The YLOD - Warning signs for you to watch out for!

[Chuggy]

My much loved launch 60Gb PS3 died last week. Shell shocked is the only way i could describe how i was feeling...I have had many incredible experiences in the two and a half years i had been playing on it...from global renown from being the worlds best at Burnout Paradise, destroying project purity in Fallout 3 and then finally ending Snake’s story as a true legend in MGS4...

I thought to myself, “what could i do to help others out there to help avoid the YLOD?”. Its then that it hit me...i had noticed a few things that my PS3 had started doing in the last few months which i believe contributed to its untimely demise, so i have decided to share these 3 things to watch out for, to help prolong your time with your PS3’s...:

Heat and Humidity - I found that my PS3 was getting incredibly Hot (but not outside the suggested operating temperatures in the manual), and Producing a lot of Humidity, even though, to my best efforts, i had kept the console dust free as possible

Fan overload - On more than one occasion, from cold (ie not being on), the fans would come on full blast (Suggesting an overheat to me), as well as during gameplay

Odd slowdowns - I was playing Red Faction Guerrilla, and had just finished leveling a building, then as i went to walk away, it hung for a second. I thought this was a bit strange as it had no issues with the massive skyscrapers in Eos falling down....(there were other times, but this was the most memorable).

This is by no way a compressive list of what to look out for (please post if you have had similar experiences, or want me to add your symptom to the list!), and i recommend you look up nskinnear’s guide to caring for your PS3 here .

If you can take one piece of advice from my experience, or think your console is exhibiting any of the following symptoms, its this: Go out, buy a small external HDD and back up your data, so if the worst happens, you still have your saves and downloads! Luckily for me i have a fairly recent backup, so i haven't lost everything, but i know of many who have.

Take care of your console, enjoy your gaming, and long may it last!

[Jono078]

Wow.. We have almost identical dates.

I bought mine 23rd March 2007 and it died August 8th 2009.

Sucks eh? In fact, a lot of people's 60GB PS3s have died in the past 2 weeks it seems. IMO it was planned for them to break now so we'd all go buy PS3 Slim in a few weeks

[Chuggy]

Wow.. We have almost identical dates.

I bought mine 23rd March 2007 and it died August 8th 2009.

Sucks eh? In fact, a lot of people's 60GB PS3s have died in the past 2 weeks it seems. IMO it was planned for them to break now so we'd all go buy PS3 Slim in a few weeks

Wow, i hope that the dates being so close are a freeky coincidence! Still, your right, a ps3 slim coming out so soon would suit me!

[PS3fan15]

Mine literally died as far as i know awhile ago. I don't know if it is because of the yellow light of death. But similar things were happening to. Miraculously after a week after trying to bring it back to life, it worked somehow.

I've been having those same problems from that day until now, but it hasn't broke down yet.. and it might be close to it's demise again.

But hopefully nothing will happen to it. It's been probably more than 5 months.

[pgunz3]

Well i heard some ps3 show no sign and then they just ylod.My ps3 was getting really hot and slowed down before the ylod

[TwitchingMcgee]

Thanks for the tips i like to make sure mine is dust and lint free

[Chuggy]

Thanks for the tips i like to make sure mine is dust and lint free

np, as far as i can see, dust is to be avoided at all cost! Glad you found this helpful!

[Bostonmess]

Humidity is when it's warm with a high moisture content.

From a human beings perspective humidity isn't nice because you rely on the process of evaporation ( from sweating) to cool. If there's high humidty your sweat doesn't evaporate as much. I think. From an electronic viewpoint, humidy would be very bad.

Have you tried reapplying thermal paste to your chips?

I'm not saying that this will fix it, but if it does it's only cost you about a fiver.

My forty gig has recently gone into VTOL mode, so I've ordered a tube. Hopefully that will sort it.

[Chuggy]

Humidity is when it's warm with a high moisture content.

From a human beings perspective humidity isn't nice because you rely on the process of evaporation ( from sweating) to cool. If there's high humidty your sweat doesn't evaporate as much. I think. From an electronic viewpoint, humidy would be very bad.

Have you tried reapplying thermal paste to your chips?

I'm not saying that this will fix it, but if it does it's only cost you about a fiver.

My forty gig has recently gone into VTOL mode, so I've ordered a tube. Hopefully that will sort it.

Im taking my PS3 to a local computer shop tomorrow, i know the owner and he said he would have a look at it, so figners crossed, hopefully ill be back in action soon!

[Lethal]

I bought mine on the 23rd March 2007 and it died on the 27th of July 2009...

Weird how our PS3s have died at such similar times!

[iLake]

After a bit my fans kick in to level 2 when I'm playing a game. Surely this is normal, right?

[mustangless]

Mine has dust on it (I try to keep clean). I can hear the fans spin too.

Last year when my a/c died I was hitting 80%+ humidity. I was not playing the ps3 in these conditions.

[bstrider]

After a bit my fans kick in to level 2 when I'm playing a game. Surely this is normal, right?

yes.

Mine was sooo dusty that after 4 minutes the fans go all JET-ish

so I open it completely and clean now it's soo quieet

It does go to level 2-3 while playing but I know that's because here's is effing Hooot.

[DarkRyuCloud]

So far I hadn't had any of those problems, does it affect a certain type of model? Anyways I'll be on a look out.

[A-SIN]

Thinking about moving mine near a window. Would that help against dust. I may even switch rooms cuz my room has extremely poor ventilation.

[phil_75]

If VERY WARM air is coming out the back then beware!

Before my baby suffered its seizure, the air coming out the back would be very warm and only coming out the back-left hand side, when it came back from hospital the fans come on after about 30 - 60 mins on a very hot day (would be 3 or 4 mins previously) and more importantly the air coming out the back now comes out back-left and right and is cool even after 5-6 hours!

So make sure its cool air and comes out all across the back!

Had 2 now! 60GB Horizontal, 40GB Vertical so doesn't seem to matter which way you put them!

I too would keep it clean but it still got me!

HELP FIGHT THE WAR AGAINST SPIDS*!
*Sudden Playstation Internal Death Syndrome

[phil_75]

thinking about moving mine near a window. Would that help against dust. I may even switch rooms cuz my room has extremely poor ventilation.

condensation+ps3=bang!

[TDbank24]

Thanks for the tips. I've had my 40 gb Ps3 for a little over a year now. I haven't noticed anything like that and haven't had so much but a game freezing on me here and there. I'm starting to worry though lol, it seems like in this day and age electronics running flawless for over a year is unheard of going off of some of the horror stories out there.

[Chuggy]

Thanks for the tips. I've had my 40 gb Ps3 for a little over a year now. I haven't noticed anything like that and haven't had so much but a game freezing on me here and there. I'm starting to worry though lol, it seems like in this day and age electronics running flawless for over a year is unheard of going off of some of the horror stories out there.

Dont worry, games do freeze at times, its just that towards the end, it would freeze alot! The best indicator of trouble is defintley the fan being on full blast, even when it isnt that hot, or doing anything that intensive..

[coolguy]

i keep my room pretty much dust free, after the console is on for a while
the fans do kick on. the warm air comeing out of the back is ok.
As long as it's not super hot. last week i looked in the back of my PS3
all the vents are are clean and i saw no dust.
so i guess with all the venst clean its ok.
you are guys are makeing me pariod lol

[spyrde]

My PS3 keeps showing all those signs, the intense heatings, the fans running full throttle... if I get the YLOD, that means bye bye PS3 until Christmas, you see, I have nearly no money to spare ATM. My PS3 is over 1 and a half years old.

[Chuggy]

My PS3 keeps showing all those signs, the intense heatings, the fans running full throttle... if I get the YLOD, that means bye bye PS3 until Christmas, you see, I have nearly no money to spare ATM. My PS3 is over 1 and a half years old.

if you can, back your data up! If your ps3 does die, at least you have your saves etc... in the meantime, try and clear some of the dust out!

[Copyright]

yeah about the freezing up, true, as mine freezes up on WAW's menus!

[lordAlucard]

Should be a guide to tell us the symptoms of this problem and why it happens it would help alot

[Chuggy]

A small update! I took my ps3 to a local computer shop and they have started the fix. I asked the owner how the inside was, i have attempted to keep my baby dust free by cleaning the vents and such every few weeks or so, but he told me that the insides were "absoultly caked.." in dust! Beware fellow ps3ers!