This is a brief Xbox 360 repair quick start guide that can help you resolve Xbox 360 red light errors.

Before we begin, rest assured…

It is extremely frustrating when your Xbox 360 crashes. The first time it happens is the worst, as it probably caught you in the middle of the game and wiped out a lot of your progress. And, if you get red light bugs (or the red ring of death) once, you’ll get it again. You will need to send it in for Xbox 360 repair, or you can do the Xbox 360 repair yourself. Fortunately, fixing it yourself is easy, and it’s much cheaper and quicker (in fact, it saves you over $100 and takes less than an hour).

The good news is that 94% of systems don’t need new parts, they just need a little tweaking (a simple Xbox 360 repair) to get them up and running!

What is causing the 3 red lights?

The whole problem can be summed up in one word: heat. There is a design flaw with the Xbox 360: a shortened LSI heat sink. The problem is that Microsoft made the LSI heat sink (the cooling unit) too small. This was done to make room for the DVD drive. As a side note, all 11.6 million of the first sold systems have this issue, and Microsoft said all devices could fail. That means there are literally millions of people in need of Xbox 360 repair, you’re not alone and you’ll be able to fix it today!

Now while gaming the motherboard gets very hot. It typically reaches over 78°C after 15 minutes of play time. All this heat causes the motherboard to vibrate. These vibrations cause a weakening of the solder that holds the GPU (graphics processing unit). Once the solder gets too weak the GPU looses and then you have your 3 red light error.

Your Free Kick Start Xbox 360 Repair Guide: Here’s Your Simple Xbox 360 Repair Guide

The basic problem is overheating. What you have to do is the following:

1. Remove the faceplate and cover.

2. Remove the motherboard and heat sink.

3. Put a spacer between the motherboard and the heat sink (allows breathing)

4. Clean the GPU and motherboard with a cotton swab

5. Put it all back together

Steps 1 to 5 are the basic gist of Xbox 360 repair. As you can see, Xbox 360 repair is really not that complicated. If you’re not technically savvy, don’t worry, there are step-by-step Xbox 360 repair video guides available that will show you how to perform your own Xbox 360 repair. The entire process can take less than an hour and you’ll be back in the game.

The good news is that once you fix this problem, you won’t have to worry about it crashing again. The last thing you want to do if you have these red lights is do nothing. Either send it in for repair or have it fixed. Just don’t leave it and wait for it to go away. Xbox 360 repair (if done safely and properly) is permanent.

Avoid “hacking” theories such as hitting your system, heating it with a heat gun, or wrapping your system in a towel; All of these “Xbox 360 repair” methods are bogus. They will only harm your system.

The only problem with shipping your system to Microsoft (since they have an Xbox 360 repair center) is that it can cost up to $140 and take 4-6 weeks. Not to mention, you’re letting your Xbox Live membership go to waste. Xbox 360 repair as you saw above is not that complicated. The whole thing is heat, and you need to create breathing space between the heatsink and the motherboard.

Once that’s fixed, here’s how to care for your Xbox 360

o One Xbox 360 repair is all you need, but let’s keep taking care of your system! You need to let your system breathe. Do not place it in a small boxed-in area like an entertainment system. If that’s where you keep it, take it out when you play. Also, make sure the back of your system is not covered to allow fresh air to enter. If you don’t, your system will pump out hot air and then pump it out again, which is very bad!

o Do not route the power cord behind, next to, or on top of your system. The power cord also gets very hot, and you don’t want the heat to build up. Keep it separate and try to place it on a surface that doesn’t insulate heat (ie rugs are bad, counters/tables are good).

o Do not use the Nyko intercooler. This is a defective product and will really damage your system. It causes burns and consumes a lot of energy. This will actually make home Xbox 360 repair impossible after a certain point because you will literally burn out your system and need to get new parts. You have been warned.

o Since there is no tilt safety device, do not move your system when it is turned on. Doing so will end up scratching the inside of the disc. Also, do not leave your system standing on its side while it is powered on, as it makes it difficult for the system to hold the drive in place.

o Lastly, use a fail-safe energy bar. Electrical surges are bad for anything electrical and it would be horrible if your system burned out due to abnormal electrical surge, especially when this is preventable.

Now you know…

Now that you know Xbox 360 repair isn’t that complicated, you know what causes red lights (heat). He also knows that there is a design flaw that is causing the overheating and once it is fixed he knows that he will no longer have these red lights.

Regardless of which Xbox 360 repair you choose (in-house or ship), be sure to take care of your system to prolong the life of your system.

Best of luck with your Xbox 360 repair and happy gaming.