and i have to keep doing the heat gun trick it still saves me money for the time being

hey paul, i saw that vid on youtube. how long did it take you to do it? i was thinkin of doing that trick instead of wasting $150.

[chnandler_bong]

Originally Posted by Chernman

I tried holding the button and it just initiates another boot attempt which gets me the green/yellow quick flash then flashing red. Once it is flashing red I hold it down and it gets me back to a solid red.

Again, thanks for the help. I am going to go ahead with sending it in. I'll post an update once they tell me the issue.

I'm still having the issue described in my original post, and I'm too cheap to send it in to Sony.

I've decided I have nothing to lose by opening it up and taking a look around, but I'm having difficulty removing the screw keeping the cover in place (on the left side under the rubber foot). It is a Torx screw with a piece of metal sticking up in the middle of it that would prevent a regular Torx screw from taking it out. What kind of tool can I use to remove this screw?

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Frank White

hey paul, i saw that vid on youtube. how long did it take you to do it? i was thinkin of doing that trick instead of wasting $150.

Six hours. The bulk of it is disassembling and cleaning as you go. It's amazing how much dust can get inside. The reflow process is really short. Look for my post on extra tips.

Originally Posted by chnandler_bong

I've decided I have nothing to lose by opening it up and taking a look around, but I'm having difficulty removing the screw keeping the cover in place (on the left side under the rubber foot). It is a Torx screw with a piece of metal sticking up in the middle of it that would prevent a regular Torx screw from taking it out. What kind of tool can I use to remove this screw?

You don't take the TORX screw out. Once you have unscrewed it, you can SLIDE the top cover DOWN (put the PS3 horizontally) and then LIFT the cover UP.

IMPORTANT: The TORX screw and a metal clip is the vice that keeps the top cover in place. So before you remove any other screws, take time to note how the screw and clip is put together in their slot.

Another tip: I use lots of masking tape in the disassembly. I use it to hold each screw near the hole that I took it out of. That way I don't get confused which screw goes to where.


fuad

[SPH]

Originally Posted by RiseDarthVader

This sound like static problems. So you beleive he started having problems after vacuuming it, static shocks. The vacuum cleaner might have introduced a static shock through the vents therefore. Possibly frying a part. Like how you need to ground yourself before touching the inside of a computer or PC parts.

Could possibly be.

[Cinemaddict]

My 40GB PS3 started giving me the yellow light of death yesterday. I am considering doing the fix myself, following the YouTube video.

How do I know if I am qualified? I'm a Telecommunications major, so I spend a lot of time around audio/video equipment, and I'm really good at hooking stuff up, but I've never actually taken anything apart before. The video instructions look pretty clear, but I'm a little nervous about my PS3 being in 12 pieces on my bedroom floor.

What kind of thermal grease should I use? Will this work?: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1075583463530

[Marine Mike]

Originally Posted by Cinemaddict

My 40GB PS3 starting giving me the yellow light of death yesterday. I am considering doing the fix myself, following the YouTube video.

How do I know if I am qualified? I'm a Telecommunications major and I'm really good at hooking stuff up, but I've never actually taken anything apart before.

Kinda nervous. The video of the guy's PS3 in 12 pieces gave me chills.

Its really how well you are with following detailed instructions and following some intuition if something doesn't match up regardless of the nature.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Cinemaddict

The video instructions look pretty clear, but I'm a little nervous about my PS3 being in 12 pieces on my bedroom floor.

As I said in my previous post, use masking tape. The screws won't be cluttered and you can move the parts off your work area until they are needed for re-assembly.

What kind of thermal grease should I use? Will this work?: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1075583463530

I've used two types of thermal paste. The PC one looks like the above but the one for the PS3 is by Cooler Master.

Maybe I should consolidate my experience and tips, put 'em in a post and then provide a link on my SIG.


fuad

[Marine Mike]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

As I said in my previous post, use masking tape. The screws won't be cluttered and you can move the parts off your work area until they are needed for re-assembly.

I've used two types of thermal paste. The PC one looks like the above but the one for the PS3 is by Cooler Master.

Maybe I should consolidate my experience and tips, put 'em in a post and then provide a link on my SIG.


fuad

Let me know if you do this and I'll post that as a link on the OP under the YLOD fix.

[Cinemaddict]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

Six hours. The bulk of it is disassembling and cleaning as you go. It's amazing how much dust can get inside. The reflow process is really short.

Yikes. Six hours?

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

I've used two types of thermal paste. The PC one looks like the above but the one for the PS3 is by Cooler Master.

So the one I linked won't work? Where can I buy the correct one?

[chnandler_bong]

Originally Posted by WriteSimply

You don't take the TORX screw out. Once you have unscrewed it, you can SLIDE the top cover DOWN (put the PS3 horizontally) and then LIFT the cover UP.

IMPORTANT: The TORX screw and a metal clip is the vice that keeps the top cover in place. So before you remove any other screws, take time to note how the screw and clip is put together in their slot.

Another tip: I use lots of masking tape in the disassembly. I use it to hold each screw near the hole that I took it out of. That way I don't get confused which screw goes to where.


fuad

By remove I mean unscrew or whatever action is required to remove the cover from the top of the PS3.

I just purchased the 32pc 3" Security Bit Set by Performance Tool (Item number W8659, linky), but none of the "Holy TORX bits" fit the screw in the PS3, so my search continues.

EDIT: OK it's me, I am the problem. I just used one of the smaller bits in the set and it grabbed on to the screw just fine. Now to move on to something more interesting, like ripping out some PS3 guts!

[Cinemaddict]

What exactly does the heat gun accomplish? How does heating the board up solve the problem? And what about the thermal grease?

Just wondering.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Cinemaddict

What exactly does the heat gun accomplish? How does heating the board up solve the problem? And what about the thermal grease?

The heat gun is used to heat up - slowly - the soldering iron that connects the electronic parts to the motherboard. For some reason, some components pins is disconnected from the mobo due to heat melting the solder iron. This happens over time. Heating the board and chips MAY make the pins to come into contact again.

The thermal grease/paste does not come into play at all. You have to remove the thermal grease/paste COMPLETELY before you attempt the reflow. Once the heating is done and the mobo is cooled, you apply a fresh slab of thermal grease/paste.

Two weeks after reflow and my PS3 is still running.


fuad

[Rike255]

Me too, I actually bought some better quality thermal paste and changed the application method, I only put a bead on, instead of spreading it like the guy does in the video. I seem to be getting much better heat transfer that way. (The bead was approximately the size of a grain of rice, so VERY little used).

Since the vast majority of heat from the cpu is transferred directly overtop of the cpu, there really is no need to spread the thermal paste over all four corners of the cover. As I explained in one of my previous posts, the amount of thermal paste used should be minimal so as to not reduce the surface to surface contact between the cpu and the heatsink (Thermal paste, even the best stuff, has a lower heat transfer rating then metal to metal contact).
I just did this last night, I'll let you know if I run into any problems.

[Cinemaddict]

AHHHHHHHHH

I just finished....I turned it on and the yellow light is gone....but nothing came on the screen! Then the fan started going crazy fast! Suggestions??

[Rike255]

Originally Posted by Cinemaddict

AHHHHHHHHH

I just finished....I turned it on and the yellow light is gone....but nothing came on the screen! Then the fan started going crazy fast! Suggestions??

Sounds like your CPU overheated. Be very careful that you secure the heatsink correctly/install the fan (you obviously did), and use thermal paste correctly or the CPU will overheat. (A CPU can easily be permanently damage itself in as little as ten seconds if it can't dissipate heat)

The two metal plates that pull the heatsink into the cpu/gpu are extremely important. Make sure the screws are in all the way (but don't twist too hard, they're not very thick and can snap off easily).

As for nothing coming on the screen, I don't know what happened there, CPU overheating you should still see something on screen.

[WriteSimply]

Originally Posted by Cinemaddict

I just finished....I turned it on and the yellow light is gone....but nothing came on the screen! Then the fan started going crazy fast! Suggestions??

Nothing else but another disassembly. Doesn't sound like the RSX is not reflowed well.


fuad

[Cinemaddict]

Phew! All is well now. PS3 working great!

I took it over to my computer-engineering-major friend and repeated the process under his supervision. He determined I had not used enough thermal grease, and a few important screws weren't tight enough.

Thanks everyone!

I filmed the process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o19wnN0nPAQ

[RiseDarthVader]

Just watched the video. I actually found it weird your problem was too little thermal paste. Because usually you wouldn't put so much on a CPU in a computer for example. But yeah awesome news its fixed.