360 Issues thread

[egparadigm]

Is it a standard repair charge with MS ? If I can't get the bugger to red light then I guess I'm stuck paying.

The 3RL is caused by the chips melting inside the console. So if you want to get them, you need to overheat it. A simple suffocation by towel should do it.

As regards trading in, perhaps you could find a small branch where they don't have a TV and cannot check.

[Simmy]

The 3RL is caused by the chips melting inside the console. So if you want to get them, you need to overheat it. A simple suffocation by towel should do it.

As regards trading in, perhaps you could find a small branch where they don't have a TV and cannot check.

Thanks m8, that's what I thought, I'll grab a beach towel.

Think I'll pick up an Elite and then get this one broken and fixed and then trade it in - just gotta get off the refurb bandwagon now !

[ExtremePabs]

According to this - http://www.llamma.com/xbox360/repair...rror-codes.htm it's either the AV cable (if you're lucky), or an internal graphics chip fault (if you're unlucky)

Pete

I was unlucky I guess I noticed a couple of graphic glitches in COD4 the other night so I guess it was onyl a matter of time. On the bright side only one of the 5 machines i have had have had the 3 red lights mine were 3 graphic chip faults and 2 dvd drive faults

[Edame]

My old launch 360 and my HD-DVD drive are due to be collected today. My 360 stopped displaying a picture months ago after intermittent 3RL errors and I ended up buying a new one, but decided to finally send it back when the HD-DVD drive died (lady on the helpline had no idea what the HD-DVD drive was). Told them it was the 3RL situation, and I did get it a few times but other times it starts as normal but just with no display. Think I will just have to insist that it had the 3RLs when I sent it back as I'm not paying for a repair.

[anephric]

How do i do a pot tease, as a Google brought up nothing?

Ta

Good guide here. You'll need a multimeter, mind, and a veeeee tiny screwdriver (if you don't have PC tools lying around, it's the sort of size opticians use). Plus a torx 10 to open up the 360 in the first place. If you haven't done that before, google for a guide because you'll need to pop the back open with little plastic tabs or somesuch.

Bear in mind it's a fair bit of hassle and the chances are that it won't make too much of a difference if the drive's dying. If cleaning the optics and tweaking the DVD pot don't work, the only other thing you can do, bar swapping the drive (which is outside the scope of most people's resources because it necessitates matching the key in the drive's firmware to your particular 360: obviously, if modding the 360 that's no problem because the drive has to be flashed anyway) is swap the laser out completely. There are a few places online that sell 360 laser lenses, but make sure you get the right one for your drive if you're doing that and are confident enough to do it.

There are also places that'll swap out your drive and reflash it with the key from your original drive, but I'm not sure it'll be any cheaper than just sending it back to MS and paying their fee. Plus, as some have attested to earlier in this thread, the quality of service can be pretty erratic from third parties (including not flashing the key at all!).

[Pavey]

Thanks mate

MS said they wouldn't touch it full stop, i had to get in touch with MS US.

Used a 3rd party place before, and although it was fixed the service was pretty shoddy.

[anephric]

Seriously? I thought if you were paying they'd take back US or JPN.

Bunch of gits. I haven't done it personally so I'm not much help, so you could try sifting back through this thread and find the guys that had their drives replaced by third parties and see what they thought of the places they used.

To be honest, if I got to that stage and was going to spend £80-odd anyway, I'd just try to hunt down a cheapish Core. Or do you really need a US machine?

[Dirty Sanchez]

My launch 360 is still going strong. It did suffer some freezing a few months back, when after 10 mins of Forza or Gears it would just freeze. It hasn't happened for months though.

Fingers crossed it keeps going. Got a launch PS2 still going strong too.

I always run all my stuff through mains filters, don't know if this helps them keep going.

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

Has anyone got a link to the details I need regarding the 3 red lights situation?
What I need is the phone number to contact & what details they will need when I phone.
Are u guys also certain they wont ask where I bought it from or for a receipt as I seem to have lost my receipt?

[anephric]

No, just the serial number. They'll go by manufacturing date.

0800 587 1102

[EDDIE M0NS00N]

No, just the serial number. They'll go by manufacturing date.

0800 587 1102

Ta mate!

[MartyG]

You can also sort it all out online ( and I found that it's far easier than dealing with the Indian call centre ) - just log into xbox.com and click on support, then follow the links.

You get emailed a link and then you can print out the TNT label and organise a collection via the TNT website.

[MonkeyJuggleDX]

What still gets me is people's acceptance of the shoddy hardware.

My mate sold his PS3 because it froze on him ONCE, yet when his 360 died, he just said 'Oh well, I'll take it back to the shop and get another'.

Why do people behave like this? It's almost as if they think it's acceptable to have something like that break on a regular basis.

[MartyG]

Break on a regular basis? I had a launch machine go after 22 months, I'd hardly call that regular - though it is the only console I've had that ever died. Having to replace one every week would be regular.

Too much good stuff on x360 missed out to not have one.

[Beelzebot]

Yeah, it's all down to the games. Also, the free repairs help. If I was expected to pay to get it fixed, or had to buy a replacement then I'd probably say to hell with it.