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[fallenangle]

I've suspected a problem with the right-hand side eject button LED for some time. It would occasionally flash off then on again as I pressed the eject or plugging in a controller. Well today it refused to light up right from the start.

I thought the LED had failed completely but it definitely isn't that. When I press the eject button or press on almost any part of the front panel I can get it to stay back on again at least until I touch the front panel again. I've also found, thanks to the UnleashX LED test/change options, that the red LED part is working fine.

Did some searching here and found that this suggests a connection fault on the power wire number 8 which controls the green LED on the front panel.. It's my oldest Xbox and I'm guessing years of pressing the the eject and power buttons have cracked a solder joint or something similar.

Question is: how easy will this be to repair? I've looked at tutorials here and it sounds do-able if I can identify where the loose connection or dodgy solder joint is. I'm a bit concerned about actually getting at the front panel in the first place and once I do being able to solder or refix what looks like very fine wiring.

Any advice appreciated.


 

[Movax]

It's easy to remove the front panel and it is not fine wiring.. very easy to fix. If the problem turns out to be the small PCB, just solder a wire form the LED to the correct yellow wire.

http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/removin...front_panel.htm

[fallenangle]

Thanks that's very helpful. I'll might just gird my loins and give it a go (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

BTW in this particular console the wire bundle in question is all brown not yellow as stated in most of the guides. Is it safe to assume the wiring to the LEDs is the same configuration ie. wire 8 being the green LED one?  

[steveo1978]

http://diy.sickmods.net/Tutorials/Xbox1/Power-Eject_Pinouts/

The color of the wire does not matter.

[fallenangle]

Thanks for the confirmation and that very helpful link.

[fallenangle]

Update

Eventually picked up the courage to try to fix this problem - got the front off the Xbox and eventually the front PCB with the LEDs.

I looked at the connector array, gently pulled on the wires expecting one was loose - nothing, solid as a rock. All solder joints looked solid too but I used a lupe to make sure and they're all clean and shiny.

So I reconnected the plug to the main board and gingerly turned on the power. Both LEDs lit up green and no matter what I did, tapping the right LED, connector array and even flexing the PCB, the right LED didn't even flicker once and stayed green until it went to flashing red as I had the DD/HDD disconnected.    

I thought that my fiddling might have 'cured' the fault so I reassembled the front panel but checked the right LED was behaving itself just before clicking it back in place. The answer was no, it was now off refusing to go green but went to flashing red as normal.

I traced it back and the point it stops working correctly is when the PCB is clicked home into the front panel and locked in place by the bottom clip. Happens every time.

But why? I couldn't get the LED to flicker even with some pretty firm flexing of the PCB yet the simple act of locking it in place cause the fault. Any explanation and/or suggestions appreciated.

What I'd also like to know is if these front PCBs are interchangeable between console versions? I've found, more than once, that simple variations in manufacturing tolerances can mean just swapping components between working equipment can solve this sort of problem satisfactorily.  

[xboxmods2977]

QUOTE(fallenangle @ Jul 19 2011, 06:12 PM)

What I'd also like to know is if these front PCBs are interchangeable between console versions? I've found, more than once, that simple variations in manufacturing tolerances can mean just swapping components between working equipment can solve this sort of problem satisfactorily.

Yes. Take one from another box and throw it in yours.

[fallenangle]

Thanks for that confirmation.

I take one from my crystal 'test-bed' Xbox and substitute that and then try Movax's suggestion about repairing the faulty one by wiring the right LED direct to the appropriate connecting wire. Not quite as easy as he indicated, especially with my dodgy close-up eyesight, but still do-able. I'll certainly be very pleased if that fixes it.

I've been thinking about the cause of the problem and have come up with a theory. I'm wondering if the Eject and/or Power button even at rest creates specific stress points on the PCB when it is locked in place. Over time regular use increases the stress on the PCB at these points eventually cracking or tearing the conductive path. In this case it just happens to be the one which activates the green colour on the LED.

When not under stress from the buttons ie. when the PCB is released from its retaining clips it 'springs' back into shape closing the crack/tear and therefore works normally.

Plausible?

This post has been edited by fallenangle: Today, 12:16 AM

[steveo1978]

That is possible. It is also possible that part of the pcb(were the green led leg is soldered) is making contact with the medal shielding and causing it to not function right.

This post has been edited by steveo1978: Today, 12:31 AM

[fallenangle]

I wish it was something like that because that would be curable with the use of insulating material of some sort put in the right place. But I can't see where such a rogue contact could be created simply by clipping the PCB back in place. The fault manifests itself before the front of the Xbox is even refitted so there's no obvious electrically conductive material anywhere near the LED solder points or legs.  

[steveo1978]

Ok cool that eliminates that. Try this before you put the PCB back in the faceplate have it the PCB plug in and on, then take and mess with the right LED and see if that causes it to go off. It might be that pressure is aplied to the led and causing it to lose connection to the pad on the back of the PCB. Be very careful that you dont use to much pressure and cause it to break the pad cause and cause more damage.