[Tutorial] How to fix the Red Ring of Death for your Xbox 360 [Tutorial]

[old]

How to Repair your RRoD Xbox!

Your Xbox's Life is NOT over!

Note: This WILL void your warranty if you still under warranty, the best option is always to send to microsoft if you still have a warranty on it, if not, i am here to help you.


Also, this will NOT get you banned!



Hello, and today i am here to show you how to repair your Xbox 360 with the 3 red lights of death!

This fix is a long lasting fix, and works way better than the "towel trick" or the "x-clamp replacement." I have been fixing xbox's for quete a while now and know what I am doing, and I know that this fix DOES work. Now, onto the tutorial!

First off, you will need some tools / supplies that you must have to do this fix:

- Paperclip (or something similar)
- T10 Screwdriver (torx)
- T8 Screwdriver (torx)
- Flathead Screwdriver
- Toothpics (or something similar)
- Q-Tips
- Rubbing Alchohol (Isopropyl) (I use 70%, but anything higher works too)
- Arctic Silver 5 (Thermal Paste, $15 at Radioshack)
- Aluminum Foil
- Heat Gun with 2 Settings ( Wagner heat gun is $20 at Walmart, and it is what i use)

Step 1: Taking the Xbox Apart

- First, you will need to take off the faceplate

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Second, use a paperclip to take off the side grates / covers

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Third, unclip the clips on the front of the Xbox

- And Fourth, use the paperclip to undo the clips on the back. Push the paperclip in each slit in the back, you should hear a click, and it should pop up.

Spoiler (Click to View)

[/spoiler

Step 2: Getting the Screws Out

- Now that you have taken the bottom of the case off, you will need to unscrew the screws to get the top off. Use your Torx 10 Screwdriver to unscrew all the screws on the bottom, except for the 8 smaller black ones.
[Spoiler]

- When your done, take off the eject button (it should pull right off), and you should now be able to take the top off of your xbox.

- Now the top is off, you should see the inside of it. (if your xbox is really dirty on the inside, dust it all out now)

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Next, use your Torx 8 screwdriver to take out the 3 screws on the RF board (the piece on the front of the xbox where the power button is). There is 1 screw under the white piece, it pops right off, dont worry!

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Once you take out the screws, pull the RF board out and set it somewhere safe.

- Now, Flip the xbox over and proceed to unscrew the 8 small black screws with your T8 screwdriver, and set the screws somewhere safe.

- Once those are out, flip it back over to its normal position and take out the DVD drive and the fan duct, and the fan. The DVD drive unplugs from the motherboard, and you have to use a flathead screwdriver to take out the fan duct. The fan just unplugs and comes out.

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Now you should be able to safely pull the motherboard out of the metal casing, so remove it from the casing.

Spoiler (Click to View)

Step 3: Removing & Cleaning the Heatsinks & Chips.

- First, to take off the heatsinks, you must remove the x-clamps.

- To do this, take your flathead screwdriver and put it under the bent part on the x-clamp and twist, this should pop off one or two of the legs on the x-clamp. Continue to do this until it completely comes off, and do it to the second x-clamp.

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Now that the x-clamps are off, the 2 heatsinks should come right off. They will be dirty, along with the chips, so now it is time to clean them off.

- First, take a toothpick, and start scraping off the dried thermal paste off both the chips, and the heatsinks.

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Now, once all the dried thermal paste is off, take a q-tip and dip it in the isopropyl. Apply it to the 2 chips, and rub off the rest, along with the bottom of the heatsinks. After you rub off all the thermal paste, dry it off. When it is dry, they should both be looking shiny as well as the bottom of the heatsinks.

Spoiler (Click to View)

Step 4: Reflowing the GPU

- Now once everything is cleaned up and looking nice, take your aluminum foil and cover everything on the board except for the GPU chip (the chip with the smaller chip by it) and the other chips surrounding as shown here:

Spoiler (Click to View)

- The reason for doing this, is that the foil protects the other components on the motherboard from the heat.

- Now, set it on something high, on top of the metal casing, like shown here:

Spoiler (Click to View)

- This is the part where you use the heat gun. Make sure everything is covered, except for the areas i showed to leave open. Plug in the heat gun, and have a timer next to you. Turn it on the low setting and start heating the GPU and the chips around it. DO NOT just focus on one area, keep the heat gun moving, and always have your wrist moving in a circular motion. Dont focus on a single area for more than a couple seconds or you will mess it up. Keep doing this for 3 - 5 minutes. About halfway through i like to switch it to the high setting for 15 - 30 seconds, but then back down to the low setting for the rest.

Spoiler (Click to View)

- NEVER do any other areas on the board, only the parts shown to do!

- Once the time is up, turn off & unplug the heat gun, and let the board sit for a couple minutes, then take off the foil. Once the foil is off, continue to let the board cool off for 30 - 45 minutes, since it was at a very high temperature.

Step 5: Re-applying the thermal paste & Re-applying the X-clamps.

- After the board is done cooling, you need to take your thermal paste (the Arctic Silver 5) and apply a small amount to the 3 chips. I always do an X on each chip, and on the small one apply about the size of piece of rice. Apply like shown:

Spoiler (Click to View)

- Dont worry about spreading it on the chips, when you put the heatsinks back on, it will spread on its own.

- Next, take the heatsinks and put them back on. The taller one goes over the CPU and the smaller heatsink goes over the GPU (the one you heat gunned)

- Once those are on, you have to put your x-clamps back on. To do this, hook 2 legs of it on, and use your flathead screwdriver to twist the other ends on

Step 6: Putting everything back together & playing again

- Now, put the motherboard back into the metal casing, as well as everything else. (the DVD drive, fan duct, and fan)

- Remember to put the fan duct in!!! (I often forget!)

- Put the RF board back in, screw in the 3 screws with the T8, and put the white piece back on.

- Screw in all the screws on the bottom, starting with the 8 small black ones, then onto the final screws (make sure you have the top of the case on it.)

- Once those are in, put the bottom of the case on, then the side covers, and snap back on the faceplate.

- Now plug it in and you should see green lights!

- Now time to celebrate!

- If you ever get the red lights again, you can always reflow it again!!


Any other questions, PM me, and if you want to add something to this, just PM me for that also

Have fun playing now that your xbox is fixed.

[Jason]

Great tutorial. Did you type this?

[Bяian ♪]

Whether you typed this or not, it's still a useful tut. I've had the red ring of death before and tried following video tuts on youtube but I never seemed to have the required tools and ended up just giving up :\

[old]

Great tutorial. Did you type this?

Yes it is all hand typed, thanks for the appreciation and gratitude.

[SickmyDuck™]

Good tutorial. I get the red ring a lot :/.

[old]

Thanks for the appreciation guys.

[Jason]

Well good job! I appreciate the time you put into this.

[Xx GET A JOB xX]

Very nice tutorial. Very detailed. Keep up the good work.

[Legacy]

Very nice tut man.

[Leafs]

Wow this is a great TUT man. I would of needed this a year ago lol.

I am going to Bookmark this.