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[Harmful Learner]

My console has the word foxconn written all over it.  I dont know if that has anything to do with it but, foxconn seems to not be very good.  Ive heard many success stories out of lawdoggs method on replacing the x-clamps on the motherboard.  Well, my problem was the three red lights of death.  They would come everytime i turned the console on for about 4 months.
  I got tired of the brick laying in my bedroom, looked on youtube for an easy fix solution, trying to overcome the 140 dollar charge Microsoft wants.  So i see the towel trick, think that it couldn't be good to do... but why not.  I did it, and the thing actually worked! I was back online  xbox live, (Harmful Learner) I was renting all the new games, and then... 3rod again!  so i come here, and I've read many of the post involving 0102 error for the 360.  Mostly unknown, but basically ruled out as a gpu problem.  I.E.  X-clamps.
    I did the towel method for 4 or 5 more times, each time not being as good as the last.  Eventually I had to take the fan out and over heat the whole system, Ex, the x-clamp baking method, provided by youtube.  It worked, and for another 2 to 3 weeks i was online again.  Very happy with this forum, youtube, and just was loving gaming again.  Heres where stuff goes down hill for me...
    I turn the console on, 2 red lights immediately.  Looked it up online, 'overheating'.  I try to turn it off, it wont... weird.  I pull the plug out, plug it back in, and turn it on.  Wow it works again... wtf is wrong with it though..... It loads the 360 logo, spins a circle around the shiny metallic globe, and then loud noise, like a t.v. broadcasting test.  I turned it off.  Turned it back on to find, 3ROD, again!
    I turn here, find lawdoggs method on reviving my xbox.  Took 30 dollars to lowes, bought the parts, torx screwdrivers, the whole nine.  Stopped at radioshack got AS5 compound for 10 dollars, was a happy consumer.  Got home, got on Xbox-scene forums, Here, and got send to Lawdoggs method.  Tried it out, why not.  Took the x-clamps off, very successful, at least i thought.  It went smoothly, nylon all was same height, made good thermal contact, matched with anandtechs gpu and cpu model, and still i have yet to see a green light of hope....
     So i read about the baking method again, look into it as i remembered it saying x clamps... Surely it did, so I check how much AS5 compound is left, and take the heatsinks off again.  Reapply thermal compuound, as5, and did the "bake" method.  I hoped it would work... Surely enough... it didnt.  I was hoping, just hoping it would, then that happens.  Disappointed.  Back to the search on the forums.  
   12 cent method came up.  I read the post, remeber the date the post originated, and surely enough '2006'.  I get convinced, all the claims "yes it works, thanks" and try it out.  The tiny t-6 screws that originally screwed through the metal case into the motherboard were gone, as i did lawdoggs method and you cant put them screws back in the case because its feeding a screw into a screw... doesn't work, but anyway, hot glued 4 stacks of 3 penny's wrapped in electrical tape.  Over heat the box, doest work.  Am i missing any methods, as I've already done the oven trick... preheat 350, 4 minute bake, raise 450, bake 2 minutes, take out cool on top of oven.  Id be really appreciative, thanks!  I can post pictures of the motherboard, as theres no cosmetic damage i can see.

[brandogg]

You absolutely should have NEVER done the towel trick. There's very little chance that you'll get your system running again.

[adrian089]

dont give up on the xclamp thing.  I couldn't get mine working until I fiddled with it forever.  At first the washers i used on top of the motherboard turned out to be too thick, so I found some thinner plastic ones that worked perfectly and I put it all together and it worked.  Few weeks later I got the rrod again and I fiddled with the tightness of the screws on the heatsink.  I've had to do this a few times now probably due to horrible cooling even though i have the fans running at 12v and the fan shroud mod.

Try different things with the heatsink screws because one could be to tight causing the opposite side of the gpu to lose contact.  Whenever you get the 2 red lights its overheating because the heatsink is not making good contact with the gpu.

you can also try appling pressure with you fingers to the gpu heatsink on different sides and corners while starting your box up and when you get it to work doing that you know to tighten that side up a little more than the other.

dont know if im making sense because i suck at explaining things but good luck

[Harmful Learner]

Ouch, i dont like hearing my console is gone, because i never burnt anything out... at least i dont think i have.  I reapplied the x clamps, which i didnt mention, and i cant even get them to work, but i also couldnt put the black screws into them (12 cent fix), so i just need to do what you suggested and fiddle with the heatsinks.  But, when i do that, am i going to have to fiddle with, then over heat, then check to see if it works , over and over?  Is there a faster way than manually adjusting little by little and... my luck, not get any where?

This post has been edited by Harmful Learner: Jan 14 2008, 03:36 AM

[Harmful Learner]

Heatgun method* (conventional space heater)

I have taken another brave endurance through the vast world of youtube, and bull crap videos, and found the heat gun method.  I improvised, and used an conventional space heater, gets around 450 degrees right next to it.  I pulled the motherboard out, heated it up gradually, cooled off with the fan, and am currently waiting for the motherboard to cool.  Will post whether or not it was effective!

[Harmful Learner]

Heatgun Fix*

I completely covered the die with as5 compund on both heatsinks, put in metal casing, connected by lawdoggs method, and am overheating to check if it works.  If not, off to adjust tensoin.  Will post in 2 hours.

[brandogg]

You mean completely covered the die as in you put a rice grain-sized amount of AS5 and spread it with a credit card/razor (or just flattened with the heatsink), right? Less is more, when it comes to thermal paste, too much will do more harm than good. Also, the space heater was probably a bad idea, you might as well put the towel back on it if that's how you plan on fixing it.

[Harmful Learner]

This is a so called, if you can say "test unit".  I have heard many stories stating they place the whole motherboard in the oven, as to "reflow" the motherboard.  Thats my intention on the space heater.  Yes, a grain sized amount of as5 and spread with a credit card, actually went over it 4 or 5 times to make it even on both the cpu ang gpu.  i overheated the board to 450 f.  and redid the xclamp fix yet again.  I barely tightened the screws, hand tight, hoping that might make a difference, from tightening as lawdoggs tut says to.  reapplied the 12 cent fix and am currently waiting the 20 minutes they suggest you wait before a functional console.  If it yet still does not work, i will comtinue to play with heatsinks, might change back to xclamp again to see to any avail if it will work at all, Ex. i fried the mother board.  I do not think that is the case as when i first turn it on, i can hit the scan button and it will flash a green light searching to connect a new controller.  Maybe if i tricked the 360 by making the controller connect, the 360 will skip the initial boot test or whatever happens, who knows.  as for me, and right now, i have to wait another 13 minutes to see if i have any success.  Will post in the morning.

[brandogg]

The sync button almost always works, all it needs is power. You can have your system crash, and press the sync button and it'll still work.

[Harmful Learner]

People say you can always bring 3rod console back, just need to figure out how.... Any more suggestions, or maybe a little more detail on how tight the heatsinks should be on the motherbaord from the xclamp fix.  I have another question, i have another 360, but it has a warranty, so im not going to take it apart - but the crashed motherbaord rattles a little bit, but i cant pinpoint where the rattle is coming from.  Any suggestions on where i could be able to find it?

[brandogg]

That rattling is just the ball bearing that tells the system whether it's horizontal or vertical, they all make that noise (unless it's stuck/broken). Does your system still give you 0102? Boot it several times, always noting the error code. It's very possible (and likely) that it has multiple problems, due to the towel, and possibly the space heater.

[Harmful Learner]

Same error every time, 0102.  I believe it has something to do with the gpu... just cant seem to figure out how to fix it.  I am going to disassemble it one more time, change from 2 washers on bottom to only one, and raise... maybe even lower the washers on the top of the motherboard.  Thanks for your support brandogg, please keep helpin out as im almost clueless!

[j3z3l]

i got mine to work with 1 metal and 1 nylon on bottom and only 1 nylon on top of the motherboard... wouldn't work any other way for me..  also don't be to afraid to tighten the thing.. just don't strip the heatsinks lool..

each time i didn't get it working i took off the heatsinks and re-applied the AS5.. just use a grain of rice amount or smaller and let the heatsink spread it when you tighten..  each time i used too much AS5 i got 2 red lights lool..

this is a pain in the ass sometimes but you only fail once you give up (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)   or the thing is just fooked....

This post has been edited by j3z3l: Jan 15 2008, 07:04 AM

[brandogg]

I personally recommend having no washers under the board, unless the heads of your bolts are very small. I would recommend the heat gun now. You can get one for $20 at ACE, and if it doesn't work (or even if it does), then you can return it within 30 days if you have no other use for it. That's how I fixed my 0102/0020 recently. If you do it, make sure you are very careful, don't rush it, and make sure you cool the board *gradually* - set the gun to low heat, keep making circular motions, and back away slowly. Use the tutorial in this video - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6...20fix&hl=en - I did basically exactly what is done there, and it fixed my system (for now at least).

[finalman]

Hey "Harmful Learner" did you try a shim on the GPU in conjunction with the GPU x-clamp replacement as reccommended for problem consoles?