Get your 40GB PS3 to clean itself

  • Posted April 12th, 2008 at 16:15 EDT by Eric Blattberg
  • 21,990 views
  • 78 Comments

Today marks a rare occurrence. Someone has discovered a feature of the PS3 that we have never witnessed before. Apparently, the 40 gigabyte PS3 can perform a fan test which will remove the dust from the innards of your system. We've placed the 'how to' video below.


Once again, this only works with the 40GB SKU. We have no idea what will happen if you attempt this with one of the other models, but we don't recommend it. Anyway, if you want to clean your 40 gig or make it sound like a 360 for a minute, give this cleaning feature a whirl.

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Comments

Comment

What are your thoughts?

  1. Demobot

    • 4:20pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Holy crap my 360 is loud. But that is definatly a cool feature. Especially since console do gather alot of internal dust.

  2. Die-romantic | Demon_King

    • 4:22pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    WHAT!!! My 60GB PS3 needs that

  3. jphuff | jhuff

    • 4:23pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Has anyone verified with Sony that this is safe? I would like to see Sony contacted and see what they would say about this procedure. Also whether it is a fluke/bug type of a thing or something intentionally added to the functionality of the PS3. Other models?

  4. [velocity] | Velokki (Same in Xbox Live)

    • 4:24pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    "Anyway, if you want to clean your 40 gig or make it sound like a 360 for a minute, give this cleaning feature a whirl" :D:D:D:D HAHA GOD THAT WAS FUNNY :D:D:D

  5. AclayPS3

    • 4:28pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    I have a 60GB and I would NEVER do that even if the 60GB model had that feature. That was just scary, it sounded like the PS3 was about to blow up or something. You would have to pay me $100 bucks just to make me do that to my PS3.

     

  6. Stickemup

    • 4:38pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    More proof that the PS3 is alive. "It's Thinkin'...." Remember that guys?

  7. Demobot

    • 4:49pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    "Its Thinking". Isn't that the Dreamcast promotion slogan?

  8. DeathByAsh-aman

    • 4:50pm BST - April 12th, 2008

     how would it not be safe? its not like he heated the ps3 up super hot for the fan to engadge super high speed mode. Its just like turning a ceiling fan on high. It would be bad if your fan was doing that for hours and days on end.

  9. zakruz | zakruz

    • 4:50pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    You can't do it with the 60 gb since it's only beeping when you hold the eject button :P. But I wnat to clean it :(

  10. loakers | Loakers

    • 5:19pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    There's a simple way to avoid risk guys.

    Remember those ancient things called Hoovers?

    Well, take one of those, switch it on, and hoover your ps3 arround the fan grills. Much less risk and at elast the dust isnt being blown randomly into the atmosphere.

  11. HazdoTT | Tazmyster

    • 5:22pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    yh i want to clean my ps3...there bits of dust in the ventilation and the i try a portable hoover on it doesnt get all the dust....FIRMWIRE UPDATE SONY !!!! lol

  12. 1solidsnake | solid1snake67

    • 5:30pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    the power of the playstation!   i might get some dust cleaner stuff tonight

  13. SonyJunkie | Bender6191

    • 5:34pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Is that safe, i have the 40gb, I want to do it but im thinking it could f up my PS3.  Im probably going to do it anyway. Hopefully it doesnt break on me.

  14. damnwrx

    • 5:43pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Do it, do it, do it.........I want to see it take off like like a rocket.................Video cam

  15. Raptor-21

    • 5:47pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    opps... well I might aswell make the comment worth while, I'm gonna try this on my friends 40GB next time I go round to his xD

  16. Neameto | Neameto

    • 5:48pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    BRUTAL stuff! Is it safe I wonder?!

  17. Raptor-21

    • 5:52pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    lol, sounds like my hoover on high speed mode!! I wish it would work on the 60GB tho, a spring clean every once in a while would keep it in good shape.

  18. XenoSilvano | XenoSilvano

    • 5:52pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    oh yeah I did that by accident once

  19. -Raven

    • 6:28pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Ghetto "Fan Test"

  20. Carl | almighty-slayer

    • 6:32pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    That's pretty cool. Why don't all models do it?

     

    Oh and for the record, you get 3 beeps if you try it on a 60GB.

  21. psycho_mantis | makaveli_71

    • 6:46pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    lol im gona try that with my 60gb

  22. Jacksbak | Lovingit07

    • 7:03pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    I found this artice :D wooooo go me

  23. DnA19

    • 7:10pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    nice,  but not on my 60 gig!

  24. Alti | Alti

    • 7:27pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    tried it on my 20 gig... didn't work ://...

  25. ThisIsLivingB3yond | akingishere

    • 7:27pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    And now how the **** does that clean ur ps3 ? i saw this vid a year ago , too bad psu is ancient and the members too ! geez , i tried this on my 2nd ps3 and it f up my fan, why try something not in the manual ? i mwan if it did ''clean'' the machine why is it not stated in the dam manual !! dont be thick guys christ

  26. gingo | gingo

    • 7:33pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    psn id: gingo...... glad i have a 60 gig as if i had a 40 gig i would be tempted to try this and more than likely break my ps3

  27. von_doug

    • 7:39pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    that aint no fan test thats a f***ing hairdryer :-|

  28. xX.Red.Xx | xI-Red-Ix

    • 8:00pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    sounds like it's about to take off...

    *clears runway*

     

  29. Alakratt | Alakratt

    • 8:04pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    What about the 20 and 80 gb models?? The 80gb came around the same the 40gb so does it work for that one too??

  30. meatee | meateetj

    • 8:11pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    I get 3 beeps on my 80GB... and the 3 beeps are just the normal 3 beeps you get when there's no disc in the system and you touch eject.

  31. starhead | starhead

    • 8:12pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    I tried it with my 60gb but it didn't work.

  32. Junetheman88 | junetheman88

    • 8:25pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    lol make it sound like a 360 for a minute

  33. SWAMPYTKJAMES

    • 8:32pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    IS IT SAFE TO USE THAT TECHNIQUE ON HOW THE PLAYSTATION 3 40GB CLEANS ITS SELF I WAS JUST  WONDERING CAUSE I WANT TO TRY BUT I DONT KNOW IF IT WILL DAMAGE THE CONSOLE. PLEASE REPLY TO LET ME KNOW PS ADD TO TO YOUR PLAYSTATION 3 ONLINE ACCOUNT MY USERNAME IS SWAMPYTKJAMES

  34. yungder | yungder

    • 9:01pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    don't do it!!!!!!!

     

    PSN:  yungder

  35. scoutsniper1231 | scoutsniper1231

    • 9:10pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    IT WORKS FINE! I tried it, and nothing bad happened

  36. psn_frov | frov

    • 9:16pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    Somebody try it on the 60GB model please, I'll give you a taco

  37. aiking | AIK1NG_420

    • 9:32pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    I think this feature is available under all ps3 skus...i say this because this may be a feature sony uses to test when defective ps3s are sent in. It probably has to do with the repair process.

     

  38. Alpha2

    • 9:43pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    No go on the 60gb. Anyone with an 80gb try it?

     

    As a cleaning method I understand the theory, as the fan on the PS3 works to expell heat form the inside it's also  inoizing the air around it so while it blows out the heat it's also attracting dust. Using this method throretically would blow out all the dust before the system turns on and begins the ionizing process again. Frankly though I'm fine with a can of compressed air.

  39. Dr_tee18 | Drtee18

    • 10:54pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    that trick does'nt  work on the 80GB, 60GB or 20GB. I tried them all and it won't do nothing. its a repair technique that only works on 40GB SKU. its safe. Its a hidden trick though, so it won't be in the manual. It probaly works only on the 40GB because its the last and latest model SKU.

  40. IONIXX | IONIXX

    • 11:42pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    HOLY ****!!!! why does this only work on the 40gb? its not like its a completly different version of the ps3, FIRMWARE UPDATE SONY PLEASE! ALL PS3'S SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS!

  41. RuiyJR | Tseska_922

    • 11:50pm BST - April 12th, 2008

    it's scary ha ha ha XD

  42. brandonh33

    • 12:02am BST - April 13th, 2008

    Man there are some stupid people here. Not to be mean but... its a FAN!   And those things dont just happen,  Sony most likely uses that to test the fans or to even just quick clean the bad units.   I showed this to my friend and he said when he contacted sony because his fans were always on high on his 40gb because it overheated, they told him to do this.   It would be nice if someone could verify that for us by contacting sony.  But seriously,  if you know the slightest bit about what is going on you would realize that those $10 fans arnt going to break because they are going faster.  People are just used to the extremly low RPM that they usually run at.

  43. Alakratt | Alakratt

    • 1:53am BST - April 13th, 2008

    This feature can be added on the other models, fans can be controlled by software, so in theory it can be done. Solution, spam Sony's forums and especially their blog (they apparently read that) to add this in a future update. This might seem harsh, but companies don't listen that easy to the people, we gotta force them. PLUS, if this does help the cleaning of the console, it would have a BIG advantage over the other systems (more than it already has :) )

  44. IONIXX | IONIXX

    • 1:54am BST - April 13th, 2008

    @brandonh33 - well DUUH mr newbie, its a shock cuz its cool and gives an "example" of the 360 ( LOL) thats all, and we all love our ps3's, the reosen why people are worried is tha if this hurt our ps3's we would DIE, i know i would.

  45. killahbeat | killahbeat

    • 1:56am BST - April 13th, 2008

    tryed it on my 60g dint work

  46. IONIXX | IONIXX

    • 1:58am BST - April 13th, 2008

    @alackratt - sounds good, ill try it out

  47. killercop | killercop

    • 3:07am BST - April 13th, 2008

    Lol, holy sh't.. I wonder if this is on purpose.

  48. InfernoReaper | GrimDarkling

    • 3:34am BST - April 13th, 2008

    I think the test just makes the console think it's overheated, hence the blinking red light.  Cool feature but I'll stick with my trusty compressed air can.  Mine runs 24/7 on F@H (just hit 803 WU) unless I'm playing games, and it still runs quiet enough to sleep 6 feet from it.

  49. Jay-Jloca | dejenmeentra16

    • 3:51am BST - April 13th, 2008

    HOLY CRAP MAN!!!! i just tried it n it f works, the fan sounds better and it sounds like the ps3 is not even on, if anybody wants 2 do it go ahead don get scare cuz it is pretty lound

  50. Jared

    • 7:56am BST - April 13th, 2008

    You guys must not trust Sony if you're thinking this fan test going to mess up your 40GB PS3.  I'd be worried if I owned an Xbox 360, not a PS3.

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