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.

View the Original article

PlayStation 3 Yellow Light of Death - How to Address This Issue?

The PlayStation 3 is a remarkable machine, enabling users to get lost in action packed video game adventures for hours at a time. Usually this process goes off without a hitch, but occasionally a PlayStation owner's worst nightmare pops up: the yellow light of death.

The yellow light of death also known as YLOD, aptly named after the Xbox's red ring of death, is a major problem for owners of the PlayStation 3. When the yellow light of death pops up on the PlayStation console, the machine is no longer usable. According to Sony, the yellow light of death indicates some sort of hardware failure.

Usually the YLOD appears when the machine is about 2 years old, well past the one year warranty provided by Sony. Owners musts either pay for a refurbished machine, buy a new one, or figure out a fix to the dreaded yellow light of death. Users can have this fixed in one of two ways: they can attempt to fix it themselves, or they can pay Sony to fix it for them.

Many people try to fix the YLOD themselves, or have a friend do it for them. If the individual knows what they are doing, this can be great. No shelling out heaps of cash for a machine you've already paid for, and no dealing with annoying customer service and shipping charges. On the other hand, if the person or their buddy has no clue about any type of electronic, and they try to miraculously fix the YLOD, they can run into some big problems.

Firstly, attempting to fix the yellow light yourself completely ruins whatever warranty you might have had from Sony. They will no longer let you purchase a cheaper refurbished machine, and they won't fix yours. Instead, if your attempts at fixing it go awry, you will be forced to start all over, shelling out hundreds of dollars for a brand new machine. Secondly, you can really screw up your PlayStation. Since the YLOD doesn't specify what the problem is, you don't know what to fix. Just playing around expecting something to work may not be too successful.

Whether you choose to buy new, buy refurbished, or have your machine repaired, don't fret. Most said less than 1% of PlayStation 3 consoles ever see the YLOD, so the odds of it happening again are minimal, unlike with the Xbox 360, with 33% of consoles getting the red ring of death. Don't think it's the end of the world when you see the yellow light of death. Chances are, for a price, Sony can easily fix your console for you.

Find out what you need to do when you get PS3 Yellow Light. No doubt, you can fix the yellow light of death if you are highly confident that you can fix yourself correctly.

View the Original article