My PS3 Wont Turn On
An article from The Freezer UKIf you are having problems with your PS3 when turning on then it is not all bad. You may well have a completely broken machine but Sony have an outstanding record with customer service, as with their machines.. when they don't break.
Most of the time you will get an amder light flashing returning to red. This is known as the yellow light of death, or YLOD. It is Sony's equivalent of Microsoft's Red Ring of Death for their XBOXes (RROD).
In this case get straight on the phone to Sony and explain the situation before you break out the tool kit. They are often known to send out a replacement even after the warranty has run out, and in the case of older machines will provide a refurbished machine in it's place, get phoning and talking fast.
Ok, so Sony need it shipped but you have GT5 stuck in the CD drawer. No problems for the newer, G-Chassis (120GB) models. Follow these instructions:
1) Carefully turn over your PS3 and locate the rectangular HDD cover, it has a small indent for your nail or screwdriver.
2) Lift the cover and, using a small Phillips screwdriver, insert it into the location on the right, the screw on the left holds the HDD in, don't undo that one.
3) Start turning ! You should see the DVD drawer start to move out as you turn.
4) Keep turning until you can retrieve your disc, job done.
Another option for fixing your PS3 if, for some reason, Sony don't like the tone of your voice and won't offer a replacement, is to reflow the solder on the chips on the mainboard of the PS3.
This process involves taking the PS3 completely apart and taking a heat gun to the most sensitive parts of your machine. For this reason I would only recommend trying it if you are a) not club fisted and b) not going to cry if this does not work.
Essentially you will be heating up the CPU (Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) chips to almost destruction in order to melt the solder that fixes them to the board. This 're-connects' the chips after over-heating, during use, which cracks and dries the existing solder.
You will also be re-seating the heatsinks and applying new compound to the tops of the chips. I recommend buying the best that you can here, you only want to do this, and probably will only get the one chance to get this right. Using a good compound will ensure a longer lasting fix.
I have seen this fix done and know of people who, by a friend of mine, have had their PS3s fixed using this process and they are still running after 6 months. This is also a common problem on some modern laptops, not just cheap ones. So a fix is not out of the question and done more often than you might think.
I will go into the process in more detail in another article, but for now just search Google or YouTube for PS3 reflow for detailed instructions.
Happy PS3 replacing / fixing.
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