Tips to Avoid the Three Red Lights (Sticky?)

Seeing that some of our forum friends are on their fourth and fifth systems disgusted me and since mine has been working problem free for 7 months, I've come to the conclusion that some people are just not treating their systems properly, its not just the hardware.

1) Keep you Xbox 360 AND power brick in very well ventilated areas

2) Do not use the Nyko Intercooler, as it voids warrenty, fries systems and breaks stock fans

3) Do not plug the system into a surge protector, plug it directly into the wall to ensure it gets all the power necessary and the built-in surge protector doesn't offset with the external one.

4) Keep the dust away from your system. If you see dust collecting up around the system, clean the area and the system out with a vacuum, dust shortens the life of the system.

5) Do not place the system directly on the carpet. The carpet collects heat and dust can be sucked up from the carpet.

6) Read (or at least skim) the manual before using the system

If you have any more good ideas, feel free to post them.

You can't prevent Red Rings of Death. Your console won't die if it's not well ventilated. Just unhook it, place it somewhere else, hook it up again and it works again.

True Red Rings of Death (the one that actually means your console is dead) can't be prevented.

You can't prevent Red Rings of Death. Your console won't die if it's not well ventilated. Just unhook it, place it somewhere else, hook it up again and it works again.

True Red Rings of Death (the one that actually means your console is dead) can't be prevented.

FearlessSpirit

Correct

i had one fail, put the next one in the exact same spot, no problems on it

thx for the tip about having it plugged into the wall :D

I hate it when someone who hasn't had a broken system yet blames the user for the system's failure. I've been a 360 owner since launch and I've taken every precaution necessary and it hasn't prevented crap. I'm 25 and have been playing games long enough to know how to treat my game systems, and I've NEVER had any problems with any system other then the 360.

As much as I love the 360 because of LIVE and it's game lineup, I can't defend the reliability of the console because I've yet to come across a reliable one. Just because your system hasn't broken yet, doesn't mean that it won't. Mine have always worked perfectly...until they didn't work at all.

You need to try and understand that Microsoft has created a system with a higher failure rate then most others, if not all, in history. I know most fanboys (not saying you are) can't admit that, but it's true. I have, do, and will continue to treat my systems very well, and I only hope that you don't suffer the same problems as myself, and many other users.

had the same console since launch. I use the NyKo intercooler.

Derp?

I have gamed since the NES days.....Only console to EVER fail is the 360. One of the above posters was correct in his assumption that the hardware failure cant be prevented. If you have a faulty manufatcured console, sooner or later its going down. Its due to the excessive heat, and warping of the mother boards, causing the sauder points on the CPU and GPU to break.

Supposedly MS fixed this by (literally) pouring epoxy around the edges of the cpu and gpu of the ELite, but it remains to be seen if this actually works. Game wise the 360 is the best. Hardware reliabilty wise you be better of trusting a rusty VW bug with no motor to drive you some place then for your 360 to last you more than a year. I keep my simply because of the games, but I hate the fact that I know it will probably crash agian.

I have followed all of your tips and then some....aside from Chris Angel floating my console in mid air so it has air flow on all sides. Im offended to even think that people believe this is all user created problems....because its not.

Amen to that NYC05.

I keep mine unplugged everynight and keep it covered everynight as well. I have mine plugged into a surge protector. I blow it out once a week with compressed air. If its gonna die its gonna die!!! Sticky? I dont think so. . . .

rings of death happen beacuse motherboard keeps bending over time due overheating,which leads to desoledering connections and other nasty stuff.horizontal poz. improves air ventilation.do not use intercoolers and dont put usbfans at the back of your console,as those things only speed up air circulation so air inside console dont have much time to pick heat from heat sinks.your best bet is to leave console as it is in horiz poz, in well ventilated space,protect it from dust and if your console survives warranty period do what i did.open it,apply proper termalpaste(AS5),clean it from dust,and invest in some heatsinks for memmory,extra fan in front gpu so it sucks air from backpanel, and replace fans at the back.console will be cooler inside,and i promise heat wont kill your 360.

360 is great system,cheaply made,with terrible cooling system,but atleast games are worth it:)

Also, don't turn it off then on right away. That messes it up some times. My HD got corrupt from doing it XD

~Panda

thx for the tip about having it plugged into the wall :D

Lunchbucket16

Lol and there i was with it plugged into my face

You can't prevent Red Rings of Death. Your console won't die if it's not well ventilated. Just unhook it, place it somewhere else, hook it up again and it works again.

True Red Rings of Death (the one that actually means your console is dead) can't be prevented.

FearlessSpirit

Which sector is off when you get the "Three Rings of Death"?

You should have phrased your post better as in like "common things to check your system for after getting the red ring."

Another tip would be to check your wire connections.

So now if I plug my 360 directly into the wall I won't be protected by a surge. You can't win on that tip.sk8jim

Surge protectors really are important. My battery backup/ surge protector saved my PC innards when my old power supply blew ;) (Literally so). Just don't stick a million plugs into one outlet and you're golden. It's one of the easiest ways to protect expensive electronic investments :)

The 360 power brick has a built in surge protector, using another one often causes them to offset each other. I didn't say that if you follow all those tips and your system breaks once or maybe twice its your fault, but the peoples who systems have broken, 4, 5 or even more times, those people are probably doing something wrong, thats what I said.shadow8585

Sorry bud but your wrong. Ive been gaming 20 years and this system is the only one I have ever had that has broke. I keep it clean, ventilated all of that stuff. Just wait until your 3 or 4 consoles in you will be singing a different tune....thread over go away little kid.

Do the X clamp connector modification if your waranty is expired/3 Rings of Death. Basically you just have to buy some warshers/bolts to replace the crap connectors the 360 comes standard with. Basically they always apply pressure to the board and break solder joints. That's why some don't work if overheated or will work again with some heating tricks. Otherwise send it back to microsoft for a repair.

http://rbjtech.bulldoghome.com/pages/rbjtech_bulldoghome_com/XClamp.htm

Ok I made a poll here a long time ago. I found that out of 471 people who responded about 40.76% people were NOT on there first Xbox 360.Bungholio55

That's a good poll. Still, you have to wonder, of that 40%, how many didn't have their setup established correctly? I agree, if there is faulty hardware, prevention isn't going to do much. You may prolong the inevitable, but it will ultimately happen. However, I have seen some setups that almost BEG for overheating or other issues. For others, I've seen them shift the console while it's on and running a game. Yet others spill something on it, then are upset when it wont work. Or, they think the surge protector should have protected that surge from the lightning that shut off the power to the neigborhood...sorry, surge protectors don't stand a chance against that stuff - it'll say so often right on the box. Finally, some just kick their stuff around too much. I'm thinking that most 360's that fail are actually due to faulty manufacturing. However, I think there are still some that plunk out due to shotty owners.

i have a solution. go back in time and buy a launch system. they have a lower failure rate, at least from everything i've read and based on my experience.

i've even voided the warranty by taking the 360 apart and modding it...i know, i've got more balls than fear...still works like new. AND i've moved it from place to place countless times.

don't know what else to say, but reports of5 and 6 new 360s breaking within a year, that just seems ludicrous. if it IS based on hardware and not user neglect, than there's gotta be a big difference between launch systems and newer ones.

BTW, anyone know of the Elite's having problems yet??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? just curious.

Three reds are not a guarantee, but a disappointing reality of being a 360 owner.....I should be noted that I have gotten TWO red rings twice, and still my system plugs away. Dispite the drive acting weird, and the overheating causing the system to freeze. (This is not through extensive game play, I have had it freeze after only a half hour.)

I have had EVERY system since NES, and none were as prone to meltdown as the 360. (Although my Saturn was a piece of crap, as the disc holder had three little ball bearings, and those were prone to breaking so you could no longer put in a disc)

I treat my 360 very well, and have been disappointed with the quality of the build. Having said all that I love the system, and will buy an elite as soon as mine bites the dust. Hopefully the issues will have been worked out by then.

You can't prevent Red Rings of Death. Your console won't die if it's not well ventilated. Just unhook it, place it somewhere else, hook it up again and it works again.

True Red Rings of Death (the one that actually means your console is dead) can't be prevented.

FearlessSpirit

Keep the 360 below all other electrical components. Heat rises, so the closer the 360 is to the floor, the better. If you place a VCR, receiver, etc, below the 360, it will bake as if it was in an oven. Also, don't keep it in an enclosed entertainment center.

I hate it when someone who hasn't had a broken system yet blames the user for the system's failure. I've been a 360 owner since launch and I've taken every precaution necessary and it hasn't prevented crap. I'm 25 and have been playing games long enough to know how to treat my game systems, and I've NEVER had any problems with any system other then the 360.

As much as I love the 360 because of LIVE and it's game lineup, I can't defend the reliability of the console because I've yet to come across a reliable one. Just because your system hasn't broken yet, doesn't mean that it won't. Mine have always worked perfectly...until they didn't work at all.

You need to try and understand that Microsoft has created a system with a higher failure rate then most others, if not all, in history. I know most fanboys (not saying you are) can't admit that, but it's true. I have, do, and will continue to treat my systems very well, and I only hope that you don't suffer the same problems as myself, and many other users.

nyc05

No offense, but your saying that because you have bad luck everyone esle is doomed to have theres break? I realize that the failure rate is higher then average but you must realize that even a few percent failure rate on the quanity that microsoft makes seems like alot but isin't bad in all reality. Microsoft has sold over 10M systems and even a 3 percent failure rate is going to be over 300 thousand consoles that die. The thing people dont realize is that you wont see people complain that its working great so what looks like a fourm full of problems is really just a small percentage. Crunch the numbers and you will see what i mean.

[QUOTE="nyc05"]

I hate it when someone who hasn't had a broken system yet blames the user for the system's failure. I've been a 360 owner since launch and I've taken every precaution necessary and it hasn't prevented crap. I'm 25 and have been playing games long enough to know how to treat my game systems, and I've NEVER had any problems with any system other then the 360.

As much as I love the 360 because of LIVE and it's game lineup, I can't defend the reliability of the console because I've yet to come across a reliable one. Just because your system hasn't broken yet, doesn't mean that it won't. Mine have always worked perfectly...until they didn't work at all.

You need to try and understand that Microsoft has created a system with a higher failure rate then most others, if not all, in history. I know most fanboys (not saying you are) can't admit that, but it's true. I have, do, and will continue to treat my systems very well, and I only hope that you don't suffer the same problems as myself, and many other users.

dudy80

No offense, but your saying that because you have bad luck everyone esle is doomed to have theres break? I realize that the failure rate is higher then average but you must realize that even a few percent failure rate on the quanity that microsoft makes seems like alot but isin't bad in all reality. Microsoft has sold over 10M systems and even a 3 percent failure rate is going to be over 300 thousand consoles that die. The thing people dont realize is that you wont see people complain that its working great so what looks like a fourm full of problems is really just a small percentage. Crunch the numbers and you will see what i mean.

No offense taken, but that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is that so many people who have not had their systems die seem to think that when someone's does die, that it's their fault. In my case, and in the case of most of my friends, it's the system's fault.

Microsoft has already stated that the 360 has had a higher then normal failure rate, which means more then three percent. The article was posted right here on Gamespot some time ago. This was, and is still, a problem. The problem is, is that most people don't want to realize that, but guess what? It's true.

I only hope the best for your system, and everyone else's system in here, but I'm just saying...don't be surprised if it happens to you.

[QUOTE="dudy80"][QUOTE="nyc05"]

I hate it when someone who hasn't had a broken system yet blames the user for the system's failure. I've been a 360 owner since launch and I've taken every precaution necessary and it hasn't prevented crap. I'm 25 and have been playing games long enough to know how to treat my game systems, and I've NEVER had any problems with any system other then the 360.

As much as I love the 360 because of LIVE and it's game lineup, I can't defend the reliability of the console because I've yet to come across a reliable one. Just because your system hasn't broken yet, doesn't mean that it won't. Mine have always worked perfectly...until they didn't work at all.

You need to try and understand that Microsoft has created a system with a higher failure rate then most others, if not all, in history. I know most fanboys (not saying you are) can't admit that, but it's true. I have, do, and will continue to treat my systems very well, and I only hope that you don't suffer the same problems as myself, and many other users.

nyc05

No offense, but your saying that because you have bad luck everyone esle is doomed to have theres break? I realize that the failure rate is higher then average but you must realize that even a few percent failure rate on the quanity that microsoft makes seems like alot but isin't bad in all reality. Microsoft has sold over 10M systems and even a 3 percent failure rate is going to be over 300 thousand consoles that die. The thing people dont realize is that you wont see people complain that its working great so what looks like a fourm full of problems is really just a small percentage. Crunch the numbers and you will see what i mean.

No offense taken, but that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is that so many people who have not had their systems die seem to think that when someone's does die, that it's their fault. In my case, and in the case of most of my friends, it's the system's fault.

Microsoft has already stated that the 360 has had a higher then normal failure rate, which means more then three percent. The article was posted right here on Gamespot some time ago. This was, and is still, a problem. The problem is, is that most people don't want to realize that, but guess what? It's true.

I only hope the best for your system, and everyone else's system in here, but I'm just saying...don't be surprised if it happens to you.

There is a massive problem with the Xbox 360 console, nobody can deny that, & I agree the first time my console went out I told everyone on here about it and immediately got blamed for not taking proper care of it, when myself knew I did everything possible to prevent it but the fact stands that non of those precautions mattered because it was faulty to begin with.

[QUOTE="dudy80"][QUOTE="nyc05"]

I hate it when someone who hasn't had a broken system yet blames the user for the system's failure. I've been a 360 owner since launch and I've taken every precaution necessary and it hasn't prevented crap. I'm 25 and have been playing games long enough to know how to treat my game systems, and I've NEVER had any problems with any system other then the 360.

As much as I love the 360 because of LIVE and it's game lineup, I can't defend the reliability of the console because I've yet to come across a reliable one. Just because your system hasn't broken yet, doesn't mean that it won't. Mine have always worked perfectly...until they didn't work at all.

You need to try and understand that Microsoft has created a system with a higher failure rate then most others, if not all, in history. I know most fanboys (not saying you are) can't admit that, but it's true. I have, do, and will continue to treat my systems very well, and I only hope that you don't suffer the same problems as myself, and many other users.

nyc05

No offense, but your saying that because you have bad luck everyone esle is doomed to have theres break? I realize that the failure rate is higher then average but you must realize that even a few percent failure rate on the quanity that microsoft makes seems like alot but isin't bad in all reality. Microsoft has sold over 10M systems and even a 3 percent failure rate is going to be over 300 thousand consoles that die. The thing people dont realize is that you wont see people complain that its working great so what looks like a fourm full of problems is really just a small percentage. Crunch the numbers and you will see what i mean.

No offense taken, but that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, is that so many people who have not had their systems die seem to think that when someone's does die, that it's their fault. In my case, and in the case of most of my friends, it's the system's fault.

Microsoft has already stated that the 360 has had a higher then normal failure rate, which means more then three percent. The article was posted right here on Gamespot some time ago. This was, and is still, a problem. The problem is, is that most people don't want to realize that, but guess what? It's true.

I only hope the best for your system, and everyone else's system in here, but I'm just saying...don't be surprised if it happens to you.

Obviously, but im sure theres consoles that will never break.... Sorry if i kinda aimed that at you but i just hate when some kid comes online and trys to tell me because his 360 broke mines doomed also. And im not aiming that at anyone in this thread, its just a general thing. Its a shame ther failure rate is above average but at the same time it could be worse.