Attempt #2: Reviving an old friend.

Mijn probleem

I originally wanted to leave my YLOD'd PS3 alone and proceed to just move on to my new console SKU. Still, the appeal of getting it to work long enough to transfer save data was growing stronger with each game I thought about replaying someday.

The first attempt was a self fix situation, going out to buy thermal paste from a local computer shop. I was familiar with opening my PS3, but hadn't done such extensive disassembly. The iFixit guide was very helpful in that regard.

Afterwards it worked well for my first test, and later connected both consoles. However the problem persisted, and eventually I knew I wanted to properly repair my old friend.

Mijn oplossing

From what I learnt previously, the disassembly when very smoothly following the guide once more. The recently added thermal paste kept the fan assembly and motherboard stuck together. It took some brute-force but then the rest of the process went well.

Then the moment of truth. I plugged my PS3 in, and... nothing. No YLOD, startup or attempt to power on. At some point, something broke, but I have no clue as to what happened. I was crestfallen, but not completely without nostalgic sentiment for my old friend's hard work.

Mijn advies

1. First, if you want to repair your PS3, do it right and get the kit and follow the guide in the first attempt. There have been more success story from people who know when not to fix a hardware problem on their own.

2. If you don't own a heat gun, and are living outside the US, find one with low heat settings at around 250ºC or 482ºF. I found mine for $20.

3. If you don't own a screw tray, you can compromise and use a cupcake baking tray. Works just as well :)

4. Read the instructions of the guide carefully. That might seem silly of me to say, but in my first attempt I made the mistake of taping the chips to check if they were still hot. The instructions statement this might cause irreversible damage.