Xbox360 RROD life goes on. - Page 2

**CatalystiCam** · 06-16-2009, 12:48 AM

I had 4 Snes controllers...

they all worked fine, So I wired one to some chips with my friend and through to the gamecube slots so I could use it on the VC games.
Down to 3, one got lost and I recently found it, but half the time only the left side of the controller works...
Down to 2.

The other 2 still work fine and I bought an arcade controller for well... it was 5 bucks! and it's great with EDF and top gear

**Slime Slayer** · 06-16-2009, 01:50 AM

i had a snes controller that you had to give it slight counter clockwise pressure (like twisting it, like a twizzler) in order to make it work. also ive broken ontrollers for every system ive owned, mostly my brother did all the damage though, one time the controller wasnt breakin quickly enough for him so he simply cut the wire with scissors

**OldTimer** · 06-17-2009, 12:44 PM

I got the confirmation email today that my xbox is fixed and is en-route to me. Ya! I should get it back in a week. Not to bad considering it got shipped by ups to them on the 8th of june. not too bad. Ya!

**Winnebagel** · 06-17-2009, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTimer

I got the confirmation email today that my xbox is fixed and is en-route to me. Ya! I should get it back in a week. Not to bad considering it got shipped by ups to them on the 8th of june. not too bad. Ya!

Nice! Hopefully, the next one will last a long time.

**jim5cents** · 06-17-2009, 07:05 PM

Quote:

.....Originally Posted by Dudebro

I don't get how that would solve anything Dojah.

it is my understanding that the rrod is caused by overheating which melts on tiny little piece on the circuit board...i know two dudes that do rrod repairs...of course, if you do it, then your warrenty is void, but it works. basically, they order a new board, replace it themselves.

the only snes problem i have ever had involves the rf adaptor...on my current and first snes...16 years after its release

**Dudebro** · 06-17-2009, 09:34 PM

I still don't understand how blocking the vents on the 360 will help the overheating issue. Seems like it'll make it worse.

**OldTimer** · 06-17-2009, 10:09 PM

my understanding of it is the connections melt off when it overheats. You superheat it with the towel trick to solder them back on. Glues the chip back in place. I don't know if i am making any sense?

**CatalystiCam** · 06-18-2009, 12:05 AM

I have no knowing in how old my SNES is, my dad got it 2nd hand from a co-worker, I was either too young to rember or yeah.

I don't understand why SNES's turn yellow over time?

**Dudebro** · 06-18-2009, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTimer

my understanding of it is the connections melt off when it overheats. You superheat it with the towel trick to solder them back on. Glues the chip back in place. I don't know if i am making any sense?

Well damn that must get pretty hot to resolder it. I've used a soldering gun and that sucker gets very very hot. Wouldn't this also mess with everything else that has solder on it?

I still doubt overheating a sensitive piece of electronics will help in anyway.

**Dojah** · 06-18-2009, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudebro

I still doubt overheating a sensitive piece of electronics will help in anyway.

Well I have done the towel trick on 2 of my 360's and couple of my friends 360's, one of them being modded and there has been zero problems. You might have doubts but it really works. Never had a problem since on any of them. Maybe I am just lucky. I am suprised you have never heard about it. Honestly I dont understand how it works but if does.

**Dudebro** · 06-18-2009, 03:02 AM

Well if it does work then I doubt it's resoldering anything(unless it's the only thing that uses solder which seems unlikely).

**Dojah** · 06-18-2009, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dudebro

Well if it does work then I doubt it's resoldering anything(unless it's the only thing that uses solder which seems unlikely).

Yeah I doubt it becomes that hot.

**OldTimer** · 06-18-2009, 10:31 AM

"A solder is a fusible metal alloy with a melting point or melting range of 90 to 450 °C (200 to 840 °F), used in a process called soldering ..." I think it is possible to get the low point of that range but there could be something else involved as well.

**Kong** · 06-18-2009, 12:15 PM

If you were melting the solder the wires would probably slide out of place without you holding them. Plus if you needed to resolder the wires they would already be out of place. I really do not think this is what is happening. I am also highly skeptical that this is good for your xbox. Try it on your friends first.

**OldTimer** · 06-18-2009, 12:25 PM

What i've read on the xbox forums and seen in my other xbox's is that the wires are still there. They are just not making a complete connection. The idea is to soften the solder enough to make a better connection with the terminals. It has been implied that this was a manufacturing problem with the xbox's and not a problem of faulty chips. But I totally agree with you kong. Vent's on electronics are there for a reason, blocking them can cause unknown complications.

**Kong** · 06-18-2009, 03:16 PM

My first bet would be that this is an urban legend or April Fool's Joke. My second would probably be that it is frying the sensor that checks if the red ring should be shown. Kind of like if you have a car that has the check engine light on. One (bad) way to turn the check engine light off is to break the check engine light bulb or fuse.

If the solder is still there and making a connection with the wire then it is doing its job. Heating up the solder would not accomplish desirable results. It would just become liquid and either allow the wire slide away or do nothing. Once it solidified again there would not be a better connection than before.

**Dojah** · 06-18-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kong

My first bet would be that this is an urban legend or April Fool's Joke. My second would probably be that it is frying the sensor that checks if the red ring should be shown. Kind of like if you have a car that has the check engine light on. One (bad) way to turn the check engine light off is to break the check engine light bulb or fuse.

Well regardless of what people think it really works. If someone was going to send it in anyways why not try it. It does not void warranty at all, and there are thousands of people who have done this with videos to show results. That analogy of the car engine light is would be good, but that does not fix the problem....with this it does fix the problem. Whats the worse case scenerio?...you try it and waste 15 minutes before sending it in to get repaired.

**Dudebro** · 06-19-2009, 01:50 AM

@Kong- one thing to remember is the red ring is not just a light. If you see it you literally cannot play your xbox, it just won't work. It's like the blue screen of death on a PC. It's telling you there's a serious issue and it needs to be repaired.

@Dojah- I don't doubt that this is making it work for some people(since there is a lot of first hand accounts). I'm just doubting the procedure is helpful overall. Whatever it's doing right is fine but overheating the xbox is just asking for another RROD down the line, one that probably can't be towel repaired.

**Kong** · 06-19-2009, 09:26 AM

I know it isn't just a light. But it is a sensor. You could be blowing that sensor.

I understand your point about what could it hurt if you are just going to send it in for repair anyways.

Here is one possible scenario where it would hurt.
If you have say a 3 year warranty. You are 2.5 year into it and this happens and instead of waiting for round trip shipping you do the towel trick. It works. You manage to get another 8 months out of your xbox. Then it breaks again. This time the towel trick doesn't work and you warranty is expired.

I would be curious of what MS would say if you emailed them all the links to the youtube videos and other places saying to do this and asked what they thought was going on and if they recommended it.

**OldTimer** · 06-19-2009, 10:43 AM

Microsoft position is that they know that some xbox's are faulty and that's why they extended the warranty to 3 years for the E 73 error or RROD error. They refuse to admit what it is. (to admit you are selling something faulty is bad business) All of these diagnosis and towel tricks come from users through trial and error.

You are correct by saying the towel trick isn't a permenent fix because it is not. Nor does it work all the time. I used it before and got another 2 weeks out of my 2nd xbox. This time it did not work with my xbox.

**Squall** · 06-19-2009, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kong

I know it isn't just a light. But it is a sensor. You could be blowing that sensor.

I understand your point about what could it hurt if you are just going to send it in for repair anyways.

Here is one possible scenario where it would hurt.
If you have say a 3 year warranty. You are 2.5 year into it and this happens and instead of waiting for round trip shipping you do the towel trick. It works. You manage to get another 8 months out of your xbox. Then it breaks again. This time the towel trick doesn't work and you warranty is expired.

I would be curious of what MS would say if you emailed them all the links to the youtube videos and other places saying to do this and asked what they thought was going on and if they recommended it.

yeah, this bit. over here, you can join the xbox website and get complete cover free for up to 5 xbox's. i know this because i got the RROD, then signed up and sent it away, completely free of charge. i dont know if its the same in america though.

**OldTimer** · 06-19-2009, 03:46 PM

My xbox just came back! that was quick (13 days). I feel like a little kid on christmas opening up the box.

**Dojah** · 06-19-2009, 04:16 PM

@Kong~ Well that is true. That could be bad. About MS, thats a good question...I've heard something along the lines of anyone who has an xbox 360 with the rrod gets an automatic 3 year extended warranty.(Just noticed oldtimer's quote) I've heard this is because the rrod can happen again even if you send it in to get repaired, meaning MS can't make a permanent fix. Honestly I think it sucks all around for the gamers who have to deal with it.

---------- Post added at 03:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:16 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTimer

My xbox just came back! that was quick (13 days). I feel like a little kid on christmas opening up the box.

Nice, That is a great feeling.

**Winnebagel** · 06-19-2009, 07:48 PM

Yes it is. I remember when my system returned. It felt like a good friend coming back home.