Used PS3 (YLOD): Ifixit kit and solution worked!

Mijn probleem

Bought a used PS3 60 Gig online. (I wanted an older model so I could play PS2 games). The system worked for about 3 weeks then I got the dreaded yellow light of death.

I read online about all the problems and the number of people whose best effort was to open the PS3 up and destroy the BluRay to get the game disk out.

For those of you not aware YLOD essentially means the system won't even begin to boot

Mijn oplossing

Surprising well.

Repair time took about 60 minutes. The person I bought the device from had clearly left it in a very dusty environment.

The hardest part for me was cleaning the old thermal paste (it was the original paste and it was EVERYWHERE).

In addition, the top plate for the RSX actually stuck to the heat sink. I don't know how common that is, but I had to pry it off the heat sink and clean underneath and use thermal paste there as well.

The only changes I would have liked (and they are very minor)

• A small portion of "goof off" to help with the thermal paste
• A little more technique on how to spread the new thermal paste (perhaps a video?)
• Modify the manual to include putting it all back together. In particular, prior to attaching the lower mother board cover, you have to hold the motherboard otherwise you get thermal past everywhere

In short, I was SHOCKED, that when I finished this worked, and my PS3 is working again

Mijn advies

This worked. It took an hour, cost 40 bucks, and saved me from losing my game data (much less the game disk), and having to buy a new PS3.