How to avoid the red lights

[Raff]

I thought I'd share this with you, it fits in neatly with other stuff I've read.

This was posted by somone on Rllmukforum, the 80+ page long thread in which people post their red light hell.

I have repaired a fair few with a heatgun to the gpu and ram chips.My own machine around half a dozen times, I think I posted this before a couple of months ago in this thread and the machine is still going strong.

After looking how I use the machine after each fix this is what I do now (and the machine has been fine since before xmas, with needing the heatgun at least once a month for 5 months before doing the below)

1.Keep the machine horizontal.
2.Dont switch the machine of/on several times a day,I switch mine on once and leave it on until I'm off to bed.
3.After playing a game leave the machine on for around half an hour before switching off.

It may be bollocks and I may have touched lucky but it looks to me like the gpu and ram chips have been ----ly baked to the motherboard.
Bad enough to break after heating up once or taking several months to detariate, just the luck of the draw.

So basicly I keep it in the position that gravity keeps the chips seated and let the console cool down via the fan after a game has heated the gpu etc.

I realy think there is something (heat) that stresses the chips. As seen in a lot of people getting the rings after the gpu gets a good workout (extra heat/stress) in graphicaly intense games such as dead rising etc and in the console being heated up quickly via a game then switched off straight away(rapidly cooling)

I'm sure switching the console off and on to much and switching off to soon after playing a game as opposed to cooling just sat at the dash can create stress to the chips connection to the mobo.

Its a ----ty state of affairs when you need to treat a gamesconsole with such kid gloves but after doing the above its been flawless for over 4 months (it needed fixing every month for several months before hand)

Like I say its just an observation with dealing with a lot of rrod machines.

In the 360 elite, they appear to have done little more than add some glue to keep the chips down.

It's not conclusive, but I thought you guys migth want to hear it.

Source (http://www.rllmukforum.com/index.php?showtopic=112431&st=1900&start=1900)

[HotFish]

He's my advice - dont play it no problems....but seriously switching it on once and leaving it on all day...hmmm just ask RBF that. He popped out with his brother one day forgetting to switch his off meaning it spent the best part of 12 hours on...within a day or so gone.

As with vertical or horizontal that's personal preference..but having had 4 failures myself i had my last refurb model always vertical having previously had them lying flat and it never put a foot wrong bar games crashing it once in a blue moon (RB6).

I also bought a spare core model and had that vertical and it also was faultless....you decide

[AfroJoe]

If mine is on for more than 4 or 5 hours it starts to get really, really hot. So I don't think I'll be following the "keep it on all day" plan.

Maybe I would have on my previous 360, which didn't really get hot at all. But on this one... no chance.

[Raff]

I don't think he means keep it on all day, just turn it off and on as little as possible. So if you play with it for a bit, and you think you're going to want to again in a couple of hours time, just leave it on dasboard to cool down steadily with it's fans.

The V/H thing is probably negligable, it just makes sense to assume that gravity holding the chip down might have some effect. I wouldn't worry too much about that, although I don't know how anybody could endure the amount of noise it makes whilst vertical...

[fincheyboy]

I dont know if its on here....but i once saw a picture and an article about someone trying to "sweat out" the problem. They ran it wrapped up in towels and ----....I ws like WTF

[padds78]

That towel is a bull ---- thing and that would do nothing apart from it might start a fire :s The reason you need to use a heat gun is because you do need to get the solder really hot and a towel would not get it any where near hot enough:D As for the article i think its more luck than judgement as i have had mine fron launch and and ive always had it horizontal and ive once had it on for 36hours non stop with out a problem.

[TBS Trojan]

i do think horizontal is safer. i put my 360 up and a couple of weeks later my disc tray really started to act up quite frequently, but after i put it horizontal i've never had that problem again.

[damien©]

In the 360 elite, they appear to have done little more than add some glue to keep the chips down.

If I'm not mistaken the reason behind the Glue is to prevent or at least make it harder for people to Hard Hack Mod the Xbox 360.

As I'm under the assumption that this glue is very difficult to remove unless done by someone very experienced without damaging the Chip.

[phatmuther]

If I'm not mistaken the reason behind the Glue is to prevent or at least make it harder for people to Hard Hack Mod the Xbox 360.

As I'm under the assumption that this glue is very difficult to remove unless done by someone very experienced without damaging the Chip.

No :brow: Its so the chip doesnt rise and casue the 3 red lights. Nowt to do with hacking it.

[Tobes]

Big Ds getting confused with the epoxy they put on the DVD drive flash chip.

[phatmuther]

Ahh yeah, that'll be it.

[damien©]

Yea...Sorry :'(

[Groove]

My 3rd went the way of the red ringer on Sunday....that one only lasted 5 months. Luckily both my replacements were in the first year warranty ( launc day purchase ) , so didnt cost me. But my second replacement , despite being manufactured in June last year and under 1 year old , is 'out' of the first year warranty. So ive had to buy one.

Im gonna try MS and see if i can blag em , and say ive lost the receipt as the Mfr date clearly shows its under a year old.

Ive read a lot of success to be had with the towel method but it seems people have varying temporary success...some a few days , some a few weeks etc.

Damn these things are built like crap.

[mjmaskrey]

If sending to MS I'm pretty sure they only care about the manufacture date...so you'll be sound.

No need to even mention the retailer or the receipt.

:)

[Dvx Uk]

Why do i not have any problems with my 360 (Touches Wood :)

I have had it since release day and no problems what so ever-

I had two red lights once so i just let it cool down and it was fine :D

[Groove]

Yup...swung it with MS. Console going back to them today.

New one turned up yesterday.......so as soon as I get my replacement back from MS it can go straight in the box with all the bits from the new premium and onto ebay.