What to Do When You Get Yellow Light of Death on Your PS3

For many PS3 owners, the term Yellow Light of Death (YLOD) is probably very popular. Yes, the infamous YLOD is something you want avoid on your console. Various things can cause this problem and one of the most common causes is overheating.

Overheating itself may occur because you place the console in incorrect position. Placing it in a tight place may block the vents from getting sufficient air circulation. It may also happen because you play games for too long. According to the user's manual, you should stop playing every 3 hours and let it cool down for a few minutes. However, many gamers usually keep on playing even after 3 or 4 hours and never care about this instruction.

So, what would you do when the yellow light of death finally hits your PS3?

First of all, do not panic. There are few things you can do. Try not to bring your PS3 to a repair specialist right away. The good news is, YLOD is sometimes temporary and it doesn't require professional repair. Try the tips below.

Check if your console gets overheating. You can easily notice this by touching the below surface. If this is your case, simply turn off the system and let it cool down. You should probably wait at least 20-30 minutes and switch it back on. Sometimes you can get the console fully functioning again.
Check whether all the cables are placed and in the correct ports. You may try to unplug them first and plug them back in again. See if it works.
Sometimes YLOD occurs due to the hard drive failure. In this case, you need to take the hard drive out and install it back again. It's probably important to try it at least twice. If it still doesn't work, try using other hard drive from other console. If your console works well, so the problem is in your hard drive. You'll have to replace it with a new one.

However, if all those tips above are not successful, then you need to repair some other parts inside. There are two options here. First you can send it off to Sony or other third party repair company. This may cost you a couple of hundred dollars and you normally have to wait for at least 6 weeks to get your console back. Unless you don't mind forking out two hundred dollars and waiting for weeks, this is a logical choice.

The second choice is fixing it yourself. This may sound complicated for some people but if you have used a screw driver before then I am confident you can do it. Fixing PS3 YLOD is not rocket science. It's obviously doable even for a beginner.

All you need is few basic tools such as a small screw driver, a heat gun, and a good repair kit. Several vendors provide downloadable repair kits which can give you step by step guide and even videos which you can easily follow.

So you might want to ask, "Why would I do it?"

The main reason is using a repair kit only costs around $25-$40 and most of them generally provide complete guides to fix various problems related to your PS3. Most vendors also give you the same method which is used by Sony, so you'll be able to fix the problem permanently. You see, by purchasing one kit you will be able to repair numerous problems you might have in the future. You might even want to sell your repair service to other PS3 owners. Pretty cool, isn't it?

The bottom line is if you own a PS3 and are getting YLOD on your system, you have two options. Leave it to Sony/other specialists (will cost you money and waiting time) or you can try to fix it yourself (a lot cheaper and no waiting time) and have the same result.

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