Gaming Forums => General Gaming => Topic started by: broodwars on July 17, 2009, 12:22:27 AM
Title: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 17, 2009, 12:22:27 AM
Like the subject heading says, my PS3 essentially "died" tonight. The system will no longer read any disc inserted into the drive, and on the rare occasion that it will accept it and load the game I get one of two things:
1. Shortly after the Playstation 3 logo appears on-screen, the system kicks me back to the XMB with the error message "80010514". 2. Shortly after initiating play, the game crashes. This particularly happens if the game has to access saved data and you generally know it's coming because suddenly the background music stops playing.
Supposedly 80010514 is related to a corruption of the PS3's disc recognition software and is supposed to be caused by faulty firmware updates and other odd software glitches. It's a known issue with PS3s, especially ones from the era mine is from (it's an original 80gb model I bought refurbashed 4 months ago, and is long since out of warantee). I've already contacted Sony to get the ball rolling on the very expensive repair process, but short of doing that is there any way to get this thing working again? If I have to go through with a repair, I also have to find a way to backup all my data (which is a real problem when there are multi-GB files on the HDD and my largest portable storage medium is 1 GB).
In case you're curious, this whole thing started a few hours after I downloaded the new Disgaea 3 trophy patch and started up a new game on the thing. A couple hours later, my PS3's suddenly not playing anything anymore. I don't think the trophy patch itself called this, though. This system's occasionally done this before, but it only refused to display discs on the XMB a couple times and that was a PS2 game a month ago.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: kraken613 on July 17, 2009, 12:28:16 AM
Man that sucks!
My PS3 is the only out of all 3 systems that hasn't died on me.
360 RRoD 7 times, then my Wii disk drive died. But I have had a PS3 a lot shorter time than either of the other systems though, only about a year. Had the other two since their launches.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on July 17, 2009, 01:28:26 AM
I also have to find a way to backup all my data (which is a real problem when there are multi-GB files on the HDD and my largest portable storage medium is 1 GB).
What if you only transfer the save files, isn't there a way you can format your PS3 harddrive and then do a (huge) system update?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 17, 2009, 01:43:13 AM
I also have to find a way to backup all my data (which is a real problem when there are multi-GB files on the HDD and my largest portable storage medium is 1 GB).
What if you only transfer the save files, isn't there a way you can format your PS3 harddrive and then do a (huge) system update?
Yeah, I thought about doing that, but I'm starting to think the damage my be irreperable at this point. You see, after reading that it was a problem that could have been caused by firmware problems my first thought was to have my PS3 search for firmware updates to see if I just needed to update the firmware. Sure enough, there was a new firmware update (v2.80) and I downloaded/installed it. The first game I tried to run after I did that crashed and all the symptoms returned. So yeah, it is possible that maybe a complete reformatting followed by the world's longest firmware update could fix it...but considering that this just started doing it this seriously tonight a month or two after the last firmware update makes me think I'm not so lucky that it could be fixed by something that simple.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on July 17, 2009, 12:04:36 PM
I looked up your error number (http://www.ps3news.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=3819), and the information I got was that the BD lens is dead.
If you're willing to do a DIY fix then take a look at this thread: http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=3549879&view=by_date_ascending&page=1
which I got from this thread: http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=2749209
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Ymeegod on July 17, 2009, 02:07:55 PM
My did the same thing. First time I sent it in to Sony and they charged $160 to replace the Blu-ray drive.
After 108 days it died the second time. I didn't bother to replace the drive though sony but you can actually buy newer drivers off ebay ($40-50) and install them yourself. The failure rate on the PS3 is actually going up. It seems like the problem happens the most with late 2007 models (the 40 gig ones with no BC).
I'll try to find the youtube video of the guy replacing the PS3 drive.\
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: NWR_Lindy on July 18, 2009, 01:24:37 PM
The PS3 drive is super-easy to replace. Just pop off the left-side plate with a flathead screwdriver, pull out the HD, and put the new one in. When your PS3 reboots it'll then ask you if you'd like to format the new drive. Then you're off to the races. To transfer the stuff on the old drive over, get an IDE shell with a USB out. It'll recogize it as a storage device and you can copy stuff over at will.
However, if your Blu-Ray lens is dead, that's a different issue entirely.
My original 60GB is rock-solid. Then again, it should be, since I paid $600 for it.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on July 18, 2009, 01:40:11 PM
My did the same thing. First time I sent it in to Sony and they charged $160 to replace the Blu-ray drive.
After 108 days it died the second time. I didn't bother to replace the drive though sony but you can actually buy newer drivers off ebay ($40-50) and install them yourself. The failure rate on the PS3 is actually going up. It seems like the problem happens the most with late 2007 models (the 40 gig ones with no BC).
I'll try to find the youtube video of the guy replacing the PS3 drive.\
Sounds like Sony has been cutting corners and cheaping out on parts to get the PS3 cost down. Kinda like the PS2 strategy only a PS3 isn't really cheap enough to just go out and buy another one to replace the broken one with.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: ThePerm on July 21, 2009, 03:31:36 AM
did you ever feed your ps3? No. Thats probably why it died. I didn't ever feed my Jaguar and it died.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 21, 2009, 04:48:26 PM
Well, my PS3's coffin arrived today, so it's off now to get resurrected at apparently a Sony repair facility in Texas. Damn Sony's cheap, though...they sent me a nearly-empty box (all it had was a styrofoam frame and plastic bag to protect the PS3, packing instructions, and some tape to close-up the box) 2-day UPS air, but the return pre-paid shipping is only 3-day UPS ground. Great...
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Ymeegod on July 26, 2009, 03:10:25 PM
So you ended up spending the $150+ on the repairs :(.
Welll if the federal case goes though the good news you might get that money back (similar to MS's case against the 360).
Me, I ordered a replacement laser lens finally (it's a hard item to get since the demand is so high) and should be getting next week. Costed $60 total and with any luck it shouldn't give me any trouble installing--I just hope this is the last time (already replaced it once).
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 26, 2009, 03:16:57 PM
So you ended up spending the $150+ on the repairs :(.
Welll if the federal case goes though the good news you might get that money back (similar to MS's case against the 360).
Me, I ordered a replacement laser lens finally (it's a hard item to get since the demand is so high) and should be getting next week. Costed $60 total and with any luck it shouldn't give me any trouble installing--I just hope this is the last time (already replaced it once).
I'm afraid I'm not really cut out for DIY repair work. As much as the repair cost hurts to get the Blu-Ray Drive replaced, I'd rather have it done by people who know what they are doing. I appreciate the advice, though, and will probably try for a DIY if this happens again.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 28, 2009, 06:19:58 PM
UPS just sent me an Email to let me know that a 3-day delivery package was headed my way. I suppose this means my PS3 is on its way back now (it's the only package I currently have "on order" that's using UPS), and I'm not sure yet if that's a good or bad thing. The instructions that came with the box Sony shipped clearly said to expect 3-7 days at the shop before returning while their site clearly says 7-10 days. That it's coming back after only 2 days with Sony troubles me, especially since their repair site still doesn't have any record of work done on my system. Hopefully whoever restored the system when I bought it didn't do anything Sony didn't like with the hardware and now they're just sending it back without doing any work on it (their instructions say they will not touch "modded systems"). Guess I'll find out on Friday.
Currently trying to decide with the PS3 coming back whether or not to keep my N64 out. It's clear that I'm not going to get anywhere close to finishing Ogre Battle 64, and my Wii won't be seeing serious use till at least around the time the Metroid Prime Trilogy comes out if not later. I'm tempted to box the Wii up and find someplace to put the N64 in the meantime, because the PS3 is such a space hog.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on July 28, 2009, 07:54:45 PM
My PS3 died last week, the problem is that the internal power supply unit died.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on July 28, 2009, 08:00:05 PM
My PS3 died last week, the problem is that the internal power supply unit died.
Ouch. So what do you plan on doing with it? DIY with a "new" internal power supply off the internet or send it in to Sony for them to do it? That doesn't sound like a $150 part.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Flames_of_chaos on July 28, 2009, 09:41:36 PM
Power supplies go for 50 - 80 on ebay, I rather just pay sony than screw up my PS3 more. I heard it happens by overheating which causes some resistors to burnout. Considering how many hardware revisions PS3 went through(all with different voltage ratings) I don't want a nice surprise.
Edit: Before the power supply died I saw the yellow light so it can be the power supply AND something else.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on April 19, 2010, 02:52:11 PM
My PS3 cannot read discs... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
****. Now I have to buy a Slim, and transfer everything from my Phat 80gig.
I will be playing Wii for a while now, as my procastination has yet to allow me to send my broken 360, so you can see how long it will take me to buy a Slim.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 19, 2010, 03:06:23 PM
My PS3 cannot read discs... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
****. Now I have to buy a Slim, and transfer everything from my Phat 80gig.
I will be playing Wii for a while now, as my procastination has yet to allow me to send my broken 360, so you can see how long it will take me to buy a Slim.
You don't have to buy a $300 Slim when you can just pay $150 or so to get your 80 gb fixed, which is what I had to do with my unit. Plus, you get to keep your PS2 backwards compatibility.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 19, 2010, 03:46:54 PM
What makes you think Caliban has a PS3 with backwards compatibility? It can't be the size because they made 80GB models long after they took out BC (I know, I have a 80GB model I bought in November 2008).
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 19, 2010, 03:50:14 PM
What makes you think Caliban has a PS3 with backwards compatibility? It can't be the size because they made 80GB models long after they took out BC (I know, I have a 80GB model I bought in November 2008).
You're right, I had just assumed his model had it. Even still, it's impractical to pay $300 to do a $150 job unless you just really want that slimmer model with more efficient power usage.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on April 19, 2010, 04:31:09 PM
My PS3 does have BC, but I just think that the PS2 games run better on a PS2...
I think I'm going to try what broodwars suggested. The only thing I'm concerned with is if my PS3 will get a better optical drive, or is it just the same kind of drive that will fail at a much sooner rate.
What if I trade it in at EB Games, will they accept it as it is? I'm inclined to think that won't be the case.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 19, 2010, 04:37:27 PM
My PS3 does have BC, but I just think that the PS2 games run better on a PS2...
I think I'm going to try what broodwars suggested. The only thing I'm concerned with is if my PS3 will get a better optical drive, or is it just the same kind of drive that will fail at a much sooner rate.
What if I trade it in at EB Games, will they accept it as it is? I'm inclined to think that won't be the case.
The 80 gb PS3's backwards compatibility is pretty unreliable due to being software emulation (rather than the 20/40/60 gb's hardware emulation), but it's still better than nothing if you don't own a PS2. You just have to do a little research if you're interested in playing a PS2 game on it to make sure it's compatible. Sadly, quite a few games I'd like to play now are not compatible (*eyes Wild Arms 4-5 and Shadow Hearts: From the New World*), but most work just fine with just minor hiccups in FMV quality or whatnot.
I can't speak for the replacement drive's absolute integrity, but what I can tell you is that I got my drive replaced last year and haven't had any issues since so I don't think we're looking at something similar to the 360's RRoD issue.
No, Gamestop/EB Games won't accept your PS3 if it can't play games. They will test it if you bring the unit in.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 19, 2010, 05:16:47 PM
They didn't used too, but I guess they got sick of being burned by people saying their system worked (they also used to plug it in, but only to see if it turned on. They didn't try playing any games).
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: vudu on April 19, 2010, 05:16:55 PM
You can probably get some money for it on Craigslist--I'm sure someone will want a broken PS3 for cheap.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on April 19, 2010, 07:30:12 PM
This thread proves that you should only buy Nintendo hardware. While I'm sure Nintendo hardware CAN break down, its never happened to me and I've owned every system they made starting with the NES. $ony and M$ consoles seem to be breaking down left and right, so people should know better than to buy their stuff. If you do and it breaks down you have only yourself to blame because its well known that this happens.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on April 19, 2010, 07:47:11 PM
My Wii broke down, it was starting to make grinding noises. My PS3 has been reliable, then again I don't use it much either.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 19, 2010, 07:50:06 PM
This thread proves that you should only buy Nintendo hardware. While I'm sure Nintendo hardware CAN break down, its never happened to me and I've owned every system they made starting with the NES. $ony and M$ consoles seem to be breaking down left and right, so people should know better than to buy their stuff. If you do and it breaks down you have only yourself to blame because its well known that this happens.
Well, to counter your argument I had my Wii's disc drive break down on me within my first year of owning the console. It happens, but yes Nintendo does build their console systems like tanks. I blame my PS3 breaking down, though, on my purchasing a used system that had obviously been through quite a lot with its former owner. I just assumed the repair fee as my sacrifice for trying to purchase a BC model years after they went out of production.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Mop it up on April 19, 2010, 08:09:02 PM
It's too bad that the PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 aren't manufactured by Nintendo.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on April 20, 2010, 06:24:36 AM
It's too bad that the PlayStation 3 and XBox 360 aren't manufactured by Nintendo.
It's too bad the Wii doesn't the horsepower and 3rd party support the PS3 and 360 has, because if it did then it would render the need to own either of them moot. I am a fan of call of duty so I understand why people need to own one of the other systems, because you can't get the same experience on the Wii. I just wish you could, though, because then the Wii wouldn't be the "2nd system" anymore, but could be a player's one and only system.
I don't actually own a 360/PS3 myself, though I do use a friend's sometimes. I'm afraid to get one myself because of the frequent and costly breakdowns I keep hearing about. $300 is quite a bit of money for me, and then to have to spend $150 in a few months or a year to get it fixed is ridiculous.
If only Nintendo's console were more powerful and had better 3rd party support we would all be happier.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: vudu on April 20, 2010, 03:00:25 PM
I've had TWO Wii systems break on me.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: TJ Spyke on April 20, 2010, 03:22:32 PM
Then you are likely to get hit by lighting, because it's extremely rare for anybody have a Wii break down on them.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on April 20, 2010, 03:25:41 PM
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: vudu on April 20, 2010, 04:03:07 PM
The first one had a problem with the GPU--it started to display graphical artifacts (http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/forums/index.php?topic=25054.0)--and the second had a problem with the WiFi card. No lightning/dropping required.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on April 20, 2010, 04:14:20 PM
My Wii had a Disc Drive error where it stopped reading disc, it would also make a loud buzzing noise. I left it with my mom about a 1.5yrs ago and it's making the noise again.
My girls Wii has a GPU error where the picture is lines across it. A reset usually fixes the error, but she hasn't returned it for a new one since we couldn't get her AC save off of there.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Ymeegod on April 21, 2010, 12:27:05 AM
Had one failure for all three now. My WII wouldn't read the disc (I didn't open it up but the drive was replaced) and have to say Nintendo's support was great. Not only did they fix it but they even overnighted it back which costed them ($17 extra for shipping) which meant I had a turn around of like 4 days. I got my orginal WII back but I heard Nintendo CAN transfer your save files without modding the console.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 21, 2010, 12:34:12 AM
Had one failure for all three now. My WII wouldn't read the disc (I didn't open it up but the drive was replaced) and have to say Nintendo's support was great. Not only did they fix it but they even overnighted it back which costed them ($17 extra for shipping) which meant I had a turn around of like 4 days. I got my orginal WII back but I heard Nintendo CAN transfer your save files without modding the console.
Yeah, I can speak from personal experience (as can many others here) that Nintendo's turnaround time on Wii repair is outstanding. For that matter, so is Sony's as well (I got my PS3 fixed and back within a week, just like my Wii when it was sent in). The only company I've ever heard bad experiences dealing with on repair issues is Microsoft.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Mop it up on April 21, 2010, 01:48:26 AM
The Wii is certainly the weakest Nintendo system so far. It may be better constructed than the other systems, but it is by no means durable. Just look at the number of people on this site who've had problems with theirs. Personally I know only one person who had a problem, their internal memory got corrupted. Since Nintendo chose to go with flash memory instead of something more resilient, I expect this issue to soon become common over the next few years.
I am a fan of call of duty so I understand why people need to own one of the other systems, because you can't get the same experience on the Wii.
True, Call of Duty is better on Wii.
How do you figure that? The Wii version of WAW/MW2 is clearly inferior in almost any respect. I know online MP is terrible, missing tons of features in the other versions, and doesn't even have voice chat. So how can you say its better on the Wii? I just don't understand how you could say anything other than we Nintendo fans got ripped off (yet again).
I am a fan of call of duty so I understand why people need to own one of the other systems, because you can't get the same experience on the Wii.
True, Call of Duty is better on Wii.
How do you figure that? The Wii version of WAW/MW2 is clearly inferior in almost any respect. I know online MP is terrible, missing tons of features in the other versions, and doesn't even have voice chat. So how can you say its better on the Wii? I just don't understand how you could say anything other than we Nintendo fans got ripped off (yet again).
If only Nintendo's console were more powerful and had better 3rd party support we would all be happier.
Speak for yourself.
I am, but I KNOW there are millions of other Wii owners out there that agree with me.
Alright, Chozo, I normally don't like getting involved in these little personal spats, but since this was originally my own topic I will: knock it off. If you guys want to have arguments about the status of the Wii and 3rd Party Support, take it elsewhere. I daresay we have plenty of topics already about or taken over by arguments about this subject. This topic is about the break-down and repair of our consoles, specifically suggestions regarding them.
Ignorance is to be whipped! ;)
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Mop it up on April 21, 2010, 02:17:19 AM
I don't see how the online multiplayer is "missing tons of features." It has a few less players, no voice chat, and no DLC. That's it. None of those things are anything that I care about, personally. Where it excels is a majorly important area: the controls. They work great, and offer lots of customization. I can't stand dual-analogue control, so it doesn't really matter what the other versions have, because they are unplayable to me.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 21, 2010, 02:19:35 AM
I don't see how the online multiplayer is "missing tons of features." It has a few less players, no voice chat, and no DLC. That's it. None of those things are anything that I care about, personally. Where it excels is a majorly important area: the controls. They work great, and offer lots of customization. I can't stand dual-analogue control, so it doesn't really matter what the other versions have, because they are unplayable to me.
And, Mop, the same goes for you. Let's keep this topic on-topic.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Mop it up on April 21, 2010, 02:20:55 AM
I'm sorry Broodwars, I didn't read your post before I posted.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on April 21, 2010, 02:21:56 AM
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BeautifulShy on April 21, 2010, 02:56:28 AM
Sorry to hear about your PS3 Caliban.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on April 21, 2010, 10:56:38 AM
Thanks Maxi. On the upside, I now get to play the Wii a lot more than I did before.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BlackNMild2k1 on May 03, 2010, 01:23:01 PM
Too bad you didn't have this.
New PlayStation Protection Plan (http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/05/03/new-playstation-protection-plan-provides-added-peace-of-mind/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PSBlog+%28PlayStation.Blog%29)
Quote
Hi everyone! Many of you can attest to the fact that the PlayStation brand has long been synonymous with the highest quality in engineering and design. For those of you looking for a little extra peace of mind, we’re now offering an extended service plan for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and PSP (PlayStation Portable) systems that is backed by SCEA and leverages our technical expertise. Under the new program, PS3 and PSP owners in the United States can purchase an extended service plan of one or two years that begins after the original one-year manufacturer’s limited warranty expires.
PlayStation Protection Plan
With the PlayStation Protection Plan, you can extend the same coverage from the original manufacturer’s one-year warranty for one or two additional years. The pricing includes all shipping charges and repairs, which are performed by PlayStation-trained service technicians at SCEA-authorized repair facilities. The PlayStation Protection Plan is available beginning in May 2010. PSP owners can also choose the Accidental Damage Plan, which provides coverage for cracked-screen damage in the event of an unexpected drop. See pricing below:
* PS3 – 1-year extension ($44.99) or 2-year extension ($59.99) * PSP – 1-year extension ($29.99) or 2-year extension ($39.99) * PSP Accidental Damage – 1-year ($39.99) or 2-year ($49.99)
So, why are we offering this now, you ask? Well, we’ve heard your requests for an extended service plan that’s backed directly by SCEA. From the get go, we’ve been extremely committed to offering the best entertainment experiences possible. While both the PS3 and PSP systems are designed with future-proof technology and built for long lifecycles, we’re excited to be offering this service to those of you looking for a little something extra.
PlayStation Protection Plan Sticker
PS3 and PSP owners take note – the PlayStation Protection Plan is available to PS3 or PSP owners (both the PSP-3000 and PSPgo systems) who are still within their one-year limited manufacturer’s warranty. The PSP Accidental Damage Plan must be purchased within the first 30 days of owning a PSP system, and the plan is effective beginning on the purchase date. You can purchase the PlayStation Protection Plan by calling 1-866-716-7669. Additional details and are available at http://us.playstation.com/support/pr...plan/index.htm (http://us.playstation.com/support/pr...plan/index.htm). Web site will be accessible later today.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on May 03, 2010, 01:30:10 PM
I know lol, and I had just read that on Kotaku.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on May 03, 2010, 02:46:50 PM
Oh nice, PS3 gets a price increase AGAIN in addition to the "Move experience" price increase for casual non-PS3 owners.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on May 03, 2010, 02:57:53 PM
You know how it is, money ain't good unless you spend it.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: NinGurl69 *huggles on May 03, 2010, 02:59:57 PM
Nintendo's very happy to not spend it. Just swim in it.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on May 03, 2010, 03:57:00 PM
Hi everyone! Many of you can attest to the fact that the PlayStation brand has long been synonymous with the highest quality in engineering and design.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on August 18, 2010, 01:54:10 PM
Well, great...here I am again. Almost 2 weeks ago, my PS3 suddenly experienced a rise in game crashes and eventually a full system shutdown (3 beeps). Thinking it was a malfunctioning fan causing overheating, I brought it to an IT guy at work who thought he could fix it with replacement fans. I just found out today that he had tried every method of fixing the issue, and had concluded that it was some issue with the motherboard causing this. So now I'm looking...AGAIN...at having to send my PS3 in for repair with Sony because this issue is pretty serious. Sorry, GP, but it seems I was right to be wary to purchase the PS3 from where I did, because with the money spent repairing this thing so far I could have bought a whole new system. :'(
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 18, 2010, 02:16:05 PM
If the PS3 is actually overheating, it will tell you on the screen before it shuts down. Mine was overheating when I got it, because in shipping someone must have bumped the bottom pretty good, and it bent the bracket around the fan inside the bottom of the console and made the fan get stuck in place. I took it apart, straightened it out, and now it runs perfectly.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on August 18, 2010, 03:43:59 PM
Well, great...here I am again. Almost 2 weeks ago, my PS3 suddenly experienced a rise in game crashes and eventually a full system shutdown (3 beeps). Thinking it was a malfunctioning fan causing overheating, I brought it to an IT guy at work who thought he could fix it with replacement fans. I just found out today that he had tried every method of fixing the issue, and had concluded that it was some issue with the motherboard causing this. So now I'm looking...AGAIN...at having to send my PS3 in for repair with Sony because this issue is pretty serious. Sorry, GP, but it seems I was right to be wary to purchase the PS3 from where I did, because with the money spent repairing this thing so far I could have bought a whole new system. :'(
Is it a slim?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on August 18, 2010, 03:52:35 PM
Well, great...here I am again. Almost 2 weeks ago, my PS3 suddenly experienced a rise in game crashes and eventually a full system shutdown (3 beeps). Thinking it was a malfunctioning fan causing overheating, I brought it to an IT guy at work who thought he could fix it with replacement fans. I just found out today that he had tried every method of fixing the issue, and had concluded that it was some issue with the motherboard causing this. So now I'm looking...AGAIN...at having to send my PS3 in for repair with Sony because this issue is pretty serious. Sorry, GP, but it seems I was right to be wary to purchase the PS3 from where I did, because with the money spent repairing this thing so far I could have bought a whole new system. :'(
Is it a slim?
Nope, old 80 gb BC model. I'm looking into local laptop repair places now to see if they might be able to replace the (presumably) broken motherboard, but I'm not optimistic.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Caliban on August 18, 2010, 04:57:09 PM
Ah. A friend of mine had the original 60GB, and it recently died, so he called Sony and they said it would cost... $180? $280? I can't remember right now. All I know is that he told me that with old PS3s they just send back a refurbished PS3.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on August 18, 2010, 05:43:15 PM
Well, on the plus side you have the BC model so even if it costs you more in the long run to get it fixed versus buying a new Slim, at least in the end you have a BC model. Right?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on August 18, 2010, 05:47:09 PM
Well, on the plus side you have the BC model so even if it costs you more in the long run to get it fixed versus buying a new Slim, at least in the end you have a BC model. Right?
That's the idea, anyway. I don't know much about the PS3's internal hardware, so I just hope that if the motherboard has to be replaced that the PS2 emulation chip isn't attached to it (or that a replacement motherboard with one can replace it).
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: TJ Spyke on August 18, 2010, 06:15:02 PM
You might want to talk to Sony before you send it in and see if your PS3 will still be BC if you need to have them fix it.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Louieturkey on August 21, 2010, 02:28:44 AM
My PS3 (original 60GB) died last year with the same three beeps. It was actually a similar situation to the 360 where it would overheat and eventually the thermal paste would melt and separate from the processor. I sent mine to Gophermods and they got it back in I think a week. They also didn't have to reformat the HDD so everything was on the drive when I got it back. I highly recommend them. My PS3 still works (though I don't use it that often anymore because I ended up getting a slim for free around that time as well).
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on August 21, 2010, 02:42:29 AM
My PS3 (original 60GB) died last year with the same three beeps. It was actually a similar situation to the 360 where it would overheat and eventually the thermal paste would melt and separate from the processor. I sent mine to Gophermods and they got it back in I think a week. They also didn't have to reformat the HDD so everything was on the drive when I got it back. I highly recommend them. My PS3 still works (though I don't use it that often anymore because I ended up getting a slim for free around that time as well).
Thanks, I'll look into them. Considering I've recently had a few high, unavoidable expenditures that have had made a huge dent in my wallet, their prices sound pretty good. I just hope that they can actually fix it. The guy who looked at my PS3 (and at the moment still has it because he keeps forgetting to bring it in) is a fairly skilled technician, and he couldn't fix it the way that this site says they fix it.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 21, 2010, 10:56:39 PM
The thermal paste in the PS3 *is* liquid already (at least what's between the heat spreader and the heat sink), it doesn't melt, it's never solid. Separation from the heat sink9s) would be due to the board warping, but it would also be very hard for this to actually happen simply because of the way that the console is set up. I've got to tell you that unless you know for a fact that your PS3 is being reballed professionally, that you're probably just getting ripped off when you send it or take it somewhere for a repair (someone's probably just stripping it down, blasting it with a heat gun, then putting it back together - it may make the console work for some time, but in fact it's not being fixed). The heat spreader needs to be removed, then the RSX chip (most of the time) needs to be removed and reballed, then reflowed onto the motherboard. There are many potential problems with the PS3, and the YLOD/beeping/red light don't give any secondary error codes like the Xbox 360, so repairs (or attempts) are usually hit or miss. I've "fixed" a few of them with a heat gun myself, and I've replaced a few Blu Ray drives as well. I wouldn't pay anyone to fix it unless they showed me their machinery first.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on August 22, 2010, 05:51:17 AM
Well I am getting concered about my PS3, after being on for a few minutes the green light starts blinking and the console shuts itself down.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on August 22, 2010, 07:04:41 AM
Threads like this make me squeamish about getting a PS3. The 360 used to be the system that would crap out all the time, but MS seems to have fixed that up and now there's a new model which probably resolves all the issues with the old model. I used to have my mind made up that if I ever got a second system it would be the PS3, but right now with stuff like this I'm leaning more towards the 360... but I still hate that you have to pay in order to play it online.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on August 22, 2010, 12:46:58 PM
Threads like this make me squeamish about getting a PS3. The 360 used to be the system that would crap out all the time, but MS seems to have fixed that up and now there's a new model which probably resolves all the issues with the old model. I used to have my mind made up that if I ever got a second system it would be the PS3, but right now with stuff like this I'm leaning more towards the 360... but I still hate that you have to pay in order to play it online.
I would like to remind you that my model is an old one, and one that was used before I even bought it. It's not indicative of most PS3s.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 22, 2010, 02:25:52 PM
Let me tell you, the PS3s lasted a long time, but they are starting to die big time. I know a guy who runs a local repair shop, and he got 7 PS3s yesterday alone. Most 360s that were going to die have already done so, but I bet the initial batch of PS3s (leading up to right before the Slim came out) will soon have a similar failure rate to the Xbox 360, they just lasted a bit longer before they died.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: NWR_insanolord on August 22, 2010, 02:27:17 PM
Glad I waited for the Slim. And for the record, I've had my 360 for almost two years and have had no hardware problems.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on August 22, 2010, 06:23:52 PM
Waiting sucks, but maybe its always best to wait a couple years until a hardware revision comes out before you buy new consoles. Of course, when it comes to the PS3 waiting was an easy choice to make because of the ridiculous price it launched at. People who bought a PS3 at launch are now getting screwed twice over compared to those who waited. Not only did the early adopters over pay for their system, but they also ended up getting an inferior product which is more prone to failure. Sometimes it pays to wait.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 22, 2010, 09:29:55 PM
If you bought your 360 almost 2 years ago, then it's probably got a Jasper motherboard, and will probably last forever. To this day I've *never* seen anyone with a Jasper system have it die on them, they get DVD issues occasionally, but never the typical RROD. Some people that had "Test Week 1" labeled Jaspers may have had issues, but I don't think the hardware was finalized on those.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on August 23, 2010, 06:04:49 AM
And the Valhalla motherboard is even better than Jasper, right? Or at least just as good?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: GoldenPhoenix on August 23, 2010, 07:13:01 AM
My PS3 is one of the originals with backwards compatibility.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on August 23, 2010, 08:36:08 AM
The Valhalla has had a couple that have died, but not a lot. I think it's pretty much to be expected that the first batch will have some issues (even the Wii did, though my launch system is still running perfectly), but in general the Valhalla-based console *should* be the most reliable one. It has 4 USB ports and internal WiFi now (which runs over an internal USB port, so technically 5 USB ports as opposed to 3), and has built-in power for Kinect, and still draws 25W less power than the Jasper system, so power consumption and heat production have both been greatly improved. I'm sure the CGPU combo probably gets a bit warmer than either/or the CPU/GPU from the Jasper, but it's a much larger chip, with a huge heat sink and finally a heat spreader.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Louieturkey on August 24, 2010, 05:57:49 PM
Yeah, the Slim PS3 is much better than any of the phat PS3 systems. The reason why is they got the dye size for both the CELL and the graphics processor down to half their original sizes (45nm from 90nm) so they have a lot less chance of overheating and they use much less power. While they took out backwards compatability with PS2 (PS1 bc is still there) they did add in bitstreaming of audio so Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio files can be sent to the receiver as is instead of as LPCM.
I wouldn't be surprised if the CELL got another dye shrink to 32nm in the next year or two as well as the graphics processor.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on September 01, 2010, 12:51:28 AM
The thermal paste in the PS3 *is* liquid already (at least what's between the heat spreader and the heat sink), it doesn't melt, it's never solid. Separation from the heat sink9s) would be due to the board warping, but it would also be very hard for this to actually happen simply because of the way that the console is set up. I've got to tell you that unless you know for a fact that your PS3 is being reballed professionally, that you're probably just getting ripped off when you send it or take it somewhere for a repair (someone's probably just stripping it down, blasting it with a heat gun, then putting it back together - it may make the console work for some time, but in fact it's not being fixed). The heat spreader needs to be removed, then the RSX chip (most of the time) needs to be removed and reballed, then reflowed onto the motherboard. There are many potential problems with the PS3, and the YLOD/beeping/red light don't give any secondary error codes like the Xbox 360, so repairs (or attempts) are usually hit or miss. I've "fixed" a few of them with a heat gun myself, and I've replaced a few Blu Ray drives as well. I wouldn't pay anyone to fix it unless they showed me their machinery first.
Just to give some closure, I have my PS3 back from a local repair shop and it is working fine now. From what I gathered talking with the repairman, it looks like he repaired it exactly as you said he needed to: he removed and reballed the RSX chip and reflowed the motherboard. The PS3 seems to be considerably louder now with its fans than I remembered, but then again I haven't used it in nearly a month so that could just be me.
It's a pity that the mechanical prowess of those mechanics isn't matched by their customer service, or else I'dr recommend them. Those guys were jerks when I went to pick up my PS3 on my lunch break. :@
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 01, 2010, 01:10:17 AM
May I ask how much you paid? Also, the fans should not be louder than they were before (unless he modified them to run at full speed constantly). If they're really running faster (and no modification has been done) that means your system is running hotter. Anyway, if it was less than say $80, then I'd really doubt that he reballed the RSX, then again, I could be wrong. Try to find out as much info as you can (model of equipment used, leaded or lead free solder, etc) - does this shop have a website?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on September 01, 2010, 01:16:27 AM
May I ask how much you paid? Also, the fans should not be louder than they were before (unless he modified them to run at full speed constantly). If they're really running faster (and no modification has been done) that means your system is running hotter. Anyway, if it was less than say $80, then I'd really doubt that he reballed the RSX, then again, I could be wrong. Try to find out as much info as you can (model of equipment used, leaded or lead free solder, etc) - does this shop have a website?
It cost me $90, actually. Yeah, the shop (which is primarily a laptop repair shop) has a website, but it's the kind of website I could have put out as an assignment in my high school web design class. The only reason I even considered the place is because it was less than 15 minutes from home and I could inspect the place myself. The shop itself looked on the up-and-up.
And like I said, I think I just haven't used my PS3 in so long I've forgotten how loud it was (and in the meantime, I've been using my 360, which is whisper-quiet). Apparently, the PS3s from the era mine came from just were that loud. I have a 30-day warantee on the repair, so in that time I'm pretty much stress testing the thing to see if it really was fixed. So far, so good.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 01, 2010, 01:28:01 AM
I saw you live in Florida - where did you take your system? If I was doing a reball (which I can't do, currently), I would offer a 1 year warranty (on the same issue), 30 days is kind of weak if they replaced the lead free solder with lead solder.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on September 01, 2010, 01:30:49 AM
I saw you live in Florida - where did you take your system? If I was doing a reball (which I can't do, currently), I would offer a 1 year warranty (on the same issue), 30 days is kind of weak if they replaced the lead free solder with lead solder.
It's a local laptop repair shop on 434 in Longwood (with apparently a partner shop in Orlando proper), creatively named "Laptop Repair."
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Chozo Ghost on September 01, 2010, 10:48:41 AM
What happens if it breaks 31 days from now?
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: broodwars on September 01, 2010, 10:54:18 AM
What do you think happens? ::) It was a calculated risk, and I knew it would be beforehand so whatever happens...happens. I didn't want to take a chance on a $150 repair with Sony that would probably result in me getting an entirely different PS3 (without backwards compatibility) because Sony is focused on the Slim now, and I think Sony only offers a 90-day guarantee on its repairs so it's not that much better.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: Louieturkey on September 04, 2010, 11:01:20 AM
You are correct, they only offer a 90 day warranty on any repair, no matter what they do. Of course, you can buy their protection plan and add 2 years for $60 or something like that. My guess is they would not accept a PS3 that was fixed by a third party though.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: ymeegod on September 04, 2010, 11:43:43 AM
Try cleaning the fans/vents. Either that or maybe it's time to replace the fans.
When I repaired mine I ended up with a similar issue and found out the fan had a small ding in it. Barely noticeable but made it sound like one of those hand dryers.
Title: Re: My PS3 "died" tonight...any way to fix it short of sending it in for repair?
Post by: BranDonk Kong on September 05, 2010, 10:06:52 AM
For real man, PS3's failure rate has to be much, much higher than has been reported, or assumed at least. The shop gets probably 20 a week, and this is just local people in a relatively small town (Melboune, FL). Most of the time it's YLOD, though quite often it's the Blu Ray laser too. We hardly get any 360s, and Wiis are few and far between.
