Fix your xbox 360 easy!! No X-Clamps or towles required!

A few weeks ago my buddy's xbox 360 got the RROD, but, because he was getting an elite for his birthday, if I could fix it, I could have it. And so I started a desperate crusade to find an easy, cheap and lasting fix for the dreaded RROD. THIS IS IT!!!

(Note: this fix requires you to open the console, THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY! if your warranty is still valid, just send your xbox to Microsoft.)

Step 1 So What Is It??

This is known as the penny fix. I know some people imediately think that 8 pennys cannot fix an xbox hardware problem and now think my instructabe is a load of bull. please just read one step further and i will explain exactly how and why this works.

Comments

[WhiteTigerTails]

Honestly, I'm just wondering WHY this works...

[the1genius5]

It works because it puts pressure on the motherboard, therefore securing the "link" between the CPU/GPU and their respective heatsinks. The x-clamp fix works much in this same way.

[Haz0]

Worked beautifully for me!

Added 2 pennies, wrapped in electrical tape, used the foam glue already on the heatsink. Although, I didn't like the way you described to force an overheat reset, so I stopped the fan with a naked cotton swab stuck in the fan blades; worked out great. Good as new! Jet Set Radio Future & Vanquish run like champions for hours on end!

[histava]

i did this and im at the over heat stage. what am i supposed to do? when i turn it on to over heat it just sits there and blinks with the RROD not getting hotter or anything

[WhiteTigerTails]

Open it back up and unplug the fan. It'll overheat in about 3 minutes.

[mynamesux]

No offense, but the penny trick is by far the worse fix. You are causing alot of flex and pressure on the board, you can crack a ram brick making your 360 almost unrepairable, never do this trick, the Xclamp fix is the best cheap fix, the hybrid fix is the best before reflowing, reflowing is best unless you can reball

[psychogecko]

So... helpful information also should include correct spelling, and spacing. I'm not dogging, flaming, or Trolling, but I am telling you that if you read this, and cannot read between the lines on some of the words it becomes a little hard to understand.


"3. leave the fan plugged in but RELOCATE it SO IT cools cpu but overheats GPU. BEST OPTION."

Believe it or not, just those two parts alone can have someone confused. Download Mozilla, and use the spell check it has.

[adam1387]

how do u overheat the gpu?

[rcgigessss]

the red lights are red till you overheat it???????

[WhiteR3con]

Hey sorry but I live in Australia and pennies aren't particularly easy to come by down here, what should I use?

[kiwimac]

 Got any old half-pennies? Metal washers should work much the same but they must not be iron or steel or aluminium, non-conductive metals such as brass are best.

[pir8p3t3]

You could use anything non conductive, flat, disc shaped, approx 1 mm in thickness cut to the right dimensions for your shim.

[rcgigessss]

:d lol I don`t have that screwdriver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Where did you find it?????

[pcelf]

Go to Radioshack.

[Amasarac]

although this method appears to fix the rrod, you are in fact making the problem worse by putting more pressure on the delicate BGA's of the ram chip.

[Triworm]

 it worked! you just saved me $75 and 3 months! thank you!

[Triworm]

 im trying this out im on the overheating part right now.

[toolboxybrown]

This, as odd and simple as it seems, does work. The new (~august) update completely fried my buddy's elite. In a huff, he about took it outside and Office Spaced it; decided later this would be a mistake. After the pennies, he decided to make it the experiment box (hacks and all that).

Since 01SEP it's been able to play anything (game, dvd, idle at dash) for upwards of three hours. It could do more, but there's a good bit of heat coming out the back. Until he gets an Intercooler, three hours seems like the pushing point. We're sure it could go longer, or indefinitely, but there's the ever present chance of the rings coming back, so less constant time keeps it in check.

This particular tutorial is the best version I've seen. It's very simple to follow and clear. Great job, man. =D

[Convulsions]

Thanks So much this works! I did this and right after overheating and cooling down my 360 it worked! just use 2 pennies instead 0f 3 because you need to tighten the processor with those black screws

[Codum]

Completed mine today ! 3 pennies and works like new !

[Ruettiger]

If the idea is to use the pennies as heat sinks then why wrap them up in tape?

[Argon27]

I think the idea is that the pennies are spacers. They must be wrapped in tape to insulate from electrical current.

[Firebert010]

Hello there. You may remember my name from this Instructable.

I'd like to point out that your Instructable uses the same image as mine as its thumbnail. I'd appreciate it if you changed the image to another image of the rrod, being as my Instructable was published in 2007, while the paint is still drying on yours.

If for whatever reason I don't get a response you can expect a pm from me.

[ten77]

sorry i will change it asap

[Firebert010]

Thank you! It's great when people cooperate, thanks for being so prompt.

[infernisdiem]

His picture is similar, but not the same... firebert's is a straight on shot, ten77's is angled... :D

[Firebert010]

He changed it. Now it's a different picture.

[Iron Man T28]

it's just a picture man. don't be childish

[Firebert010]

It's a matter of distinguishing Instructables. People remember pictures, the tumbnail is the first one they see. It's honestly about psycology really.

[fjkl;]

"Distinguishing instructables is so important!" If you don't someone might get confused*sarcasm- Dude just relax no one cares P.S. once again nice iphone

[Iron Man T28]

lol

[Firebert010]

thumbnail*

[ten77]

no no, he is right. I got the same pic and Firebert has every right to see it be that changed or at least give him credit for the use of it.

[fjkl;]

your a good sport ten

[RUSD]

Thank you for a tutorial that a mom could follow:-) Yes I am the mom and my son's Xbox 360 had the RRoD. The videos in the tutorial gave me the confidence to try fixing it and I am a happy camper as it worked great!! As my husband (aka dad) said with eight cents and some common sense this was a good fix. He also provided me with plenty of tech tips in pulling the thing apart but the tutorial was an excellent resource. Thanks!!!

[ten77]

you're welcome! Glad I could help. should the RRoD come back (they might!)
try this

[infernisdiem]

How does overheating your 360 (one of the main causes of RROD) gonna fix your 360?

[stuntjunkie999]

it resets the chips inside the system if you over heat it, and if u do it too many times it will soon crash.

[littlegandhi1199]

When the Xbox 360 is overheated it shows the ring but once it knows it's overheated it doesn't bother to check ever again if it has been fixed and so even when you have it fixed it still thinks that it is overheated by making it hot it reminds it to check if it is fixed and then it works again

[Noblevagrant]

actually when your xbox gets hot, and then cold the solder points can break. by overheating it you can remelt that solder and thus remake all the connections.