Repair Your Own Xbox 360

Xbox 360 repair is really not that hard if you take your time and follow some repair directions. Basic tools and some technical skill is required.

Nothing worse than owning a Xbox 360 and not being able to play your favorite game. Are you one of the many unfortunate XBOXers receiving the dreaded XBOX "Red Ring of Death" error?

First of all if your Xbox is still under warranty take it back to the store for repair, Do not open it as this will void your warranty. If it is out of warranty then go ahead and repair it yourself.

About 5% of Xbox 360s that receive this error cannot be repaired. This means that you have a very good chance of saving your Xbox 360 console! Repair may require a few items from your local Radio Shack or hardware store. Chances are you already have these items. You may need a soldering iron and solder.
Learning how to repair your XBox will save you some major money. Microsoft will not tell you how to fix these errors. They'll ask you to send your system back to them for repair. The typical cost for a repair can be as much as $140 plus shipping and handling. Also - they do not always guarantee a fix!
This guide will show you how to easily fix the 3 Red Light Error. I'll also cover over heating consoles, graphic errors, and freeze ups. the step by step repair guide is easy to understand, and will have you up and running in about an hour.
I have personally repaired 19 Xbox 360's with this guide with a 100% success rate. It includes easy to follow instructions including pictures of every step that is required. I am repairing them for friends and now the word is out and I am making some decent cash repairing Xbox 360's

This website will cover some of the basic repairs and mods but eventually you will need the complete Xbox 360 repair guide One repair will more that cover the cost of the manual. This is the easiest guide to follow.
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How To Open Your Xbox 360

The first steps in repairing your Xbox 360 is getting it open without damaging the case. First you will want to lay out a soft towel or blanket on your work surface.

Next you need to remove the face plate. There are latches on the ends of the face plate internally. You can not see them from the outside. Laying your Xbox flat, squeeze the ends of your face plate and pull forward. It will pop off.

Once the face plate has been removed, you can remove the side panels. To release the tabs, insert a thin, round screwdriver or punch into the holes on either end of the white case panels and gently push. Be careful not to break them.

You will now be able to see the metal chassis inside. You can now remove the bottom of your Xbox 360. Apply gentle pressure with a flathead screwdriver to release the tabs on the front and back. You'll need to insert the screwdriver between the white panels to detach the back tabs.

You can now remove the top portion. At this point you will need a torx screwdriver. If you do not have one you can buy a cheap set at your local hardware store. Do not try to use a regular flat head or Phillips, you will damage the torx screws.

Remove the 6 torx screws located near the four corners and center of the chassis. Remember where the longer ones came from. It should now look like the above photo.

At this point you can lift out the DVD unit and you will find the CPU underneath. You now have access to repair your Xbox 360

At this point you will need a more comprehensive Xbox 360 repair guide. Out of all the manuals I found this one to be the most useful.

Cure Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death

You are playing your favorite game, your screen freezes then you get the dreaded 3 red light error. I hate when that happens.

Here are 2 tips you can try to start with,

1. Unplug the Xbox 360. Remove the hard drive. Plug in the Xbox 360. Press power button. Worked? Good! Now shut the power off and hook your hard drive back in. Still working? Great, you fixed it!
2. Unplug the Xbox 360. Remove the hard drive. Remove EVERY cable plugged into your console, including the video and anything else that can be disconnected. Plug in the console. Boot it up. Works? Great! Shut it off and hook everything back in, including the hard drive. Power it up again. Still working? Great.... Resume your game playing.

Neither one of the tips corrected your problem you may have a more serious problem and will have to look deeper into your Xbox 360.

Microsoft has extended their warranty support of the Xbox 360 in order to accommodate owners who have become so frustrated with their merchandise. You may want to check if your Xbox is still covered by there extended warranty before tearing it apart.

The big issue with the XBox is overheating. make sure your console is getting enough ventilation. Do not enclose it in a cabinet or throw your blanket over the top of it. Is it laying on a thick carpet or rug? Make sure it can get enough air circulation. Before plugging it back in, use your compressed air to blow all the vents clean of dust and particles.

Fixing your XBox 360 yourself is not difficult, as long as you are comfortable opening up the machine yourself and following instructions. Just note that if you do open the XBox to repair it on your own, you'll void any warranties on it. If the idea of opening up the box and working on it yourself makes you nervous, it might be better to wait the 2-8 weeks it may take for Microsoft to take care of it for you.

To fix your own XBox 360, you can pick up a guide that shows you how to do the XBox 3 Red Lights Fix and get it taken care of in an hour or two.

Xbox 360 Controller Repair - An Easy Fix

If you ever missed a shot because of a bad controller this will help. Do you have sticky or dead buttons on your Xbox 360 controller? With a few basic tools you can repair it yourself.

I just wanted to smash my controller last time I hit a button 3 times and nothing happened. I was going for my all time personal best too.

Here is how to get your controller working like new again. grab a Phillips screwdriver and flip your controller over. Remove the 7 screws holding it together. Flip it right side up again and carefully remove the top.

Remove all the buttons and rubber pads they are sitting on. It is a good idea to lay them out on the floor or table, what ever you are working on, in the same pattern as they go in your controller. Makes it easier when you are trying to figure out what color goes where. You could also draw yourself a diagram before you remove the buttons.

You can wash the rubber pads with soap and water. Take some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab and clean the black contacts on the board. DO NOT try to remove the black paths just rub until the dirt comes off and the cotton swab is clean, may take a few times.

Make sure everything is completely clean and dry. Turn your top cover over and start replacing your buttons. They should be keyed so they can only go in one way. Next put the rubber pads back in place on top of the buttons.

Replace the bottom cover and the screws. Check your buttons to make sure none of them stick. Your Xbox 360 game controller should now work like new again and you will not have to press hard on the buttons to get them to work.

Game controllers are built different for different types of game consoles but this procedure will work to repair any game controller.

Xbox 360 Error Codes - And What To Do About Them

If your Xbox 360 has stopped working you can get the error codes and get a general idea on what to do next. Error codes should be used as a general guide, they are not always 100 percent correct. They will give you an idea on where to start.

4 Flashing Red Lights - AV cable can not be detected.

• Make sure it is plugged in all the way.
• Disconnect the AV cable from the Xbox 360 console, and then reconnect the AV cable to the Xbox 360 console.
• Make sure none of your contacts are bent. Try cleaning the metal contacts on each end with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol
  
• If the AV cable is correctly connected but the four red lights are still flashing, try a different AV cable if you have one available.

3 Red Lights Flashing - is a general hardware failure

• Unplug everything and let it sit for 20 min. Re-connect and try re-starting
• If these steps do not resolve the behavior, turn the console off, remove the hard drive, and then turn on the console. If the 3x Red LED error light is no longer displayed, turn the console off, re-attach the hard drive, and then turn on the console.
• Check the lights on the power supply. When you turn on the console, the power supply light should illuminate green even if the three lights on the console flash red.

2 Flashing red Lights - Your unit is overheating

• Let your Xbox 360 console cool.
  You may have to wait several hours for the console to cool enough. Do not turn on the console when it is still hot.
• Make sure you can hear the fan running, also make sure you are not blocking the console from getting enough ventilation.
• Do not lay your console on heavy carpet or in a confined book case or shelf
• If you CPU is overheating you could replace the thermal compound. See the manual before you attempt this. The compound can be purchased at any radio Shack or electronic store.

1 red Light Flashing - General Hardware Failure

• This type of hardware failure can be determined by the error code displayed on the screen. If the screen is blank or you would like additional information follow the instructions for determining the secondary error code
• E45: Unknown
• E65: DVD Drive Error,DVD Timeout, Wrong firmware, DVD is without chip. This can also be caused by the tray not being fully closed or jammed on boot.
• E66: DVD Drive Error: DVD model, or version does not match that of the version expected by the dashboard. OR the firmware version on the drive is older then the firmware version expected by the dashboard. Make sure the DVD drive is of the same version originally included with the console and that it is using either the original firmware included with the console or newer.
• E67: Hard Drive Error, It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and re-connecting it.
• E68: Also a Hard Drive error. It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it, This can also be caused by a Hard Drive Eprom Error. Some also believe this might be caused by a problem with the fans.
• E69: Hard Drive Error. Could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive.
• E71: Possibly a dashboard update error, Check below in the "Console Reset Codes" for instructions. If that does not work there is no other solution and the console must be sent back to MS for repair.
• E73: General Hardware Error: Ethernet port, this error is caused by a problem with the Ethernet port.
• E74: AV cable error. There is a problem with the AV cable, try using a different AV cable. If the cable is known to be working then there is a 90% chance it's a scaler chip problem in rare cases it is the CPU.
• E79: Hard Drive Error. It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and re-attach it.

Still having problems? Get this easy to follow guide and repair your Xbox 360 yourself

Xbox 360 Three Red Lights Fix – Repair It Yourself

If your Xbox 360 has stopped working and you are getting the 3 red light error don’t panic, there is hope. With some basic tools and a decent repair manual you can fix it yourself.

You will need a set of torx screwdrivers, If you do not have a set you can pick up a cheap set at your local hardware store.

The 3 red light error means there is a general hardware failure. First thing you can try is to dis-connect everything and let your console sit for 20 minutes unplugged from the power. Re-connect everything and try it again, If you are still getting the error remove the hard drive and re-install it. Sometimes they get loose and you get a bad connection.

If that did not fix it you will need to open it up at this point. The most common failures are no video or disks will not read. Both can be repaired fairly easy.

If you have no video you can try a different video cable, borrow a friends if you do not have another one. If you still have no video but audio is working you will need to check the soldering connections on the main board for the video connector. Consult the manual before attempting this or any other internal repairs.

If your Xbox is not reading the disks or getting disk errors make sure your disks are clean. After that you may have to replace the DVD drive or if you have the skills you can remove the DVD drive and replace just the pick up assembly. This is a lot cheaper than replacing the whole drive. Again consult the repair manual before attempting this.

Your other option is to send your console off to Microsoft and Wait. Nothing worse than having Halo 3 and not being able to play it. I prefer to do my own mods and repairs. The console unit is very similar to your home computer, it is actually a small computer. With a little patience anyone can learn how to do there own repairs.

Once you learn about the inner workings of you game console and repair it you will become real popular with your friends when the game breaks down. This has turned into a part time business for me. Word seems to get around fast. If you want you can make some decent money doing repairs. People would much rather have someone local do their repairs.

Get The Ultimate Repair Manual Here