Something You Need to Know Before Proceeding Further:
OPENING UP YOUR CONSOLE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
If you've already been inside your console or if your warranty has ran out then no problem. Otherwise you should give this some careful thought 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 is jammed with a lot of high powered components filling a small space. These high powered components are giving off a large amount of heat. This heat is dissipated within the console with vents, heat sinks, and fans. It's marginal cooling capacity causes this system to overheat if the flow of air into the Xbox 360 is obstructed. The red ring of death occurs when various design flaws act up due to the increasing 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. This uneven pressure intensifies when the CPU and GPU get hot, causing the motherboard to flex and warp. Brittle, lead free solder joints get stressed when the motherboard flexes. With enough repetition of this stress and heat the solder joints break.
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, try out some of these suggestions first. If you're lucky, your Xbox hasn't been seriously damaged 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.
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.
OPENING UP YOUR CONSOLE WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
If you've already been inside your console or if your warranty has ran out then no problem. Otherwise you should give this some careful thought 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 is jammed with a lot of high powered components filling a small space. These high powered components are giving off a large amount of heat. This heat is dissipated within the console with vents, heat sinks, and fans. It's marginal cooling capacity causes this system to overheat if the flow of air into the Xbox 360 is obstructed. The red ring of death occurs when various design flaws act up due to the increasing 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. This uneven pressure intensifies when the CPU and GPU get hot, causing the motherboard to flex and warp. Brittle, lead free solder joints get stressed when the motherboard flexes. With enough repetition of this stress and heat the solder joints break.
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, try out some of these suggestions first. If you're lucky, your Xbox hasn't been seriously damaged 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.
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.