YLOD fix for 40GB fattie

[AMc]

My trusty old fattie shut itself down the other night (three beeps then flashing red light), then ran long enough to back up the game saves before doing the same thing. Now after 24 hrs sitting cold it just YLOD each time .

I've done a bit of YouTubing and it looks like the heat gun fix is worth a try.
I'm reasonably handy - done batteries on iPods - but I've never stripped a console before.

Any recommendations for thermal paste that's good/bad?

Any tips or hints also appreciated!

Cheers

AMc

 

[AMc]

Stripped it down with the help of these videos
Part 1

Part 2


My 40GB fattie is slightly easier to strip - no power button board to remove and you can leave the fan in place.
Used a guitar pick to separate the metal case for the motherboard from the front - be careful and ease it past the metal pegs and it just opens up.

Blasted it with the hot air gun - now waiting for it to cool. Interestingly I ran an Infrared thermometer over the board when I'd done. The board was reading around 190C but the chips were reading under 100C. Not sure if that's the reflectivity of the chips fooling the thermometer or the metal casing is pretty impressive at dispersing heat into the legs?

Now to put it back together and cross my fingers!

 

[AMc]

Oh well there's a couple of hours I'll never get back - still YLOD on start up - boo.

 

[Deleted member 45086]

Contact Sony and arrange a replacement for £110.

You can have like for like or upgrade to a slim 120 gb.

I went for the slim 120.

I too tried the same trick you did, and what a waste of time.

Slim comes brown box packed and is like new. 3 months warranty too.

neuty

 

[AMc]

neuty - thanks for posting, I thought they charged £131 for a swap out (from the FAQ)?
I have to say 3 months warranty is pathetic, if it dies in month 4 that means you have no comeback and you've burnt £131?
If Sony believed they were really refurbished they'd offer 12 months, I'm pretty sure trading standards wouldn't be impressed but I'm not in the mood to test it

If I bought a used one from CEX you get a controller (with resale value) and 12 months warranty + the old YLOD unit to ebay for a few quid.
CeX (UK) Buy & Sell Games [edit] direct linking doesn't work but an 80GB unit is £135 at the moment.[/edit]

I tried the reflow second time - as I had the paste and the time - I did it much quicker the second time through and upped the temp and time. The thermometer showed 220C on the board and about 120C on the chips but the same end result - nadda

 

[RottenFox]

The price varies, as does the offer of what console they give.
3 months warranty is standard for refurbished goods, all across the board.
As you point out, if it dies in month 4, not much you can do, but what's to stop you swapping it in month 2 or 3.
If there's an issue with it, they will swap it out, again, and again, etc.

And they are refurbs, from Sony, by Sony, and Trading Standards have no say in it, as the manufacturer is going beyond what they have to offer.

I would trust a Sony refurb more than I would trust someone elses PS3 traded in, and bought from CEX, god only knows where it's been or what kind of life it's had.

 

[AMc]

I'd a trust a 12month warranty over a 3 month one regardless. My kid's DS came from CEX and was perfect, not all their stuff has been dumped by a ylod heatgun bandit or they'd be bust by now.
Reading some of the more recent comments in the sticky about doa consoles I have very little confidence.
I think when money changes hands for goods the sale of goods act applies but as I said it's not something I'm interested in enough to argue or risk to that end.
Will probably hang on for a bit and see what happens with the leaked 4000 series slim.