Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion The Water Cooler RROD

Anyone here ever gotten the Red Ring of Death on their Xbox? I really have not played mine that much - not like I would imagine a house with younger kids would. My machine will not do anything? Is there any recourse with Xbox - a process to follow?

Yes, and the theories about XBox 360s overheating are just that - theory - in my experience. I'm on my third 360 as MS replaced both the one that I bought and about a year later, the one that they replaced it with. Both locked up and went RROD upon restart within five minutes of playing in a cool room.

But David, terzaghi, I think is on his 7th 360, so I don't feel too bad.

Go to Xbox.com and Request a Repair. I think that you need an MS Live account to register/request online.

I've found the process to be pretty cumbersome and really quite difficult before, but hopefully it'll be a smooth process for you.

If it's under warranty, I would assume that you do have recourse, but you'll have to send it away for most likely quite a while. That said, I have seen different websites online stating that Microsoft charges upwards of $100 to fix it (I don't know if this is the case if it's still under warranty).

If it's not under warranty, or if you'd like to do it on your own so you don't have to wait, there are numerous websites (possibly YouTube videos also) that have detailed step by step guides to fix the problem. Keep in mind that if the unit is still under warranty, attempting to fix it on your own will void it.

If the product was registered and still under warranty there is no cost for repair or shipping, just go online request a repair and they will e-mail you the shipping label.
Having said that, I sent in my Xbox several weeks ago when it was not reading the discs, after 2 weeks they sent it back and it was freezing and getting 3 red lights right out of the box. So back it went again this time with a priority repair, the Microsoft employee was actually very courteous and apologetic about how that should not have happened.

The main causes of the RROD in a lot instances are due to improper heat sinks in many of the early to mid units shipped by microsoft. So the theories of overheating causing RROD are based on factual evidence of corner cutting and just shoddy engineering. They offered an extended 3 year warranty (I'm not sure if that stands on new units being sold). Thank goodness Microsoft has superior developmental tools, online community and a better controller or else I would not own one.

That said I have gone through 2 units and each time getting a free replacement from MS was as painless as possible. I preferred to call and talk to a customer service representative each time. If you are not happy with the information the representative is giving, one hint is don't be a prick but instead politely ask to speak to a manager to discuss your issues. Good results will come.

Good luck.

Close krucher, I'm on my 6th (4 RROD failures and 1 DVD drive failure). So far my 6th is working fine *crosses fingers*.

As long as your console is less than 3 years old it is covers under warranty for RROD. Ask Microsoft for a free game or controller for your troubles.

I bought an Xbox360 in October 2008 and, believe me, this thing has seen heavy usage. It has never exhibited even the slightest problem.

It is inside a closed cabinet and I anticipated heat issues, so I cut a hole in the back panel in which I installed an 80mm fan that is activated by a heat sensor. The fan usually comes on after about 20 minutes of playing.

My xbox was bought about 1 month after launch and they've always replaced it with the same crappy model.

I've had three RROD, and my XBox sits in free space and gets used 2-3 hours a week.

It's annoying to get them, but I think MS handles it reasonably well. I always have another unit within the week.

Do you call and use your "charm" to get that kind of service or do you handle via internet?

Yeah, Most of my repairs have taken 3-4 weeks minimum. Only once did I get it within 2 weeks and that was on my 5th failure with expedited shipping.

I've got an early model that's had moderate use. Probably 10 adventure / war games played fully. I've got a late model "Intercooler" add-on and have the unit standing vertically with plenty of space around it. So far, so good. Noisy..but functioning. Into Red - Dead lately.

Any idea why they keep replacing with the same model? If they have improved models that do not suffer from this "affliction", it seems that they would use the better technology?

Actually, Joyce has called each time; since she did it the first time, she did it the other times since she knew "the procedure".

She's always more charming than I am!

You will not get the same model back. It will be a refurbished console that will have the latest xbox live update applied to it. If you check the back of the console you will probably get one that has a 2010 date. I have one with a date of 2009 and the disk drive runs much quieter and console runs cooler when playing disks. If you download your games on the HDD then it will help both of these issues even more. IIRC getting a free replacement was less than 10 days. However, MS has one of their repair centers only like 3 hours away from where I live.

MS might have changed their policy where they charge you a fee if they process your repair over the phone. In that case processing the repair over the internet would be preferred.

I'd be switching to a completely different gaming console if it happened to me as frequently as it has some of you. That's a joke IMO.

They have definitely sent me back the same launch v1.0 model (or close to it) every time as I have an arcade unit with a white DVD tray, and no HDMI cable. This is what I get back every time. I am sure they do refurbish the model and perhaps mod the heat sinks or some other component to lessen the chance of failure but as many times as it has failed I would guess that whatever the hell they have been doing isn't working. The dates are always much more recent but I am pretty sure that it is just a refurbished and supposedly "improved" launch v1.0 model. No smaller GPU, HDMI, etc. like the current model mobo's have.

My guess is that they don't want to give me extra features (HDMI out) so they just give me refurbed version 1.0's .

The DVD drive has definitely never gotten any quieter from any console I received in return.

I only have the 20 gig HD so there is no way I can run any games off of the unit and I'm not paying an absurd markup for one of their larger drives.

If it wasn't for the better online interface I'd ditch xbox completely.

also, my console is open on all sides and failures have occurred during times of both limited use and extended use.

Edit: Forgot to mention that my original consol used a different power supply than newer models. The first 3 repairs they did not ask for my power supply back so I am pretty sure I was just getting the same v1.0 back. On the 4th repair I think they asked for my power supply indicating that perhaps I got a newer motherboard. The 5th failure they did not ask for the power supply.

Man, here's hoping that you don't run into another problem, David (and the rest of you for that matter).

Mine definitely runs quieter than my previous xbox. But it also uses a different disk drive from what I can tell so there are running changes in the actual components. My initial one sounding like a jet engine on start-up, that doesn't happen anymore. To clarify the model/features (arcade, elite) will be the same but it will not be the exact same unit with the same serial # that you send in.

I am assuming that you do not get the same hard drive back - so all gaming progress would be history?

Disconnect the hard drive from the console and keep it. Place just the console itself (remember to take out any games out of the disk drive) in the coffin if your issues are the RROD. When you get your replacement console, attach your hard drive to it. No progress lost.

Btw, a 20 gig drive could store 2 games, one easily.

I like to download specific titles that I play a lot and which require long sessions. The 360 tends not to "work as hard", obviously the disk drive. Other titles I don't bother with. I just delete the install after I stop playing it and move on to the next game...

I'm with you there. I install games to the HD of my Elite to keep the disk drive quiet (and hopefully reliable longer).

The only pain is when the console is replaced by MS, you have to delete and reinstall the previously installed games, which takes awhile.

Sweet. Thanks, Doc.

Yeah, don't send in the HD.

My 20 gig drive is full of demo's, arcad games, xbox originals, game saves, and a big chunk is reserved for the tracks and cars from forza 3 (it comes with two discs and one is an installation disc that must be installed.)

Unfortunately I'm left with no room to install anything... I'll wait til this one breaks and then buy a new 250gb model or something before I spend the cash they want on a new HD.

Well....Manufacture date on my xbox is 12/5/2007. I had never registered - so I called and got an extremely helpful rep on the line. She registered me and said that my serial number was under warranty til April 2011. After going through the power cord check, she determined the console needs repair and will be emailing a label. Additionally and fortunately, they are offering expedited shipping - she said the normal turn time is 14-21 days from the time the box ships. With the expedited shipping the turnaround is expected to be 10 days. I was not a prick (per the Doctor's advice) - I usually am not one anyway - and I did not have to ask for a manager. When she asked if there was anything else she could do for me my response was "I hope this call IS being recorded - let the record show that this rep has been extremely helpful".

Good to hear that they are taking care of you. Are they sending you a coffin along with the shipping label or do you have to provide the box yourself?

I have not rec'd the 2 emails yet - one with instructions and one with label link. Since she asked if I could print the label, I assume I am providing the box. Not a problem as I have many boxes and beaucoup bubble wrap.

Yeah, they used to provide you with a coffin but I think they only do that to people who are on their 3rd or greater failure now. In any case, it's one less thing that you have to wait for if they don't send you one.

If you are doing your own packaging, definitely over-box the shipment if you can. The bubble wrap will do a good job of protection and keeping any moisture out and stuff the ends so there is no shifting of the console inside the box.

Good luck.

Good advice and I will over engineer the packing. I have received the e-mail link to the label and successfully printed. I have not received the packing instrux - is there anything special - I would write out the case/repair number they gave me and tape it to the machine - anything else?

Package is on the way....label was 2nd day delivery.