How To Repair Your Own PS3

With the immense popularity of the Sony PlayStation 3 also comes the drawbacks and the bugs. From what I have read, there are quite a few problems that people seem to be having on a regular basis. For most of these problems, Sony asked that you send the unit back to them for repair, but most of them can be fixed at home by the owner.

Here we are going to examine the most common problem reported by PS3 owners and how this problem can be easily fixed by you, the owner. That problem is commonly referred to as the YLOD or the Yellow Light Of Death. This is when you push the on button and at first get the green light which quickly turns into a blinking yellow light. When this happens, your PS3 is suffering from the YLOD. If your PS3 is still under warranty, we advise that you send it to Sony and let them do the necessary repairs. If, however, your warranty has expired, then there are ways that you can fix this problem yourself.

To fix a PS3 with the YLOD where there is no stuck disk involved, you will need three things: a sweater, a blow dryer, and a fan. First wrap the unit in the sweater, leaving the vents uncovered. Next, turn the vents to where they are facing you. Take the blow dryer and, with it set to high, blow across the vents for exactly 15 minutes. Next, unwrap the unit from the sweater and let the house fan blow across the vents for about 20 minutes. Many times this will fix the YLOD for a period of time. Sometimes it will last a month, sometimes as long as 6 months, and amazingly, sometimes you will never have the problem again.

When you are experiencing the YLOD with a disk stuck in the unit there are a couple of fixes to try at home. With the first, turn the switch in the back to the off position. Next, hold the eject button. While still holding the eject button, turn the switch in back to the on position. The disk will pop out.

The next fix for a stuck disk involves the fan cycle on the unit. First, turn the switch in back to the off position. Next, cover the eject sensor with your finger. With your finger still over the sensor, turn the switch in back to the on position. This will start the unit’s fan cycle. While the fan is running, start tapping the eject button and sooner or later the disk will come out.

I hope that these tips for fixing your PS3 have been helpful to you.