I'm going to bloody well fix this Xbox myself.

December 5, 2009 6:11 PM

Help me fix my Xbox 360.

I'm looking for documentation on a tried and tested fix for the red rings on the 360. Having been through multiple consoles, I've decided to try the X clamp fix myself. Has anyone here done it themselves? What instructions did you follow? Was it successful?

posted by Frasermoo to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)

There really isn't anything tried and successful. There are things that anecdotally work for some people. Short of something professional-level like a solder reflow, nothing is reliable.

It's very likely covered under warranty, unless you've done something to void it, and even then they've been known to overlook it. The warranty for RROD-specific issues is 3 years.
posted by Rendus at 6:44 PM on December 5, 2009

Best answer: I fixed it myself with the guide and parts kit from llama.com.
Played through shadow complex and ODST after fixing it. No issues.
posted by TimeDoctor at 7:38 PM on December 5, 2009

I can't find the instructions I followed last year when I fixed a friend's 360, but I will say it lasted maybe 3 weeks before it RRoD'ed again. Then I fixed it again and it RRoD'ed another week later. Then I fixed it one final time before it wasn't fixing it anymore. The moral of the story is use your warranty if you have one. If you don't, send it in to a place that repairs them professionally or find some kind of trade.
posted by Chan at 8:07 PM on December 5, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks Rendus. So you have tried the clamp fix and it didn't work?

Chan, thanks for the feedback. Never advertise yourself again!
posted by Frasermoo at 10:15 PM on December 5, 2009

Response by poster: The moral of the story is use your warranty if you have one. If you don't, send it in to a place that repairs them professionally or find some kind of trade.

i have used warranty 3 times. 3rd time they lost my console. 4th time I went private/

5th time.... it's personal.
posted by Frasermoo at 10:17 PM on December 5, 2009

I did the x clamp fix on a friend's xbox 360. The 360 is still working a few months later.

The x clamp instructions are all pretty similar. Search youtube and watch one of the videos. There are even some websites that sell kits with screwdrivers and everything else you need to do the fix.

If you don't buy a kit search google for "x clamp parts list" and then the name of the closest hardware store. Make sure to get a screwdriver that fits the xbox screws...

1. Take the xbox apart
2. Take the x clamps off
3. Remove the heat sinks and clean the old thermal paste off
4. Unscrew the things from the heat sinks
5. Put new thermal paste on
6. Use the screws you bought to reattach the heat sinks
7. Reassemble

posted by gregr at 11:13 PM on December 5, 2009

Hasn't Microsoft extended the warranty for red ring related errors to 3 years? Your Xbox might still be convered, I'd check that before trying to fix it.
posted by starzero at 1:26 AM on December 6, 2009

the forums at xbox-scene.com should have all the info you need.
posted by nuke3ae at 5:35 AM on December 6, 2009

Friend of mine did the x-clamp + (hairdryer/run with no fan) fix about 4 or 5 times, and each time it would last a week or two before it died again (it was 2nd-hand, so no waranty)

Now he runs it with the case partially open and a 120mm PC fan cable tied to the top of the GPU heatsink, with the DVD drive off to one side outside the case. Been going like that for several months and still working. Bit heath robinson, especially with the mains-to-molex psu he's using for the fan, but hey, it works.
posted by ArkhanJG at 7:19 AM on December 6, 2009