PS3 Repair | Repair Your Ps3 | Fix for YLOD | Playstation 3 Problems

3. Slide cover plate towards the left until it stops and lift
off.

16. Now unclip black rear panel and remove.

21. Clean off old heat sink compound from the 2 main
processors using Isopropyl alcohol making sure all traces
of the old heat sink compound has gone.
22. Clean both touch plates on bottom of fan/heat sink
assembly with Isopropyl alcohol until all traces of the old
heat sink compound has gone.
23. Now using a vacuum cleaner or compressed air
blower get rid of all dust build up in the case and on all
component parts of the ps3 (pay special attention to the
fan assembly and heat sink fins(MUST BE CLEAR OF
DUST).

Ps3 case (dusty).

Heat sink plates before
heat sink compound removed (dusty).

Now for the tricky bit!

27. Place the ps3 mother board on a flat heat resistive
surface (kitchen work top or melamine shelf will be fine).
28. Turn heat gun on and set temperature to 350 deg
and the fan speed to low (to high and it will move the
surface mount bits).
Allow gun to get up to temperature before
continuing!!!!
29. Using a circular motion hold heat gun over areas
outlined below (keep heat gun an inch above
board/components at all times).
30. CPU side first.
31. After 15 to 20 seconds move onto the next area.
32. Once all marked areas have been heated/reflowed
on the mother board LEAVE for at least 10 to 15
minutes to cool.
(DO NOT MOVE MOTHER BOARD WHILE COOLING).
33. A popping noise may be heard during cooling, don't
worry this is normal.
34. NON CPU side.
35. After 10 to 15 seconds move onto the next area.
36. Once all marked areas have been heated/reflowed
on the mother board LEAVE for at least 10 to 15
minutes to cool.
(DO NOT MOVE MOTHER BOARD WHILE COOLING).
37. A popping noise may be heard during cooling don't
worry this is normal.

Heat sink compound still on in this picture, remove
before reflowing.

Heat sink rubber pads still on in this picture remove
before reflowing also hold ribbons out of way while reflowing;
..Congratulations!!
You have just repaired you're yloded ps3
mother board.

38. Now its time to apply new heat sink compound to
the 2 processors, when doing this its always best to
follow the manufacturers instructions but I believe the
process is the same with all types (please check
instructions that come with paste), before continuing
39. The paste I am using is called AKASA 450 it's a
silver based compound with a thermal conductivity of
9.24w/m deg c and an operating range of 0 to 200 deg
c.
You can buy it from most pc shops but I get mine from
my local Maplin ( I have been told that there is a better
compound on the market called arctic silver but I haven't
tried it as yet so the choice is yours).
40. Use syringe supplied and dispense a small worm of
compound from top to bottom on the left hand side of
processor chip, now using credit card supplied spread
compound evenly and thinly over processor face (to much
is bad and not enough is also bad) the ideal amount is
when you can almost see through the paste.
41. Now repeat on the other processor.
42. See below.(Picture is above)