Blog about Gaming, Computers and Technology

Possibly one of the worst, most irritating problems that can occur on your Playstation 3 console is the yellow light error that happens when your console “bricks”. In this article you are going to learn how to fix the yellow light of death on PS3 in simple layman’s terms. You will also find out what has caused the yellow light error on your Playstation 3. Keep reading as you learn 3 different methods you can use to get your PS3 fixed properly and permanently.

What Causes The Yellow Light Of Death On Your PS3?

You may be familiar with the Xbox 360 red ring error, and how this basically boiled down to an overheating problem that causes the lead solder on the motherboard to malfunction, as well as causing warping of the graphics card clamps. Well guess what? It’s pretty much exactly the same thing that causes the yellow light error on your Playstation 3.

Heat buildup can literally crack or break the solder at the base of processor chips (where heat levels are very high) usually around the graphics processor itself. This then leads to a malfunction on your PS3, and it is unable to function properly as the motherboard is, in effect, damaged until the problem can be repaired.

How To Fix The Yellow Light Of Death On A PS3

If you purchased your Playstation 3 brand new then it will have come with a warranty, and depending on where you live, a warranty card. Check this out to determine whether your console is still under warranty, because if it is then you are seriously in luck. An under warranty console will be fixed by Sony for free- all you have to do is get in contact with your local Sony service number and provide a few personal details, and then arrange for the console to be shipped off to the repair center. A couple of weeks later you should receive a working console back. What is important to note is that you will receive a refurbished console back- not necessarily the same one as you sent.
If you are out of warranty or don’t want to wait a couple of weeks, or you want your original console and not a refurbished replacement then you could look at a 3rd party repair service. These have become quite popular in recent years with the explosion in repairs done on Xbox 360 consoles, and now on bricked PS3s suffering from either the yellow light or blinking red light error. A quick search on google for “PS3 repair + your town name” will likely bring up some suitable results, or you could try your local classified newspaper. The benefits of using a 3rd party repair service is that you usually get your PS3 fixed within a few working days, and most services offer some form of guarantee on the repair. However, you could still expect to hand over close to $100, and you can’t always be certain of the bona fides of a 3rd party service.
Your final option if you want to fix the yellow light of death on your PS3 is to repair the error yourself. Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Fixing a complex electronic gadget yourself. However, it is actually rather simple to do. You can reflow the solder on your motherboard yourself using a heat gun- thousands of other gamers worldwide, just like you, have successfully done this themselves. Provided you don’t accidentally blast any of the wrong components then the process will not damage your console either. The benefit of fixing your PS3 yellow light error yourself is that you can be gaming again in a couple of hours, and you can assure the quality of the repair, as well as getting your own console with all saved game files intact. However, without the right instructions it can be complex to do, so you will need a PS3 video repair guide.
One of these will cost you around $35-40 USD and provide you with all of the step-by-step video instructions that you need in order to be able to safely and accurately reflow your PS3′s motherboard yourself. If you want to learn how to fix the yellow light of death on your PS3 properly then you really do need a repair guide. Click the following link to learn about the best PS3 video repair guides.

Just when PS3 gamers thought they were immune to the kind of problems the Xbox 360 platform had been experiencing for a number of years involving flashing lights, disaster struck! The PS3 light error is a reasonably uncommon problem, but if you are unfortunate enough to have it don’t worry; in this article you are going to learn about the different PS3 light of death fix methods out there that will help you get back to enjoying your games once again.

PS3 Light Of Death Fix 1: Return The Console To Sony

Whenever there is a widespread error with any electronic device, gaming consoles included, the manufacturer will usually willingly offer a repair service. You can therefore call up Sony (the number to call will be in your owners manual, or on the Sony website as it varies depending on where you live) and have them fix your PS3. The benefit of this method of repairing the PS3 light error is that you don’t have to do any work. However, you will be stuck with a 4-6 week waiting period, and if your console is out of warranty you will have to pay around $150!

PS3 Light Of Death Fix 2: Pay Someone Else To Fix It For You

If you want to be gaming ASAP then this could be a good method for you compared to having Sony fix your console as the average turnaround time for a professional PS3 repair service is usually only a few days. Look on local classified websites or ask at your nearest video games store for any services that are recommended. The downside to this method is that it can also be very expensive, and you cannot guarantee the quality of the repairs; there are a lot of “cowboy” operators out there.

PS3 Light Of Death Fix 3: Do It Yourself

If you’ve ever held a screwdriver before then you have all of the technical skills you need to be able to repair your PS3 console yourself. To do this you will need to use the video and written instructional material contained inside a PS3 repair guide, which you can purchase online. The benefit of this method is that it is the cheapest (only around $30-40) and you can be gaming again very quickly, often in under 2 hours. The only drawback is that it requires the most work on your part.

Overall, I would recommend that you try to fix the light of death on your PS3 yourself; it is not too difficult, cost-effective, and very rewarding when you boot up your console to see that it is all fixed and working again. You will need a PS3 repair guide for this however, so please click the link to learn about the best PS3 repair guide.