Xbox Troubleshooting: Red Ring of Death Fix

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 55 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #4 in Tech & Geek, #59 overall

To Shoot or Troubleshoot Your Xbox 360, That is the Question...

Things don't get any worse than having your favorite recreational activity taken away from you when you're in the middle of doing it. As a kid, my parents did this to me without fail, but I digress... What I'm talking of here is the red ring of death.

As you may know already, the red ring of death refers to those three red lights that form a three quarter ring about the power button of your Xbox 360 when it malfunctions.

See below, why this happens, what you ought to do before getting your console fixed, and finally how to make your own repairs and whether you should.

Something You Need to Know Before Proceeding Further: 

OPENING UP YOUR CONSOLE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.


If you have already been inside your console or if your warranty has run out then there is little to lose now. Otherwise you should think about this first.

So Why Does the Red Ring of Death Happen in the First Place? 

Causes for the Red Ring of Death

Well it seems that Microsoft's 'get the product to market first, deal with the bugs later' approach has left the consumer with a product full of design mistakes. These bugs can either act alone or work together to shut your Xbox down.

Six of these are explained below.

1. Heat 

Xbox 360 heat is excessive.

The Xbox 360 design uses numerous high powered components that occupy a small space. These high powered components are giving off an enormous amount of heat. Heat sinks, fans, and vents within the console are used to dissipate this heat. Since there isn't much cooling capacity in reserve, this system easily overheats if the required airflow into the Xbox 360 gets blocked. The red ring of death takes place when different design defects act up due to the rising heat levels.

2. Lead free solder 

Xbox 360 solder is brittle.

In order to avoid using lead in products used by children, Microsoft made the Xbox 360 with lead free solder. Lead free solder tends to be more brittle. To make matters worse, the wrong type of lead free solder was used by Microsoft, one that gets really brittle with heat exposure over long periods. If you stress this brittle solder, tiny hair-line cracks will develop. The cracks can obstruct the flow of electrical current and also result in a weak solder joint that easily breaks.

3. Flawed heat sink clamp design 

Xbox 360 heatsink clamp causes motherboard to flex.

The X clamp is badly designed because the clamp presses down with a non uniform force. When the GPU and CPU heat up, this uneven pressure intensifies, which makes the motherboard bend and flex. Brittle, lead free solder joints get stressed when the motherboard flexes. When this stress is repeated over time, cracks and breaks occur in the solder joints.

4. Left over foil on the heat sink 

Xbox 360 heat sink has foil attached.

On a number of it's units, Microsoft failed to remove some foil on the heat sink. Several "ring of death" failures can be attributed to this. The thermal compound must be reapplied if you decide to remove the foil.

5. Deficient Manufacturing Process: Soldering Temperature Was Too Low 

Xbox solder process was sub-optimal.

The soldering process during manufacture was done at too low a temperature. When lead free solder is under heated, the resulting solder joint is full of voids and other defects. These weak joints won't hold up for long even under normal circumstances. If you include the other Xbox faults such as running too hot and warping of the motherboard, you've got the perfect formula for failure.

6. The Graphics Chip Puts Out Too Much Heat 

Graphics Chip Was Designed on the Cheap by Microsoft.

Instead of going to an experienced vendor for its chip design (ASIC vendor), Microsoft designed the graphics chip in house, in other words, on it's own. They did this in order to save some tens of millions of dollars in the cost of the design.

Although Microsoft has some experience here, it doesn't come close to the level of expertise of the ASIC vendors. As a result, their graphics chip is inefficient in that it dissipates too much waste heat.

This problem dovetails in with the weak cooling system in the console.

Microsoft has gone to an ASIC vendor in the US and had the graphics chip redesigned. This move goes a long way to resolving the overheating problem.

However, there are lots of Xbox units in use that still have the old graphics chip. These will continue to be susceptible to heating problems.

Troubleshooting Tips for the Red Ring of Death 

Xbox troubleshooting before you do repair.

Before attempting any repair on your Xbox 360, you should consider these suggestions first. If you're lucky, your Xbox has not sustained any heat damage yet. So keep those fingers crossed.

Troubleshooting tips in order from the simple to the more complex: 

Xbox trouble shooting procedure

  1. Restart the console.
  2. If this did not work, there could be a loose cord or cable. First, any cables and power cords that can be removed should be disconnected. Unplug the power cable from the wall plug. Firmly reattach all cables and cords back into the console. Now connect up the power and turn on the console.
  3. If the above step didn't work, then try turning off the console, unplugging the power and then disconnecting the hard drive. Now plug into the power and turn the console back on. If console does not show the three red lights error, turn it off and disconnect the power cord from the wall. Finally, reconnect the hard drive, plug in the power, and turn on the console.
  4. If you are using a defective surge protector, plug strip, or extension cord, your xbox may not be getting adequate power. Try plugging the power brick directly into the wall. This sort of thing happens more often than you might think. My DSL connection used to be very unreliable until I bypassed my surge protector and plugged my modem directly into the wall. I should have done this in the first place rather than making a lot of angry (and useless) phone calls to my internet service provider.
  5. If you think that your machine has overheated, then turn it off and let it cool down. Ensure that the cooling vents are not blocked in any way and keep your Xbox 360 in a ventilated and open area.

    Do not place near it any sources of heat. There are obvious sources like heaters and radiators and such. But less obvious sources include the electrical devices that are sitting on top or beneath your xbox.

    Try removing any dust buildup inside the machine.

    Cool off your console with a small fan.

    Tip the console on it's side so that more surface area is exposed to the surrounding air.

    Don't forget to keep the power brick cool, so keep it off of shaggy carpeting. Better still, place it on an elevated surface. You can even hang the power brick by its cord off of a hook.

    Keep the rear of the console clear. Don't push it up against a wall and keep any debris away. This includes not allowing any cords and cables to get all bunched up in this area.

    Don't do any all day gaming marathons. Limit your gaming to just a few hours, then turn it off and let it cool down for a while. The warmer the room temperature is the shorter your playing time should be.

XBox 360 Cooling Systems 

Xbox cooling devices




If the above cooling suggestions weren't enough, there are plenty of external cooling devices designed for the Xbox 360 being sold on Ebay. Click the thumbnail image to the left or here for an itemized list.

Two things you should NOT do: 

Xbox towel trick

1.) Bake your Xbox - Otherwise known as the towel trick.

Wrapping a towel around your Xbox so that it gets hot enough to melt and maybe join some broken solder joints will also bake the internal chips. Baked chocolate chips in cookies are very good. Baked silicon chips in Xboxes are very bad.

Seriously, even if you pull this off without causing damage, the fix is only temporary in most cases. So there's not much to gain from this risky technique.

2.) Freeze your Xbox.

Don't put your console in the freezer or out in very cold weather. Trying to cool down an overheated Xbox in this way is very hard on the internal electronics which were meant to operate near room temperature.

If all else has failed...Repairing Your XBox 

The Xbox 360 Three Red Lights Fix

If you're still having problems after trying the above suggestions, getting your machine repaired is the next step. All Xboxes experiencing the ring of death have had their warranties extended for three years beyond the purchase date. If you have opened up your console this warranty is void.

If you're not used to working with your hands, then sending your Xbox back to Microsoft is the safest way to go. But expect up to several weeks of delay before your repaired Xbox gets back to you. It doesn't make sense to do otherwise unless you're feeling comfortable about doing the repair yourself.

An expensive but quicker option is to send your console to a repair shop.

For those who are inclined to take matters into their own hands, the quickest and cheapest option is to repair it yourself using this guide. If you can follow directions, it's fairly simple to do. My sister recently repaired her kid's Xbox.

 

Fix Your Xbox Yourself.

fix your xbox 360



This guide will fix these problems:

Freeze ups
Distorted Graphics
2 red lights error
3 red lights error (ring of death)
4 Red Lights
E74 Error - this is the error where you get text on the screen saying E74


The fix will take you 1 to 2 hours to do and can be done with some common household items and tools. It has full videos and a guide to take you through each step with ease. Nothing in the repair process is left out.

If you do this fix following the videos you will have a working xbox. The fix is permanent.

Included Bonus: FREE Ripping software that will allow you to back up your favorite game with ease.

Useful Amazon Products 

Xbox 360 Repair Kit - X-Clamp Hardware Replacement

1 used & new available from $12.95

Xbox 360 For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

14 used & new available from $5.97

Xbox 360 Intercooler 360 - Black

52 used & new available from $7.99

The Gadget Geek's Guide to Your XBox 360

38 used & new available from $9.90

More Info here: 

Inside Source Reveal the Truth About Xbox 360 "Red Ring of Death" Failures
An individual who has worked on the Xbox 360 project for many years had these unflattering remarks to say...
Wikipedia
Useful and comprehensive information on the ring of death from Wikipedia.

Xbox 360 Disassembly - Photo Sequence 

Fixing Your Xbox 360 Is Doable With Some Common Household Items:

Xbox 360 troubleshooting

red ring of death fix

red ring of death fix

red ring of death fix

red ring of death fix

red ring of death fix

red ring of death fix



If you missed reading my section on repairing your Xbox yourself, click here to find out if this is the right option for you.

Xbox 360 Reliability Statistics 

Xbox 360 has worst reliability but should improve.

The following statistics and bar graphs are taken from a study made by Square trade. It analyzed the failure rates of over 16,000 game consoles covered by their warrantee care plans.

The malfunction rates of Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii after 2 years of ownership were compared. Of the three, Xbox 360 had the worst reliability record. With the introduction of the "Jasper" chipset in late 2008, the Xbox 360's reliability should improve.

In the graphs below, RROD is short for "Red Ring of Death".

Xbox360 reliability study

Xbox360 reliability

Guestbook 

electronicdeals91 wrote...

Thanks for the tips!
5*
Electronic Deals

ReplyPosted October 31, 2009

StephenC wrote...

Thanks for the info!

ReplyPosted October 12, 2009

lumpy22 wrote...

Mine comes on all the time I take the hard drive off and on and turn the system off and on and it begins to work. I figure it was all the play I play call of duty wow alot I am in the top 100 in world in team death match wins. Allarcadescom send game invite. Good tips I have been scared I woulldn't be able to fix now I know where to look. My xbox name my arcade site except can't use . squidoo arcades could use suggestions that's why I was looking new to this I am giving you 5 stars.
Thanks for the info

ReplyPosted September 30, 2009

Tipi wrote...

You have a great lens here my dear. Best wishes with this, glad I stopped by to look around, learned a lot. I'm not a gamer, but one of my sons it and he sure loves it.
Have a great day!
Susie

ReplyPosted September 28, 2009

Cptindy wrote...

Nice lens! I have had my 360 for 3 years and now I get error 71 ! hoping to fix with the advice here!

ReplyPosted September 12, 2009

jtw wrote...

I was ready to retire my sons 360. Thanks for the help. Looks like we might bring it back from the dead. Thanks!

Jerry "Stringbender"
LearnGuitarFastAndEasy.com
Home Of The Root Monkey Learning System

ReplyPosted September 07, 2009

ArtisanHandbags wrote...

My 7 yr old will be very happy. Thanks for the GREAT lens!

ReplyPosted September 04, 2009

muuffu wrote...

Only one lens about this, that gave me some information.

ReplyPosted September 03, 2009

machinist wrote...

Great info about the manufacture, you must have seen a few of these issues like the foil on the heat sink

ReplyPosted September 03, 2009

xbox360-red-ring-fix wrote...

Awesome info, M.
I hope to one day get as much exposure behind my word as your lens... :D

-x3ninja

ReplyPosted August 28, 2009

Twobit wrote...

Every single one of my friends who has had an Xbox 360 has had the red ring of death, aside from me. I guess I'm just the lucky one. :)

ReplyPosted August 27, 2009

nukemdomis wrote...

ReplyPosted August 24, 2009

bbcrew wrote...

Great information for everyone in this community.Mephisto Shoes

ReplyPosted August 20, 2009

Freebies4grab wrote...

Thanks for this information wouldn't need it if microsoft made it properly the first time or the second lol.

Check this lens out Free ones

ReplyPosted August 18, 2009

Manbiki wrote...

Best Info

ReplyPosted August 17, 2009

dr_laura wrote...

I am a girl and not very techy, but I was able to repair my xbox on my own *so pround of myself*
Thank's for ur lens!

ReplyPosted August 17, 2009

wrote...

great lens 5*

ReplyPosted August 13, 2009

smbreviewer wrote...

in reply to anonyman I agree, its great.

ReplyPosted August 05, 2009

daviddavid200 wrote...

Great lens but if someone tries all this and fails, I think it's time to get a Wii :P. The games are not as fun but that thing never crashes! :)

ReplyPosted July 31, 2009

Grombabka wrote...

Nice lens. Good job. Thanks.

ReplyPosted July 28, 2009

Manbiki wrote...

Great lens Best Info

ReplyPosted July 27, 2009

jura wrote...

Nice lens good job.

ReplyPosted July 12, 2009

MSPoints4Free wrote...

Thanks for the tips and the interesting read.

ReplyPosted July 11, 2009

nhcomms54 wrote...

great lens. Check this lens out http://www.squidoo.com/pcsec

ReplyPosted July 09, 2009

anonyman wrote...

excellent written, even i understand ))

ReplyPosted July 06, 2009

mrvardeman wrote...

Very nice lens. Thanks for the information.

ReplyPosted June 19, 2009

York_Website_Graphic_Designers wrote...

Nice Lens. This happened to me last year (the day after I got Gears 2). My xbox was out of warranty and so I had to send it back at a cost of £60. I did get a brand new xbox back which was not as noisey as the one that broke so that was a bit of a bonus. I was cheesed off though because as you mentioned in your lens, microsoft new about these problems but shipped the xbox anyway.

ReplyPosted June 19, 2009

biddingt wrote...

Thanks for the info. My son's Xbox has had the ring of death twice - both times under warranty. Now that I'm using it more than him to stream Netflix and since its not covered anymore, I'm sure that it'll go again anytime.

ReplyPosted June 14, 2009

bottlecapnapkin wrote...

Thanks - great info about the shoddy design by Microsoft. What about one red light?

ReplyPosted June 04, 2009

AbbasAbedi wrote...

Excellent Lens. 5*

If you get a chance check out my Instant Stress Management lens.

ReplyPosted June 02, 2009

xboxemotz wrote...

Excellent post very nice explanations and pics!!! This should help alot of people out!!!! GREAT WORK!!!!

ReplyPosted May 15, 2009

HenningVonStubbe wrote...

Im not sure if iam able to fix my xbox now by myself becouse i have two left hands but i will try it. Thanks alot

ReplyPosted May 05, 2009

jessicahoward wrote...

So I can fix my xbox myself, awesome post - 5*'s

ReplyPosted April 29, 2009

bacchus23 wrote...

Excellent lens. I have sent my 360 in for repair twice already and I just got the RROD lst weekend again! Luckily my friend has a spare that we trade back and forth as we continue to get the RROD's.


Ceck out my newest lens!.

ReplyPosted April 21, 2009

joshuabrown wrote...

Great lens. I've had the RRoD twice; a good friend has had it three times. Most of my friends have had it at least once. It's nice to finally know what's causing the problem.

ReplyPosted April 20, 2009

lokipro wrote...

Awesome lens! I had a friend who was given a 'red-ringed' Xbox. He opened it up, re-soldered it, plugged it in, and violas! It worked! The only thing I give Microsoft credit for is the fact that they have an unrivaled online gaming format. I just wish my PS3 buds would get with the picture and realize the social aspects and challenge of gaming with others is extremely important now in console gaming.

ReplyPosted March 13, 2009

MattFindley wrote...

I have had the red ring of death twice, both times Microsoft has repaired the problem no questions asked, was just out the console for 2 weeks first time 6 days second time.

ReplyPosted March 09, 2009

tmariotti wrote...

Great info on xbox 360, I learned a lot, thanks for all this.

ReplyPosted March 05, 2009

BikoBill wrote...

Some great suggestions in here. I actually have my Xbox and the power adapter sitting on a ceramic tile which helps keep it a bit cooler, and allows better airflow underneath. Putting your adapter or Xbox right on carpet is a sure way to kill it off over time!

ReplyPosted January 26, 2009

Yakodzuna wrote...

Hello! Great lens! Thank you very much about this brilliant information! It is very useful! Definitely 5 stars!

ReplyPosted January 05, 2009

supanee wrote...

Cool Lense.

ReplyPosted December 30, 2008

RobertMoreno wrote...

Very good lens that many players and parents should know about. Though I knew about the extended warranty MS offered, I also went for an additional one at Bestbuy (something I hardly ever do).

ReplyPosted December 29, 2008

Kris_gleason08 wrote...

Great lens! Helped me alot

ReplyPosted December 02, 2008

x3haloed wrote...

Luckily, Microsoft has extended their warranty for this issue, wo I just sent mine back, and got another for free :)

Very informative though!

ReplyPosted November 24, 2008

Voiprizer wrote...

Great lens. I wish I had this lens when I was tweaking my xbox.

ReplyPosted November 24, 2008

wrote...

Great resources! Gaming is cool and fun as long as we don't take it too seriously where we forgets reality. =)

ReplyPosted October 31, 2008

nancydodds1 wrote...

Its very nice lens good sharing. I had gone through your lens. My 5 stars for you.

ReplyPosted October 24, 2008

Juleecommunications wrote...

Its the quality lens. which it gives a valuable information on xbox 360. looking good information for the visitors

ReplyPosted October 23, 2008

DrRichard wrote...

Nice lens. Thanks for sharing this!

ReplyPosted October 17, 2008

stephen001 wrote...

Great lens Marc. 5* and favorated. I have also tired some hands on Squidoo and made my first lens about latest inventions and all I need is your expert review and suggestions

ReplyPosted September 20, 2008

Marc_Sandford wrote...

theawristocrat,

Microsoft only wants to repair xboxes that malfunction as a result of normal usage. They don't want to repair damage caused by the consumer that tinkers inside of it. An easy way for them to determine this is whether or not the console was opened.

So opening up your console will void the warranty. Troubleshooting it yourself makes sense if the warranty has already expired or if you've already opened the console in the past or if you don't care about the warranty (because using it takes too long).

Marc

ReplyPosted July 30, 2008

theawristocrat wrote...

If you troubleshoot and open your xbox, will that void your warranty? Thanks.

ReplyPosted July 30, 2008

smallfry wrote...

This was an informative look at the red ring of death. It is interesting to see searches on this topic are still increasing in Google.

ReplyPosted June 17, 2008

Mark56 wrote...

I'm on my second Xbox 360, and I'm hoping I don't get the Red Ring of Death again! This is a great lens for addressing the problem though, so I'll keep this page in mind!

ReplyPosted June 13, 2008

anilg wrote...

You have created a great lens with lots of useful information about Xbox related problems and their solutions. To know about top ways to make money online visit my lens

ReplyPosted June 11, 2008

donm207 wrote...

WHoooa, great onfo on the xbox system thanx! 5 stars! http://www.squidoo.com/augustapcrepair

ReplyPosted June 05, 2008

Marc_Sandford wrote...

hearthealth,

Given that Microsoft only hires the best and brightest, it is amazing. I suspect that the problem lies with their corporate culture.

ReplyPosted June 05, 2008

hearthealth wrote...

Sometimes its like an amazing freak coincidence that top makers can also fail in these small details. But thanks for this very helpful lens! 5 flamin' and favin', hope to see you in my GPS and home electronics lenses!

ReplyPosted June 05, 2008

RacingGirl wrote...

Hi,
I love your lens. Given you 5 stars.
Don't forget to drop by my "Acne Treatment by Remedies of Nature" Lens.

ReplyPosted May 29, 2008

wrote...

Hey
Quality Lens, 5 *'s have a look at this lens satellite TV for PC.
Rate my lens !
Dan

ReplyPosted February 11, 2008

Marc_Sandford wrote...

gamegeye,

Not a problem. Thanks!

ReplyPosted February 04, 2008

gamegeye wrote...

Good info. I'm linking to your lens from my Compare Playstation 3 to Xbox 360 lens. Hope that's OK with you.

ReplyPosted February 03, 2008

thomasz wrote...

Nice Lens. Thanks for the heads up on some of the tips.

ReplyPosted January 30, 2008

by Marc_Sandford

I'm a tech geek and info junkie. I (really do) hope you find what you're looking for. (more)
Create a Lens!