My old fix for a blinking red light on a PS3 was to hit it, now I know about the thermal paste

Back in 2010, my launch PS3 got the dreaded yellow light of death. I had no clue about console repair, so my brilliant solution was to wrap it in a towel to 'cook' the solder, which is a terrible idea. It actually worked for a few more weeks, but then it died for good. Fast forward to last year, I found that same console in a box and decided to give it a proper go. I watched a guide, bought some Arctic MX-4 paste and a set of security screwdrivers, and spent a whole Saturday taking it apart. The old paste was dry as dust. After cleaning it all out and putting on new paste, it booted right up and has been running my old games ever since. What's the most ridiculous 'fix' you tried before you learned the right way?

2 comments

2 Comments

wilson.emma14d ago

Oh man, the towel trick. I did the exact same thing with my 360 for the red ring. I'd wrap it up, turn it on, and pray. It bought me like an extra month of play time before it fully quit. Years later I opened it up and the thermal paste was basically concrete. Replacing that and adding some washers to the heat sinks actually fixed it for good. Felt like a genius, but really I was just lucky I didn't start a fire.

val22314d ago

Yeah @wilson.emma, my towel trick attempt just made the console smell like hot plastic and regret. I was definitely more of a fire hazard than a fix-it guy.