Post by: agent jefe on December 19, 2006, 03:12:00 PM
ITS A LONG POST SO THERE IS A SUMMARY AT THE BOTTOM!!!
My system ran great since launch day. A freeze about once every month(usually when going through the guide really fast while hosting a game and streaming music via USB so probably just a overload freeze). Never once any graphical errors or slow framerates or anything abnormal. Then last week I got the good ol' 3 lights of death with error code 0020 on a cold start. the lights were 1,3,4(general hardware failure if I'm not mistaken). I checked every connection and tightened every screw, especially the heatsink screws and nothing. Although there were no heat issues Im aware of, I did the AS5 upgrade while I did the heat gun trick. Now it works great for two days and back to the red lights again. Did the heatgun trick again and it worked for three days great, then same thing. It always happens on a cold start and never during gameplay plus nothing is getting abnormally hot so I'm pretty sure heat issues are out. Any ideas?
Summary:
1. After one year of perfect perfomance, 3 lights of death(1,3,4) and error code 0020 on a cold start.
2. Checked all wires and connection plus tightened all screws, especially the heatsinks. PSU is green when on. Still dead.
3. Did AS5 just to do it. Still dead.
4. Heat gun revives it for two days runnin perfect, then dies on cold start.
5. heat gun trick second attempt with more heat for a longer duration. 3 good days then dead again.
Always get the lights on a cold boot and it comes up instantly. No startup screen or anything. Once they appear I cannot get it to work at all until the heatgun comes out.
Please Help!!!
Post by: RDC on December 19, 2006, 03:54:00 PM
WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE
(IMG:http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/RDCXBG/360%20SUX/XClampsCPU2.jpg)
WHAT IT DOES LOOK LIKE
(IMG:http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f320/RDCXBG/360%20SUX/XClampsGPU2.jpg)
Take it all apart and set the mobo on something that doesn't conduct, then plug everything back into it and see how it runs. Make SURE you keep the fans on it and set them so they blow on the GPU and CPU sinks and it'll be fine for testing purposes. If it runs fine that way and ya have no issues, then put the mobo back in the case and see if it sits in there perfectly flat, or if it "rocks or tilts" at all. If it does I'd say it has a similar issue as mine.
BUT, since you say yours only does this from a cold boot that leans more toward a crappy solder joint somewhere though, hence why it starts working after the heat gun and there's no problems while it's running, but that's the flip side of what I though was wrong with mine,it would die after running for awhile, but only together and it was fine all apart. You may want to have it redone by someone that has a rework setup and see if that produces a better result. I wouldn't take too many more trips to the bench with the heat gun on the board, you may be making it worse.
Post by: agent jefe on December 19, 2006, 04:02:00 PM
What is rework?
Post by: RDC on December 19, 2006, 04:07:00 PM
Post by: agent jefe on December 19, 2006, 04:24:00 PM
You might like this RDC, I got the mobo on the table here. if it sits flat, suspended from the corners(bowing down in the middle) or even flexed down gently i get the lights. if I bow it UP in the middle I get repetive good starts. I wonder if mine is the same problem as yours but backwards. I'm gonna run with this by spacing the board up in the middle with rubber pads and without screws in the heatsinks, buy the rest of the screws in minus the center long screw for longer test sessions.
Post by: agent jefe on December 19, 2006, 06:32:00 PM
I'll bump if/when it breaks agin. Thanks so far RDC and anyone else that at least looked at this thread.
Post by: ll Wade ll on December 21, 2006, 11:05:00 AM
Post by: RDC on December 21, 2006, 11:34:00 AM
What faq?
Far as it sounds you've taken your 360 apart and now it runs better than when it's together, and you want to know if ?what? has anything to do with the problem you're having?Yes the GPU heatsink gets incredibly hot, but having the DVD drive out and it running with no extra fan on it makes it even hotter than when it's installed, because the air doesn't flow over the GPU sink like it's supposed to. It doesn't flow over it very well in the first place either though. Since you've already taken it apart you may as well upgrade the thermal paste on the GPU and either install a better set of fans in the back or mod yours to 12v. They make more noise running at 12v, but move plenty more air and doesn't cost ya anything. My Hitachi drive makes more noise spinning a disc than the fans running at 12v do.
Post by: ll Wade ll on December 21, 2006, 12:54:00 PM
Post by: LeeWatkins on December 21, 2006, 03:04:00 PM
Post by: RDC on December 21, 2006, 03:21:00 PM
QUOTE(ll Wade ll @ Dec 21 2006, 03:01 PM) 
Ok even though my waranty is void i didnt have the waranty ne wayz so what does that matter. I Want to know what the hell error code 0020 is. Thats my main problem. And how come i cant send it in to microsoft it shouldnt matter cause i didnt have a warrenty so they would still have to fix it. shouldn't they?
If M$ does anything the "fix" your 360 it will be to replace it and charge you the price of a new one, so you're not getting a freebe or cheap repair outta that deal unless you're planing on pulling off some type of fraud, and that's not gonna fly here at all.
First you said it was 0021, now it's 0020, the error codes and what most are thought to be can be seen here. Unless M$ releases exactly what they are and how to go about fixing them that list is yer best "shot in the dark" for some of them, including 0020.
If ya want some help with yer 360 try what's already been suggested (thermal paste and fan upgrade) and see what that does for it. It may need to be reworked before it straightens out, it may need to be replaced. I wouldn't go reflowing the chips on the board unless you've done that kinda thing before, the amount of heat involved, if not used properly, will cause more problems than you're having now.
Post by: ll Wade ll on December 21, 2006, 04:03:00 PM
Post by: RDC on December 21, 2006, 04:13:00 PM
QUOTE(LeeWatkins @ Dec 21 2006, 05:11 PM)
Had 0102 error on my old 360. Tried Hot air gun worked for months tried again and accidently touched gpu when cooling and knackered solder connections. I noticed that as well as my board having a slight warp but my GPU seemed to have a slight warp !! as well. Got new 360 now MS28, it loads faster ? but still seems to run quite hot. What is everyone`s opinion of the taliman fans or 12v my fans?
The Talismoon fans are nice from what I understand, you may have to mess with the LEDs on them to get them to fit, but they move more air and are quiter than the stock ones. Running the stock ones at 12v will get you plenty more air as well as noise. I'm not sure I need to be running mine at 12v now that I've gotten the bowed board issue straightened out, but the noise isn't something that drowns out my stereo when I'm playing a game or watching a DVD, so it's more of a "better safe than sorry" mod in my case.
Do you still have that 360, I'd like to see some pics of tat SNAFU as well as point out that's the kinda stuff that can happen if you're not extremely careful when gunning the board like that.
Post by: ll Wade ll on December 21, 2006, 08:41:00 PM
This post has been edited by ll Wade ll: Dec 22 2006, 04:45 AM
Post by: gwisawesome07 on January 22, 2007, 01:13:00 AM
i started out 0110, heat gunned it and worked for a while, now getting the 0020.
hate to tear it down and heat gun it again but looks like thats my task for tomorrow.
ill post updates
if you've had 0020 let me know what you did/ how it turned out
Post by: senator on March 10, 2007, 08:04:00 PM
Post by: dokworm on March 13, 2007, 06:46:00 AM
It seems to work well and I haven't had a single glitch doing it that way, whereas the heatgun trick always errored pretty quickly after a brief success.
Post by: microbit00 on March 25, 2007, 01:56:00 PM
I open the 360 to try to find out what's happening.
The pictures show the heat sink are not in contact with the processors.
I use a thermal compound (articsilver.com) to replace the original and the problem is solved (at least today is working fine).
Note: Sorry if my english sucks but i hope you can find this useful.
(IMG:http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/7874/dsc00064wb1.jpg)
(IMG:http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/7772/dsc00065ed6.jpg)
(IMG:http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7098/dsc00066ff8.jpg)
Post by: Steve-0 on March 25, 2007, 02:22:00 PM
(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/supersteve/DSC00300.jpg)
remember n00b + heatgun = disaster!!
Post by: Pro Driv3r on April 24, 2007, 03:06:00 PM
QUOTE(gwisawesome07 @ Jan 22 2007, 09:20 AM) 
just wandering how things are progressing for people that have this error.
i started out 0110, heat gunned it and worked for a while, now getting the 0020.
hate to tear it down and heat gun it again but looks like thats my task for tomorrow.
ill post updates
if you've had 0020 let me know what you did/ how it turned out
Hey i have 0020 and im heat gunning mine soon and re applying new heat sink cream. ill send u a pm if anything happens (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pop.gif)
This post has been edited by RDC: Apr 24 2007, 10:40 PM
Post by: lukebe on April 24, 2007, 03:58:00 PM
Read the x-clamp threads twice (yep it's long but worth it) and do it slowly and properly or you'll be back here asking what went wrong.
Post by: miikkis on April 25, 2007, 08:07:00 AM
QUOTE(lukebe @ Apr 24 2007, 11:05 PM)
I HAD an 0020. The x-clamp replacement soon put an end to my red lights and I'm comfortable that it is the current most permanent fix.
Read the x-clamp threads twice (yep it's long but worth it) and do it slowly and properly or you'll be back here asking what went wrong.
So you didnt even use heatgun? just replaced those x-clamps? i got 0020 and i have tried heatgun but it doesnt even wakeup after that... i think it is dead but maybe that x-clamps replacement helps?
Post by: grim_d on April 25, 2007, 09:15:00 AM
moving...