My 360 has both feet in the grave :(

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:18 pm

vader29 wrote:Jack if you haven't registered your system on xbox.com yet, I've read that some people when calling Microsoft for repair they check when it was registered and they have given the warranty as a year from the date registered so if you feel your system is ready to go and you haven't registered it yet, register it now and if it goes in a week or two call them and ask if you are in warranty to see if they check for it that way, can't hurt to try.

great idea Vader! I will go register it now and give that a try. If that doesn't work, it looks like my only option is to send it to MS to be repaired for the out-of-warranty price of $140. Thanks!!

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:04 am

140!!! you gotta be shittin' me. That aint right, now im getting pissed as mine nears the grave.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:16 am

Jimmydeicide wrote:140!!! you gotta be shittin' me. That aint right, now im getting pissed as mine nears the grave.

It is total bullshit

Clowns make crap and capatilize on their own failure.

kicko · Post by **kicko** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:42 am

did it work by registering the system now? i have not done mine yet and i was wondering if that would offset the warranty date.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:11 pm

kicko wrote:did it work by registering the system now? i have not done mine yet and i was
wondering if that would offset the warranty date.

Give it a try. Mine didn't work because I bought my 360 from
Atx and he must have registered it when he first got it. They
now want $140 to repair it. They do add 1 year of extended
warranty and 1 month of xbox gold for free (big deal).

Anyone have any "better options" for me than throwing away
another $140? If you do, please send me a pm.

I was considering getting a new core system and just putting my current hard drive on it, but what if the hard drive is the problem?

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 9:44 pm

I ask again has anyone heard of the Elite's breaking down? I know 3 people who got one and not one has had an issue. I also know 2 guys in my office who bought new core's (sticker dates 2007) and haven't had an issue. But it seems everyone who sends one in for repair is getting screwed.

My friend just got one back from repair with a sticker on the side that said (display unit only) when he attempted to remove the sticker the system went nuts and gave him messages he was tampering with the machine etc. So he called them and they sent him a new one.

I know mine is going to go at some point in the future and I'm just trying to find out if anyone with Elite's has had it fail.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 11:17 pm

We are just paying the price now for severely underpriced product that has to be made as cheaply as possible , the next time some one tells me i paid too much for my PS3 im gonna lay them out.

MizzouRah · Post by **MizzouRah** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:56 am

Jimmydeicide wrote:We are just paying the price now for severely underpriced product that has to be made as cheaply as possible , the next time some one tells me i paid too much for my PS3 im gonna lay them out.

You paid too much.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:25 am

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:04 am

well, it's official. I got the dreaded 3 red lights last night.
I am so pissed. I don't know what to do next. A PS3 isn't
even a consideration for me at that price. I guess my options
are:

-pay MS $140 to have it fixed (possibly)
-get a new core system for $300 and put my hard drive on it
-get out of 360 gaming and go back to PC gaming 100%

Has anyone gotten any additional mileage out of their 360 after the 3 red lights of death or is toast? I have heard of the "towel trick" where people wrap up the console with a towel, turn it on for 10 minutes or so, letting it overheat and somehow this takes away the red lights? Some say it's just a temporary fix though.

For those who dont know about the "towel trick", here it is:
http://thexboxdomain.net/2007/01/15/the ... ixes-360s/

Lately, I haven't been getting the same enjoyment out of my 360 that I used to. There just aren't that many "must play" games. I am looking forward to DIRT and NHL08, but the quality of games coming out for the 360 hasb;t really knocked my socks off. I just don't know if I want to lay out another $140 or $300? Maybe I'll try getting MS to reduce their price, but I am 0-2 so far.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:07 am

Sorry to hear that, Jack. Good luck with your decision.

I think you should rub your Dick Fain doll for guidance. Dick never steers you wrong.

Take care,
PK

GameSeven · Post by **GameSeven** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:41 am

JackB1 wrote:For those who dont know about the "towel trick", here it is:
http://thexboxdomain.net/2007/01/15/the ... ixes-360s/

Lol. That's the first I've heard of this. Douglas Adams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day) would be proud!

Now I can't get the image of Microsoft Tech Support removing busted 360's from their coffins and wrapping them, ever so lovingly, in fluffy towels out of my head.

Sorry for the bad news Jack. Hopefully all works out with whatever decision you make.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:10 am

Sorry to hear the bad news Jack. That's the primary example why I ditched the 360 while it was still working. It was just a matter of time.

The PS3 is pricey, but IMO it's well worth it, with built wireless connectivity, and a very well reviewed Blu-Ray system. You also get a 1 year warranty from the start. Plus, it has THE best baseball videogame out.

I haven't gamed on a PC in a long long time, but the constant upgrading of wanting to play the best games would drive me nuts. Sure, a current rig will play everything, but will it in a year, or will you have to shell out some dough for a better video card? Additionally, people b*tch about the reliability of the 360, but where's all the discussion about having to reboot when the game crashes or freezes on you? Don't even tell me that doesn't happen on a PC.

In any case, good luck with whatever direction you go.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:23 am

GameSeven wrote: Lol. That's the first I've heard of this. Douglas Adams (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Towel_Day) would be proud!

Now I can't get the image of Microsoft Tech Support removing busted 360's from their coffins and wrapping them, ever so lovingly, in fluffy towels out of my head.

If you read all the comments on that page, it seems that the "towel trick" does indeed work. It seems to have a very high success rate. Wrapping the console in towels causes the solder to melt and then rejoin the connections on the GPU to the board. The problem seems to be traced to faulty non-lead solder connecting the GPU to the board of the 360. I would recommend anyone with a "dead" 360 and no other options to give this a try. Many happy gamers are reporting that the trick does indeed work.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:31 am

Update.....

Yesterday, I called MS and they said my console was already registered and that it was past the warranty period. They said said "OK - let me re-register you now". I said OK...gave them my name, address, etc. Today,
I called MS again to "check if my 360 is under warranty" and to my amazement, she says that "yes, it is under warranty from 6/12/07 (yesterday) thru 6/12/08!!!

. She then says it will be fixed "free of charge" and that they will send me a box in the mail for me to send them back my console to be repaired.

I have to wait for 1-2 weeks for the repaired 360 to return to me, but it's a lot better than paying $140!!!

"I'm back, baby.....I'm back"

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 12:43 pm

That's good news Jack. Persistence does pay off.

skinsfan · Post by **skinsfan** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:25 pm

JackB1 wrote:Update.....

Yesterday, I called MS and they said my console was already registered and that it was past the warranty period. They said said "OK - let me re-register you now". I said OK...gave them my name, address, etc. Today,
I called MS again to "check if my 360 is under warranty" and to my amazement, she says that "yes, it is under warranty from 6/12/07 (yesterday) thru 6/12/08!!! . She then says it will be fixed "free of charge" and that they will send me a box in the mail for me to send them back my console to be repaired.

I have to wait for 1-2 weeks for the repaired 360 to return to me, but it's a lot better than paying $140!!!

"I'm back, baby.....I'm back"

Keep your hard drive.They will send you a refurbished unit.Good luck.

Danimal · Post by **Danimal** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:00 pm

skinsfan wrote: Keep your hard drive.They will send you a refurbished unit.Good luck.

Therein lies the problem IMO, they are sending out refurbs. the people like myself on 2, 3 or even more 360's have all gone through the repair process. The few people I know who elected to re-purchase are not having issues.

Glad you got it for free Jack, sometimes it's just a matter of who you get on the phone.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:28 pm

JackB1 wrote:Update.....

Yesterday, I called MS and they said my console was already registered and that it was past the warranty period. They said said "OK - let me re-register you now". I said OK...gave them my name, address, etc. Today,
I called MS again to "check if my 360 is under warranty" and to my amazement, she says that "yes, it is under warranty from 6/12/07 (yesterday) thru 6/12/08!!! . She then says it will be fixed "free of charge" and that they will send me a box in the mail for me to send them back my console to be repaired.

I have to wait for 1-2 weeks for the repaired 360 to return to me, but it's a lot better than paying $140!!!

"I'm back, baby.....I'm back"

I had the same experience. You can sign up for the extended warranty at any time. Then you just have to wait until it becomes active (approx 2 weeks) and then call in the problem. An MS rep turned me on to the procedure.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 2:31 pm

There are reports that MS is putting in new heat sinks (extra ones on the GPU) in the units they send back to customers.

Not clear if they plan to integrate into new units they're manufacturing.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 3:20 pm

seanmac31 wrote: I had the same experience. You can sign up for the extended warranty at any time. Then you just have to wait until it becomes active (approx 2 weeks) and then call in the problem. An MS rep turned me on to the procedure.

My situation wasn't exactly the same. I never asked for or paid for an extended warrantly. My 360 was originally registered by Atx over 1 year ago, but they let me "re-register" it yesterday and then today they said it was under warrantly for 1 year from yesterday.

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:08 pm

wco81 wrote:There are reports that MS is putting in new heat sinks (extra ones on the GPU) in the units they send back to customers.

Not clear if they plan to integrate into new units they're manufacturing.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7667

If true, it is about time....

LAking · Post by **LAking** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 4:21 pm

DivotMaker wrote:
wco81 wrote:There are reports that MS is putting in new heat sinks (extra ones on the GPU) in the units they send back to customers.

Not clear if they plan to integrate into new units they're manufacturing.
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=7667

If true, it is about time....

I was just about to post that same link. Finally, a real effort to fix the problem.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:47 am

On a side note, I tried the "towel trick" last night and it did work, but for only 10 minutes and then I got the 3 red rings again. Maybe I didn't "cook" it long enough? So I guess if you try it, YMMV. At this point I think I will just wait for my "coffin" from MS and wait until they fix it or send me back a working machine. Downside is that I will be off XBL for however long it takes (2 weeks?).

greggsand · Post by **greggsand** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:56 am

JackB1 wrote:On a side note, I tried the "towel trick" last night and it did work, but for only 10 minutes and then I got the 3 red rings again. Maybe I didn't "cook" it long enough? So I guess if you try it, YMMV. At this point I think I will just wait for my "coffin" from MS and wait until they fix it or send me back a working machine. Downside is that I will be off XBL for however long it takes (2 weeks?).

The towel trick? What the heck is that??