The Great Xbox 360 Repair Debacle

I've done a little article for my we play Xbox website as I've been without my Xbox 360 for over a month. I know I know, we've all heard this story before and most of us have experienced it before.

However, though the hardware failure rate has always been high, the time taken for repairs had always been generally good. Recently, that repair time has become increasingly appalling and I've documented my experience over the past month and published them in an article. If you fancy it, you can read it here: http://www.weplayxbox.com/2007/06/26...-your-console/

If you don't fancy reading it, the key points are that Microsoft used to state up to 10-15 days for repairs. They're now stating up to 25 working days, that's a whole 5 weeks. I've put a few potential reasons in the article and why I think we customers are being treated unfairly.

Anyhow, I hope you find it an interesting read. If anybody else has a similar experience, it'd be good to hear about it.

Good read for all the wrong reasons really. With MS knowing that there is a major issue with the failure rate, and yet they still deny there's any real problems. My first console lasted 2 hours on the release date, the replacement service was good, less than a week to get a brand new unit in my hands. But i still worry that one of these days its not going to boot up, i just don't trust MS or GAME to be able to resolve any problems i'm likely to face.

Have you contacted Trading Standards or the place where you bought the console from? it may be worth having a chat with them.

On a side note, you've got your months mixed up, July instead of June.

Good article Parm. I had no idea this was going on. The hardware clearly hasnt been up to scratch since day one and this is a more serious problem now, with the slow service provided by the repair centre.

I was also sent a refurb which hacked me off at the time because, like you, i kept mine in pristine condition. Luckily, the refurb was in fairly good condition itself. If mine croaks again then i wont be paying £70 for a repair and i cant see myself shelling out for a brand new one.

I have never used such a shoddy gaming platform. My Mega Drive, SNES, N64, Dremcast, PS2, PSP and numerous Gameboys were all bulletproof. The excuse that its more of a high end pc than a games console doesnt really wash either, my gaming rig is rock solid.

Thanks guys. The worst thing is, I really enjoy the console...when it works. It's even surpassed the SNES as my most enjoyed console of all time but the hardware and support situation just isn't good enough.

I'm annoyed with the service I've received myself but I can't even imagine how those who've been through numerous consoles must feel. I have a friend who is on his 6th console now, it's just completely unacceptable. I've no idea how they're getting away with it. At first when I'd had no problems with my original console for so long, I thought perhaps others weren't handling their consoles properly. Perhaps they weren't giving them sufficient room for cooling etc. I however had my console on the top of an AV Rack in a cool room, perfectly ventillated and rarely moved. Yet one day, it decided to pack in.

I'll be sure to keep you all updated on the progress of my machine and I'll let you know if Microsoft do decide to give me anymore info on the current delays.

damm and i just sent my console back last week for repair and its been nearly two weeks now. so your saying that i have to wait another 3 weeks before recieving it? dispite them telling me 10-15 days?

damm it if it wasnt for the shoddy hardware the x360 would be such an amazing console! i may be forced to buy a ps3 if mine breaks again!

whats wrong with MICROSOFT?? they give us such a breath taking console that breaks every 10 minutes. its a joke. why couldnt they invest in water cooling the 360? or make the console bigger to enable better air flow?

btw when i sent mine it was over its warranty but they did not ask me to pay for the repair :) Is it a fact that the consoles made this year are more reliable due to a new heatsink? how much is a core system going for nowadays because if my new one breaks and they ask me to pay for repair i might just buy a core system if the price is not that much different then the repair price.

Oh for gawd sakes.

Mines gone as well just the other day. 1/2 way through texas hold 'em - 4 aces in my hand and just as I went to go 'all in' I got grey and black vertical bars on the TV and thought oh yeah nice.... reboot time.

Once rebooted it came up with 3 red lights - 1,3,4 to be precise.

Mine is out of warranty and I am not willing to pay for repairs. As such I am going to see if I can revive the dead console by improving the cooling system and making some homebrew coolers for it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Oh for gawd sakes.

Mines gone as well just the other day. 1/2 way through texas hold 'em - 4 aces in my hand and just as I went to go 'all in' I got grey and black vertical bars on the TV and thought oh yeah nice.... reboot time.

Once reboot it came up with 3 red lights - 1,3,4 to be precise.

Mine is out of warranty and I am not willing to pay for repairs. As such I am going to see if I can revive the dead console by improving the cooling system and making some homebrew coolers for it.

---

try and ask MS to repair it for you. they may do it for you for free!

Sorry to say Josh but it's highly likely that your console will take up to 25 working days to get back to you, that's the actual timescale that MS reps are now quoting.

Lee! 4 Aces! Ouch! That puts all my sorrows in perspective hehehe, at least mine died during a single player game of GoW. :mrgreen:

It's truly an astonishing situation. I would have thought that if the failure rate was as high as rumoured, a mass recall would be in order. Perhaps that's why Microsoft are so insistent on not releasing actual figures.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Parm

Perhaps that's why Microsoft are so insistent on not releasing actual figures.

---

Yeah I whole heartly agree.

They should put their hands up and say " alright - we've got a failure rate of x% in the first batches. However, we have responded by improving the cooling and ensuring that this will not happen on the newer consoles due to improvements etc"

More people are scared of buying one now due to the sheer amount of failures in the first batches, but ALL it takes it a bloody press release to say the above and most peoples fears will be aliviated.

I'm going to try and ring Microsoft tonight and see what they reckon and if I'll be charged for a fix they should be doing for free.

It's a shame really that this process seems to have become so bad. I couldn't have asked for anything more from their customer service department. Epecially with them agreeing to give me a free repair which turned out to be a new console anyway.

I'm not sure on this warranty thing .. If the console gets the old red ring of death can't i just take it back to the place of purchase and 'swop' it for a new one? Or is that just totally ridiculous?

If you have no luck Lee, gimmie a shout, I fixed mine last week with the heatgun method :)

Working 100% now :)
Once the solder has gone, no matter how much you improve your cooling, it wont fix it.

That's pretty bad. I got the three red lights myself but had a refurbished one in my hands within a week. This was about 2 months ago though so maybe things haved changed...

Just a quick update for you all. Major Nelson himself (Xbox Live Director of Programming) has taken the time to get in touch with me. He's now escalating the matter and I hope to hear back from him soon. I will of course keep you all posted on developments and hope to have some solid information regarding the delays and poor support.

I've added a comment to my article to reflect the update and will update the article itself when I have more information.

wtf: check out this email sent to me TODAY almost a week and a half ago since i sent my xbox to!

English
We have received your Xbox at our service center. It is our priority to process your Xbox in a timely manner and to get it back to you as good as new. We will contact you as soon as we are finished so you can get ready to get back into the game!


So your telling me they JUST recieved it NOW? WTF??????????:O_o1::ill:

They probably process the in-warranty ones first. :P

Hey Parm, just checked the update and I got a

Quote:

---

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_STRING in /home/wpadmin/public_html/wp-content/themes/gridfocus/comments.php on line 37

---

error on the comments section of the article

edit: nevermind, seems to have sorted itself out.

Works as I've left a comment :)

I've just checked when mine was purchased and it was the following ;

Invoice Date 16 Jun 06

So it broke 2 weeks after the 12 months 'warranty' period.

Call me cynical but is the charging of 70 pounds for the repair a way to claw back all the billions they are rumoured to be reported to be loosing in the console fight with sony ?

Parm,

Ask Major Nelson why the returns rate is so high :)

Its clear to me that the returns rate is a lot higher than the quoted 5% - out of all the people I personally know with 360's only 2 - (out of around 20) are still on there 1st console.

Mine broke at the beginning of last month so I had to buy a replacement - with all the stories at the moment I am tempted just to sell all the 360 equipment I have and get a PS3, sure the online gaming isnt as good as a 360 however at least it aint gonna break down in 12-14 months time.

Just a quick update for you lot.

Rang MS and they want me to pay even though the consoles just over 1 WEEK out of warranty to have a look and fix the console.

I'm seriously not impressed and thinking of just binning the bloody lot and getting a console thats reliable and stable such as a Wii.

What a bloody farce this is turning out to be :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Just a quick update for you lot.

Rang MS and they want me to pay even though the consoles just over 1 WEEK out of warranty to have a look and fix the console.

I'm seriously not impressed and thinking of just binning the bloody lot and getting a console thats reliable and stable such as a Wii.

What a bloody farce this is turning out to be :(

---

what are you gunna do with all those great games you may have and/or comming out on the 360?:surprised:

i dont blame you though for binning it. try and call them late in the evening and ask again. it depends on who you speak to has i was a month over my warranty and still got it fixed for free:)

keep calling them and eventualy someone kind enough will do it for free

Well I've deduced that the error is the 0102 error code using the guide Here and most reports of the xbox on these have worked either by using the towel trick or other methods.

Agent has gladly offered to do the 'heatgun' trick when he comes up in 2 weeks so I'll have to wait till then and see if this fixes it.

Anyway - I was thinking of buying a nice HTPC style chassis and sticking the xbox360 innards into this so it's a good excuse to take the bugger apart and see if it can be salvaged.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Well I've deduced that the error is the 0102 error code using the guide Here and most reports of the xbox on these have worked either by using the towel trick or other methods.

Agent has gladly offered to do the 'heatgun' trick when he comes up in 2 weeks so I'll have to wait till then and see if this fixes it.

Anyway - I was thinking of buying a nice HTPC style chassis and sticking the xbox360 innards into this so it's a good excuse to take the bugger apart and see if it can be salvaged.

---

Thats an interesting idea...making the Xbox look like a PC and cooling it better, maybe it will work?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Just a quick update for you lot.

Rang MS and they want me to pay even though the consoles just over 1 WEEK out of warranty to have a look and fix the console.

---

Shouldn't have to. My 360 was 6 months out of warranty and I got a freebie.

mines still okay 14 months on!! :rockon2:

At the moment there are two things putting me off the Xbox360

1) Noise - hideous hideous noise.
2) Reliability - it seems almost everyone that's bought an XBOX has had one fail. I am sure you all would have some legal avenue to try - as these little white boxes are clearly not "fit for purpose".

Butuz

the only downfall to this console is its reliability IMO. every else is perfect from the joypads to the vast amount of games on it.

its a ****ing shame because nearly 2 years after the console was released where still having trouble with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bluecube

Shouldn't have to. My 360 was 6 months out of warranty and I got a freebie.

---

Time to try again tonight then I reckon :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

Time to try again tonight then I reckon :)

---

Give them hassle about it as, warranty or not, no console should break down after a year. As you've seen from this thread, broken 360s are a well known issue. I got my sister to complain cause she works in trading standards and M/soft picked it up by courier, the works and as I said above I had a refurbished one back within a week along with a month free on XBox Live :rockon2:

The thing is I don't want to hassle the poor guys on the phone as I know what it feels like from first hand experience so I tend to be laid back on the phone when speaking to companies.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a softie - more a polite, yet firm approach.

I think the 360 has got issues, mine broke 2 days outside the warranty period, but then again I just told MS I bought it 3 months before that and they replaced it.... You do realise they don't ask for proof of purchase and that you could technically say you bought it 3 days ago? (A further 362 days warranty!) Not that I'd condone doing such a thing ;)

And the PS3 "doesn't break" comments, quite a few people have had them break, the disc gets stuck inside as well. Admittedly this isn't as widely reported as the 360, but then again the PS3 has sold a much smaller quantity of units, its all relative. The PS3 has not been out anywhere near as long as the 360, and if the PS 1 and 2 are anything to go by, after 12 months they will be riddled with problems that require you to either turn it upside down or wedge something into a laser to align it properly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tom Scott

I think the 360 has got issues, mine broke 2 days outside the warranty period, but then again I just told MS I bought it 3 months before that and they replaced it.... You do realise they don't ask for proof of purchase and that you could technically say you bought it 3 days ago? (A further 362 days warranty!) Not that I'd condone doing such a thing ;)

---

They'll surely know by the serial and the linking of my serial number to my xbox live account?

They never questioned me on that.... just sent me the address to send it to with a pre-paid shipping label (think it was DHL). I got mine replaced by Game as they felt that because I'd spent ~£700 at launch with them I deserved a new one :)

Just an update for you all, I had a response from Major Nelson and have therefore published a Part II to my original article, you can read it here: http://www.weplayxbox.com/2007/06/28...bacle-part-ii/

interesting read parm so they have not said nothing has of yet?

what interests me about teh article is some buy commenting on it saying that teh best solution is to get a ps3 and that sony should realy nail MS with its hardware failure at E3..

i agree with that guy totaly and im starting to think about a PS3!! at least it works! i got tons of x360 games collecting dust as we speak!

I've just been called by a Microsoft rep, refresh the article for the latest update.

A lot of people seem to be stating that my articles on this matter are Sony fanboy rants trying to bad mouth the Xbox 360. That's completley ludicrous. I write for a site called 'weplayxbox' and the Xbox 360 is my current console of choice.

Though I think it is a great console (in my opinion the most enjoyable right now), I don't think Microsoft's customers are being treated fairly and hope that shedding some light on the repair delays will stir Microsoft into rectifying the situation. I like to believe that it is doing so!

well said parm. im like you, ejoya nd love teh console to bits but continue to bash its reliablity. for an xbox fan liek me and parm bashing teh 360, MS MUST be doing somthing wrong

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

well said parm. im like you, ejoya nd love teh console to bits but continue to bash its reliablity. for an xbox fan liek me and parm bashing teh 360, MS MUST be doing somthing wrong

---

Can I have a glass of what you're drinking? :)

can I just say BALLS.

Haven't played trixy for a month as I have been so busy, boot it up, grab a beer from the fridge, come through to see my console frozen on the desktop.

Shut it down and ARRRRGHHHHHH 3 red lights.

Oh well, lets see how quick they turn it around now then as this si the first time I have had mine fail.

Thanks to you Parm ill be noting the serials and making sure i take some dated pictures.

Typical I just bought a massive TV that arrives next week and now I am going to be without my trixy :rant:

I'll let you know how i get on,

Matt

My xbox drive has started playing up, when the unit is upright the drive tray will not eject unless I push it slightly to free it. Horizontal it works fine however.

have to say so far so good.

Calle dthem this morning, very helpful lady answered went through everything and i have my label already.

interesting to note though, they still use Teleplan for their repairs, they have done since the beginning.

On asking the woman what I would get i was told my console would be repaired, not replaced with a refurb.

Lets just hope it doesn't take them the 25 days they are currently quoting me :mad:

well i sent my 360 in repair over a month ago and when it came back it was a refurbed with a manufactring date of 2005!! as soon as i turned it on i got the red lights! now im sending it back and waiting for another 25 bloody days. has a result of this mess im not gunna spend anymore money on it and will get a ps3 and build a new pc with the new 9800GTX cards comming out at the end of the year

Hi,

First posting on here so greets to all.

Just pointing out that the UK repairs are no longer done by Teleplan, I sent mine 2 weeks ago and called them for update. Was told the units are loaded straight onto another courier and shipped to Prague.

My brother has now been waiting 40 working days now and customer support just keep saying next week, crap service and of I didn't have so many games I would ditch the 360 completely.

Got my 360 back the other day. Sent it off on the 3rd of July, got it back on the 25th. So didn't have to wait the full 25 working days.

Was a problem with the motherboard.

Looks like it was repaired rather than replaced though.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mrhaddock

Hi,

First posting on here so greets to all.

Just pointing out that the UK repairs are no longer done by Teleplan, I sent mine 2 weeks ago and called them for update. Was told the units are loaded straight onto another courier and shipped to Prague.

My brother has now been waiting 40 working days now and customer support just keep saying next week, crap service and of I didn't have so many games I would ditch the 360 completely.

---

not being a pain but if you had read the first post you would of known that we already know that the repairs are done in prague

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

not being a pain but if you had read the first post you would of known that we already know that the repairs are done in prague

---

What a nice way to introduce yourself to a new member. Having done a quick search of this thread, Mrhaddock is the first person to mention Prague. So get your facts right before posting.

Welcome to the boards Mrhaddock :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

well i sent my 360 in repair over a month ago and when it came back it was a refurbed with a manufactring date of 2005!! as soon as i turned it on i got the red lights! now im sending it back and waiting for another 25 bloody days. has a result of this mess im not gunna spend anymore money on it and will get a ps3 and build a new pc with the new 9800GTX cards comming out at the end of the year

---

Sounds like you had same problem as me and you are resolving it in the same way - just gets to the point of it being a joke - imo with a 30% fail rate should get a straight replacement and done with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beanbandit

What a nice way to introduce yourself to a new member. Having done a quick search of this thread, Mrhaddock is the first person to mention Prague. So get your facts right before posting.

Welcome to the boards Mrhaddock :D

---

hehe but if he had read or breezed through the article that was posted in the first post he would of known but umm yea your technicaly right that hie was the first to actualy post it but i doubt the people who have followed this thread diddnt know that but who knows :)

At barich yeah i should get a direct replacement for there cock up imo. i have to wait another 25 days before i recieve a 360. i hope it works because if it aint im gunna DEMAND they send me a direct replacement (next day delivery too :) )

Sent Monday, Delivered UPS tuesday.

Still not had acknowledgement of receipt :(

that makes both of us mate i sent mine on monday too and they have not recieved it yet! happened the first time i sent it, it took them nearly two weeks before i got an email saying they have recieved it lol

Still not heard anything - Im sorry but this is just unacceptable.

I phoned up and was quoted "maybe over 4 weeks".
Told em where to go. Will be going down to GAME next weekend to exchange it there .

Well my launch console has finally succumb to the inevitable and the 3 red lights are flashing so looks like ive got all this to look forward to , joy

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MD

Still not heard anything - Im sorry but this is just unacceptable.

---

call them like i did, apparently they recieved mine a couple of days after i sent it and they told me to phone them again this monday to see if its sorted or not. they also added a note to notify the person who is dealing with the console to send me a brand new one not a refurb .

hope its a new console with a hdmi output in it :mrgreen:

called them this morning, mine has already been repaired :o

should have it back early this week

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

hope its a new console with a hdmi output in it :mrgreen:

---

hdmi output is ONLY on the premium console isnt it?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MadduckUK

hdmi output is ONLY on the premium console isnt it?

---

Elite only :)

Get with the times guys :D

Its defo being added to the premium, no idea about the core, but we won't see them outside of the US any time soon apparently :(

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/...ZyiCXZSvZZ.php :)

Hes hoping mine stays alive..... lol, I don't fancy shipping it off!!

Well lo and behold, UPS just dropped off my repaired console.

Two weeks to the day of delivery to Microsoft.

That's impressive in my book given the amount they have to repair at the moment. They have kept my console as pristine as it was went it was sent too.

It doesn't escape the fact the repair process visibility is USELESS. I shouldn't have to call to find ut where it is, a company such as MS should have the whole process available to view online, linked to my GamerTag.

Overall I'm happy, i just hope it works when I get round to plugging it in :)

Oh and it has the new heatsink fitted :)

Matt

Ah well - got my labels for the other 360 which died and as such UPS should be collecting my 2nd box in the next few days :)

2 weeks turnarounds a bit excessive, but it's not that long - plus I've got a working one *touches wood* this consoles my mothers so she can play stupid games like Kameo, Fishing and adventure games :o

I am currently on the phone to Microsoft for yet another repair.

Called yesterday and got the emails etc, however when I click them it just comes up invalid url on the UPS website.

Currently on hold whilst they figure out how to add a second email address to my account - although they were sure they had to cancel the order and create a new request for a repair :wallbash:

Bit weird how I was quoted 20 - 25 day turnaround tho :(

i was quoted that time frame too - I think its just worst case scenario...

i just caled them up again too after wwaiting 2 weeks so far and they said i have to wait a further 10-12 working days :( i guess you was realy lucky MD. btw how do you know you got the new heatsink?

i searched for new 360 heatsink, first result showed some pics, I stared through the holes and spotted what I needed to :)

My 360 just got the 3 red lights I purchased it back in Jan 2006, took it back to hmv and they swapped it right away with a brand new one. Also told me it has a brand new 3 year warranty to

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by vc54321

My 360 just got the 3 red lights I purchased it back in Jan 2006, took it back to hmv and they swapped it right away with a brand new one. Also told me it has a brand new 3 year warranty to

---

did u present them with a receipt? i got mine from hmv but i lost my receipt for it

ye, I showed them my receipt. without it, think you have no chance of getting a swap

GOOD news(for me anyway) after nearly 3 months without a working 360(send it back twice) behold i finaly recieved a 360 that actualy works AND has the new HEATSINK. i played on it for over 2 hours and not one single crash!!

finaly i can get back into gaming has i so dearly missed this has my pc cant play none of the latest games out there. now its time to purchase bioshock hehe. good luck to the people who are waiting for a new 360.

o and btw the manifacturing date of mine is 2005 december time LOL. looks like they modded it to include the new heatsink. hope it runs fine for years to come and that i NEVER see that red ring of crap again

Maybe this has been mentioned already, but for anyone who has voided their warranty/lost their receipt/doesn't want to wait, it's really quite easy to fix the 3RLOD on your own, with about £6 worth of screws from B&Q. See here: htp://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=599217
I did this fix a few months ago, before the warranty was extended (I have a launch machine), and my xbox has been going strong ever since. The official stats:

Quote:

---

Current results:

1. Fixed the 3RLOD, No issues at all now, No freezes, works fine - 634
2. Fixed the 3RLOD, still video freezes occasionally. 14
3. Mixed results, sometimes works with no 3LOD - 5
4. Didn't fix the 3LOD. - 50

---

Which I think is actually pretty amazing, above 90% success rate.

Its best to do that method and the heatgun one. Even with the new screws, there is still breaks in the solder :)

cool. maybe thats what MS are using too. the x clamp method followed by the new heatsink.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Agent

Its best to do that method and the heatgun one. Even with the new screws, there is still breaks in the solder :)

---

I agree, the issue is caused by the board flexing when the unit has been on. MS should have put proper mounting points around the heatsinks, especially since the weight of the sinks would be substantial on a 1.6mm thick PCB. The above workaround is a bit of a bodge, but if it works then its a good bodge :)

Just recieved my console back today and am well chuffed as rather than a dodgy refurb have got a brand new console :) Manufactor date of only 15 days ago , result !

My mums xbox (which I gave her) was a brand new unit when it came back as well.

Couldnt believe my luck , only 19 day turn around as well . Must be one of the first people to fill out the customer questionaire positively .

Mine died on me the other day during a fantastic session on Forza, and it had lasted so long as well! Hopefully it'll be a quick turn around... I miss it already :(

well my 3rd one just messed up on me after 2 weeks of playing on it without a single crash. i wonder if i have to wait another 25 days . if so i give up. im gunna just sell all my games and make do with my 4 year old pc which is more reliable then this piece of crap

Man, after playing the PC (or rather, Xbox 380) version of Bioshock I was starting to think about swapping allegiance to consoles. But from this thread it looks like the grass isn't much greener... :O_o1:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lee @ SCAN

My mums xbox (which I gave her) was a brand new unit when it came back as well.

---

Correct it was a brand new console - manufacturer date of the 24th August.. however I wouldnt be surprised if Microsoft were just changing the casing and using refurbished parts inside.

next time mine brakes i might just fix it myself using teh x clamp method. why dont MS fix it this way? im sure they have heard of this method? Plus the new heatsinks and ELites still gets 3red lights so it appears they have not done jack to solve this issue.

i was thinking of abandoming pc gaming but looks like i wont,

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

next time mine brakes i might just fix it myself using teh x clamp method. why dont MS fix it this way? im sure they have heard of this method? Plus the new heatsinks and ELites still gets 3red lights so it appears they have not done jack to solve this issue.

---

I don't think MS will go the x-clamp route as its nothing more than a bodge job. For MS to fix this problem properly they need to do a couple of things.

1. The PCB will need some modification, nothing serious, just some holes located near the GPU (not the heat sink mounting holes).

2. The preformed metal tray will need threaded standoff's to line up with the new holes on the PCB.

This will allow manufacturing to be just as easy, but give the heatsink extra support, and stop the PCB from flexing. It would also help if the front panel had some form of vent to let cool air get sucked through the system. From what i can see of mine there are no vents on the front, only at the sides, which doesn't help the GPU.

15 days from pickup and counting

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beanbandit

I don't think MS will go the x-clamp route as its nothing more than a bodge job. For MS to fix this problem properly they need to do a couple of things.

1. The PCB will need some modification, nothing serious, just some holes located near the GPU (not the heat sink mounting holes).

2. The preformed metal tray will need threaded standoff's to line up with the new holes on the PCB.

This will allow manufacturing to be just as easy, but give the heatsink extra support, and stop the PCB from flexing. It would also help if the front panel had some form of vent to let cool air get sucked through the system. From what i can see of mine there are no vents on the front, only at the sides, which doesn't help the GPU.

---

if there fixing it properly why does refurbs keep braking then? i have yet to hear someone who fixed theres with x clamp that as broken again

j.o.s.h.1408

I have fixed several consoles using the X clamp method (around 8) and out of these the majority are still going strong...

There was one console however which I fixed however after a few days of use, it failed again and displayed the 3 red lights as normal...

I sent this back to MS even though it was obvious that it had been tampered with - warranty sticker removed new clamps left in lol however they still changed it for me :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

if there fixing it properly why does refurbs keep braking then? i have yet to hear someone who fixed theres with x clamp that as broken again

---

There's the problem, MS aren't able to fix it properly with what they are doing. It would cost too much to do what i suggested, so they have put a bodge in place that isn't 100% reliable. MS have really screwed up the design, and they are having problems solving it. In my view they should extend the warranty to lifetime, as this is going to be around for years to come.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Carlh

j.o.s.h.1408

I have fixed several consoles using the X clamp method (around 8) and out of these the majority are still going strong...

There was one console however which I fixed however after a few days of use, it failed again and displayed the 3 red lights as normal...

I sent this back to MS even though it was obvious that it had been tampered with - warranty sticker removed new clamps left in lol however they still changed it for me :)

---

Thats one of the problems with the X clamp method, it may solve the issue for now, but its not 100% in its reliability.

Just found out that my Brother-in-laws 360 has just rrod'd on him. It was picked up yesterday, just wondering if they really test the machines out, as his has got a mod chip installed.

Humm i`ve had the 3 lights problem myself a couple of times i`m just waiting for it to happen again which i`m sure it will,the only thing i can think of it being was a power problem as its not happened again since i changed the plug from a 4 way adapter to the wall.

I live in small hope lol.

Are people receving back HDMI versions of thier 360?

Mine is starting to get intermittent and it would be nice to get a newer model should it go.

no chance because they send back refurbs not brand new one's

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

no chance because they send back refurbs not brand new one's

---

Yeh its a joke mine started going wrong 5 weeks after buying it if i send it back i don`t get a new one ****ing joke to be honest but then it is Microsoft after all.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by j.o.s.h.1408

no chance because they send back refurbs not brand new one's

---

I thought the reason the turn around time had risen was because they were repairing the consoles now and not just shipping out a refurb as a replacement?

Just bought a broke RROD 360 off a mate at work for £40, gonna send it off and flog it on ebay :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Trash Man

I thought the reason the turn around time had risen was because they were repairing the consoles now and not just shipping out a refurb as a replacement?

Just bought a broke RROD 360 off a mate at work for £40, gonna send it off and flog it on ebay :)

---

nope the turn around time was increased because of the amount of units being sent back to them:)

they are too lazy to fix it so they send you a refurb that will last you a week at most

console returned. it's a repair (new mobo according to the coversheet), NOT a new or refurb machine

I phoned up this morning to raise an repair for one of my 360's, first time I have had to do this and I was told over phone that they will send me an email with the labels I need to print out to stick on the box and also to package the 360 in a brown box.

Couple of questions for people who have sent off their 360's already for repair. How long did it take for you to get the email with the labels and how well did you package the 360 up when you sent it off. I thought I would be able to send it off in the original box but for some reason they won't let me do this.

Thanks for any help :)

it took a couple of hours for me to recieve the labels.

i packages the 360 on a normal box size. i couldnt be bothered with any paddings and stuff as the 360 is messed up anyway.

good luck and hope they fix yours instead of a broen refurb

I am really, really p.o. 'ed right. Having spent nearly $600 for an XBOX 360 Elite, I played for no more than 15 hours when I got the red light of death. 15 bloody hours!!! And this was the new Elite box, not one of the originals.

So, report the problem, takes 1 week for the box to arrive to ship the unit. Send it in and get it back 7 weeks later. Guess what? Sent in a virtually brand new BLACK Elite and received an old, original WHITE 360. How the hell do you make a mistake like that?

Now I have to go through the whole damn process again. Wait for the box, ship the wrong unit back and wait until they receive it before they will ship back the right, and obviously refurbished, unit. I am really, really ticked. I doubt that I will every buy an XBOX again no matter how good the system might be.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cynalan

I am really, really p.o. 'ed right. Having spent nearly $600 for an XBOX 360 Elite, I played for no more than 15 hours when I got the red light of death. 15 bloody hours!!! And this was the new Elite box, not one of the originals.

So, report the problem, takes 1 week for the box to arrive to ship the unit. Send it in and get it back 7 weeks later. Guess what? Sent in a virtually brand new BLACK Elite and received an old, original WHITE 360. How the hell do you make a mistake like that?

Now I have to go through the whole damn process again. Wait for the box, ship the wrong unit back and wait until they receive it before they will ship back the right, and obviously refurbished, unit. I am really, really ticked. I doubt that I will every buy an XBOX again no matter how good the system might be.

---

and people say MS have a good customer support and there trying real hard with the 3 year extended warranty:confused:

i should be getting my 4th one back this week and all i want it to do is to last till march next year for when i will completely ditch console gaming and build a new gaming rig

Anyone do "Modding" and Resell used Xboxs. Let me know...

If you mean "modding" in the way that allows piracy, we have strict rules on HEXUS forbidding it.