Level 19, 100 cars, cash etc..YLOD! (Updated)

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My PS3 died recently as well. It died right before the so called Nov. 2 release date. On a brighter note, I'm glad GT5 was pushed back LOL. I got my new slim just in time for the real release date.

My PS3 is suffering from the dreaded blinking red light.
 
I've got an 80 gig fat one that I've only used to watch blurays up until now. Scary stuff.
 
Guys, it's fairly easy to avoid a YLOD; but it requires some - not quite optimal - changes (for some):
  • Make sure your PS3 is in a REALLY open area, I'm talking, no cabinets, no "under the desk" (no under anywhere)... Mine is out in the open, on top of my desk, next to my computer screen. It takes up a bit of space, but the thing needs all the cool air it can get.
  • Don't run it on hot days. If the room temperate is already hot, no amount of fan power is going to save your PS3. Either get an air conditioner on full blast, or just avoid using it.
  • Never turn it off straight after a race/event. The PS3 will be working it's hardest right now and if you turn it off, the fans will turn off. I always leave it at the menu for 5-10 minutes before I turn it off.
    Alternatively: I find that doing a B-Spec race and having bumper cam with live timing up (so there's only a tiny bit of game in the top-left) is way less intensive than a full race.
  • Treat it right. Keep it clean, make sure there is nothing blocking the air vents in a 10 cm radius (in conjunction with point #1). THIS INCLUDES DUST!

You do all that and the PS3 should be fine. Of course, if you just have it on for a really long time it might YLOD anyway; and a YLOD is any number of problems, this just addresses the most common "overheating" one. ...and I hold no responsibility for your PS3.

I'd be happy to donate you a car also, a Ferrari or Lambo perhaps? ...BUT, if it were me, I wouldn't want a car because - as pi**ed as I would be - I'd want to start again :)
 
Mine got the YLOD the day after I ordered my sig edition (which I did last minute) and is the second time it's died, cost around $90 au (so pretty much the same US!) to get it fixed, and the guy who did mine guarantees it, so hopin it's cheaper this time.
On a note he recommends all fat ps3s need an external fan as overheating is the main cause of YLODs he sees. I'll be getting one if she can be resurrected once more!
 
I run a 500gb launch phatty and gt5 made it very hot, so i put my nyko intercooler back on it that i bought with it originally but never used and it runs super cool now.

Also my phatty broke and I sent it to www.jdelectronicsinc.com from washington st (he's based in michigan) and he had my original unit back to me in about 5 days for $70 with a 90 day warranty. That was 2 years ago, it still runs fine.
 
[*]Never turn it off straight after a race/event. The PS3 will be working it's hardest right now and if you turn it off, the fans will turn off. I always leave it at the menu for 5-10 minutes before I turn it off.
Alternatively: I find that doing a B-Spec race and having bumper cam with live timing up (so there's only a tiny bit of game in the top-left) is way less intensive than a full race.

i disagree with two of your points.
1. turning your ps3 off straight after a game via exiting the normal way (quit game etc) to leaving it on menu for 5 minutes will not make any difference. it may take a little longer to cool down but no difference. just shut the ps3 down, i have never ever heard this before that you leave it on menu for 5 minutes to let the fans run. fans running also creates heat. just switch it off

2. you and i did not program GT5, who knows which view hogs or does not hog the memory the most. having bumper cam to having living timing up may as well just take as much memory as a full bumper cam or not. sure theres a "tiny bit of game on the top left" but nonetheless, the game is still running that "tiny bit of game on the top left" whether its small or little shouldnt make a difference at all. its still running all the calculations and rendering.

anyway, best of luck with the YLOD, i am sure there must be a way to save it. its to do with the CPU not hard drive so you still have your data.
 
I can give you a Shelby Cobra if you want it. I have 3 of them. :dopey:
I have my chromline, the one that I won in Bspec, and I got another one with a random card for completing professional. And they won't let me sell them!:grumpy:
 
Same thing happened with mine, AFTER it came back from Sony repaired. Sent it back again. Got to level 10 with copious amounts of gold licenses.



You might be fine, but warning signs are if it spontaneously turns itself off and blinks red. This happened to me a few times, each with a decreasing amount of playing time before it happened.

I decided to backup my entire utility as that's the only way to save my data, but as soon as I plugged in my HDD and went to find the option before I knew it my PS3 shut off after 2 minutes and wouldn't turn back on again (YLOD). All GT5 data gone and my disc stuck inside it.

I feel your pain! I've decided to get it repaired in the UK for £40, the game is worth £35 so it's a no brainer seeing as it's stuck inside. I'm also buying a Slim and transferring all the data over, will use the old machine for blu-ray/music only from now on.

Gutted though as I've took three days off work next week to use up my remaining holidays, she's going to have me doing housework now isn't she!
 
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GT5 slowly killed my 60GB as it was barely used since June 09. I could hear the popping noises coming from my PS3 during races as the solder on the CPU/GPU separated. I dusted it with an air compressor every quarter and found very little dust when I took it apart after YLOD. The thermal compound failed and turned my PS3 into a space heater until YLOD. I have to do the heat gun fix to allow me to data transfer my GT5 save to my new slim. Hopefully it will work and I can get my Lvl 18 and all gold licenses(done with a controller:scared:) back.
 
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Most YLOD is from Sony's poor soldering job on the CPU and GPU. The heatgun trick is easy and works. I did it to mine 3 times before I got tired of it and traded it in at gamestop (lol) for a slim.
 
Ive gone through 3 PS3s. The first one was gone within less than 1 month, while the 2nd one was gone within 2 years. Luckily I had a gamestop extended warranty and they gave me a refurbished 80 gig version. I had lost all of my files including a passed GT5 P. As a consolation at least, they gave me another year of warrant (which is over now:scared:) and $100 in credit for anything at gamestop. I just hope this does not happen again and that we can save GT5 memory. Ah, the good 'ole memory card days. Only if we could put our saves into memory cards and other types of game data and such into a hard drive the system has, and identify each memory card with the system so that there is no cheating. Well, good luck with whatever you are going to do!
 
My PS3 Fat 80 just suddenly shut off and YLOD'd today as I was racing. I'm at level 16 and would really like to not have to start over again and replace my console with another unit as this one has PS2 compatibility which is nice for GT4. I'll be doing the heat gun refurb sometime this week and hopefully that will do the trick.

There is a good set of YouTube walkthroughs and a PDF on how to do the repair at:

http://playstationlifestyle.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2376

It looks straightforward to do but I can see that it will require patience and a good method of keeping track of things for reassembly.
 
I have a 60GB fatty that YLOD'd just before GT5 came out. I was playing Black Ops at the time which was a huge bummer. After mourning for about a week, I rang SONY and managed to get a FREE refurb' replacement console to my door the next day! (I had extended warranty, a MUST in my eyes) and was playing GT5 the day after it came out :sly:

It's not GT5's fault that there seem to be more PS3's YLODing. It's because GT5 is probably the most played PS3 game right now. This means that, of all the PS3's breaking, there is a high chance that it will be GT5 inside them while they break. Added onto the fact that we are all likely putting strain on our consoles by clocking in ridiculous hours on GT5, it all makes sense :dopey:

Similar things happen on (both on the PS3 and 'that other console') whenever a big game is released. Many people were concerned that Halo: Reach was RRODing their Xboxes (what's the plural of Xbox? Xboxii?)

LOOK FOR THE SIGNS! If your PS3 has classic YLOD pre-symptom
- regular crashes/lockups
- graphical glitches
- fans coming on more often and louder
Your PS3 may be dying :sick: My old fatty had most of these symptoms and I thought nothing of it... the "it will never happen to me" approach will almost certainly backfire in your face.
 
My Day1 60gb PS3 YLOD earlier this week as well, I feel your pain
 
For anyone who has a PS3 that YLOD. Fix it with the heatgun mod and trade it in to gamestop. That way you get some money for it without having someone pissed off at you when you sell it to them and it dies again a week later.
 
Anyone else laughing at people calling their ps3 a fatty? lmao :D
 
I had my launch day 60gb fatty die on me too only three days after getting GT5.

The funny thing is, I only bought it all those years ago in anticipation of the new Turismo. First I played GTHD solid for about 6 months, then I got the JP version of GT5;P, followed by the PAL version a few months later. That's pretty much all I played on it bar the odd 'filler' driving game whilst waiting for GT5.

Then when it does finally come out, three days later; YLOD! D'oh!

It's a good job I have an understanding missus though. The first thing she said was; Get yourself down to Asda and buy another.

End result- New PS3 slim 160gb with two games. £239.

I guess I could've got the fatty repaired as I'll miss not being able to play GT4 anymore, but I think it was about time for an upgrade anyway. My HDD was getting full anyhoo.
 
The save can be backed up, it just can't be copied. Two options:

1. Remove HD, get your 60GB fixed (whatever it costs will be less than the resale value of th ese things on eBay), then perform a flash drive backup and restore it on the new PS3.

2. Remove HD, buy new PS3, remove HD from new PS3, buy two external enclosures, hook both HDs to your PC, transfer data as you please.
 
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