Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix

If you open up the case of your Xbox 360 you void the warranty for your console. If your warranty has already expired, then it's no big deal. But it's something to take into consideration before you do any type of manual repair on your console.

There are a handful of problems that lead to the Xbox 360 RROD, but to put it in simple terms: Microsoft didn't spend enough time working the bugs out of the system before they launched in 2005.

9 times out of 10 those nasty 3 blinking lights are caused by 1 or a combination of the following 5 problems:

Electronic components get very hot when current passes through them. Just keep a notebook computer on your lap for any length of time and you'll start feeling that sucker heat up!

Your Xbox 360 is basically a computer that hooks up to your TV. Because of design flaws, the Xbox 360 doesn't get proper ventilation and gets too hot--and most of the time this leads to those 3 blinking red lights we all hate so much.

Since the Xbox 360 gets much hotter than it should, this usually leads to another problem.

Inside your Xbox 360 there is a clamp called the X-clamp that holds the GPU and heat sink in place. Because of poor design from a very weak alloy, this clamp is will often flex and "vibrate" causing the motherboard and GPU to flex. This flexing leads to yet another problem...

Microsoft decided to use lead-free solder. Solder is the metal that bonds two electrical connections together on a circuit board. Although lead free solder is much less toxic, it is also much weaker than normal solder.

When the X-clamp flexes it causes brittle solder joints to crack which interrupts the flow of electricity and current. The Xbox 360 sees this as a hardware malfunction and starts flashing a trouble code--the three red lights of death.

Believe it or not, some of the red ring of death issues can be attributed to "leftover foil" on the heat sink. Microsoft accidentally didn't remove the foil on some of the Xbox 360 units. This prevents heat from dispersing out of the heat sink, causing even more excessive heat.

Aside from the general overheating problems the Xbox 360 has due to the undersized heat sink and poor case design, the GPU (or Graphics Processing Unit) gets much hotter than it should.

Instead of sticking with a third party manufacturer like ATI or Nvida, Microsoft designed their own GPU to save money. The problem comes from (yet again) poor design and has ended up costing them much more money in repairs than was saved by manufacturing the chip themselves.

Combined with the overheating problems the console already has, this just spells out disaster for any Xbox 360 owner and has been the reason nearly 10% of consoles manufactured have gotten or plan to contract the red ring of death.

You can read more about the Xbox 360 GPU Here.

1 - Turn the Xbox 360 off and let it cool off for about 30 minutes to an hour. Now retry the console and see if it will play for any amount of time. If it boots up like normal and then gives you the red ring of death after a short while, chances are that your X-clamp is causing GPU flex. Try step 4 and see if it allows you to play uninterrupted.

2 - Check all your cords. A bad cord can sometimes lead the red ring of death. The best way to do this is borrow a set of cables (AV and power brick) from your buddy and try them out. If you don't have any friends willing to lend you borrow a set of cables, simply look over your cables very carefully inspecting them for visible damage.

3 - This may seem odd, but insufficient power has been noted to cause 3 blinking red lights. If you're plugged into a surge protector or power strip, plug directly into the wall. If you aren't using a power strip or surge protector, plug it into a completely different wall outlet and try it.

4 - If none of the above work, then your console is most likely getting too hot. Make sure that the console has plenty of breathing room. Don't stuff it into a tight space and MAKE SURE not to set it directly on the carpet. Carpet (especially if it's shaggy) can act like an insulator and can only intensify the heat inside the Xbox 360. A hard, flat surface works best for this.

5 - Is your Xbox 360 dusty? Clean it out. Dust, like carpet, can trap heat inside and prevent it from getting proper ventilation. Take the console outside and dust it off or (even better) get a can of pressurized air and blow the dust out.

6 - Try standing your Xbox 360 up on it's side instead of laying it down. This can give the ventilation system more surface area so it can "breathe" better.





7 - Something I like to do to keep heat from shortening the lifespan of my Xbox 360 is buy a cooling unit for my console. These units help circulate cool air into the console. If you can't afford one or are waiting for one to arrive in the mail, try pointing a small house fan on the console.



*Note: Make sure you keep a check on the power brick too. Many people forget about this component completely, but the Xbox 360 can flash 3 red lights if your power brick gets too hot.

There are a couple of rumors I've seen online about two methods that are "supposed" to be an Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix.

DO NOT do these. Although they might fix the red ring of death in the short term, they will damage the electrical components of your Xbox 360 in the long run and they aren't even permanent fixes.

The Towel Trick
This method involves wrapping a towel around your Xbox 360 and turning it on for about 30 minutes. The idea behind this is to heat the system up enough to actually re-melt the cracked solder joints.

But think about this, when you use the towel trick, you're heating the Xbox 360 up enough to melt metal. Although it might fix it for a short run, the X-clamp is still faulty and will cause the red ring of death again soon and that much heat is going to destroy the other computer components inside your Xbox 360 system.

Putting Your Xbox 360 in the Freezer
People are putting their Xbox 360 systems in the freezer in hopes of rapidly cooling the unit so that they can play it again. This is also BAD! According to the laws of physics, when you heat anything up, it expands and when you cool anything down, it contracts (or shrinks).

Extreme temperatures are bad for anything not made to handle them (like electronics). When you rapidly heat or cool anything, chances are, the components will expand or contract too quickly which will cause them to crack and break.

Both of these "quick fixes" will quickly turn your Xbox 360 into a dead unit that will need to be replaced.

1-800-4MY-XBOX
If all of the troubleshooting tips failed to get rid of your Xbox 360 red ring, then it's going to have to be repaired.

Microsoft will fix your console if it's still under warranty, free of charge. This is great if your console is still covered or if you don't mind waiting a month or two while they process your order.

But be warned, I've heard that some people who get their Xbox 360s back from Microsoft after being sent in for the red ring of death, actually experience this problem again (3 blinking red lights). This is entirely possible since Microsoft usually just replaces your system with a refurbished model.

If your console is not under warranty, expect to be charged $100 or more.

Fix Your Xbox 360 Yourself
If you're a more hands-on kind of person or if you simply don't want to wait a month or two to have a working Xbox 360, there's an Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix that you can do yourself. This is a permanent fix and is really easy to do, if you can follow directions.




This Xbox 360 Repair Guide will show you how to fix:

• Overheating
  
• Freezing
  
• E74 Error
  
• Graphics Glitches
  
• 2 and 3 Red Light Errors
  

It should take your about an hour or less to repair your console using this guide and that Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix is permanent.

Xbox 360 Wikipedia Page
A complete history on Xbox 360. Also has some more in depth information about the Xbox 360 red ring of death.

Xbox 360 on IGN
Great resource for all upcoming Xbox 360 games and reviews.

Xbox 360 Forums
Talk with other Xbox 360 enthusiasts about your beloved console.

Xbox 360 Trouble Codes Explained
This is a great run-down of all the Xbox 360 trouble codes from E01 to E80.