"Red Ring of Death" on Xbox 360 Pro, Pre-2007. Where do I stand in 2011?

Question

The image that all Xbox 360 owners dread: Three red-lit segments surrounding the power button.

Our faithful Xbox 360 Pro (pre 2007 model, 20GB HD) is failing to this error for the second time in it's life, sometimes working OK when powered on, sometimes now. It was bought about 2006, and was returned to Microsoft about two years later to due to this fault. I believe when this was returned back to us it got an extra three years warranty which has now (almost definitely) expired. Without wanting to consign it to the great scrapheap in the sky when it finally dies are there any Microsoft-sanctioned methods of getting it repaired, or do they offer some swap-shop refund?

Answer 1

Considering the age of this 360, and the cost of out-of-warranty repairs, it's likely not worth it for you to get this particular 360 fixed via Microsoft - for that cost, you might as well just buy a new one.

There is, however, another option - fix it yourself. It may sound intimidating, but the fix isn't particularly complex, and requires maybe $15-$20 USD in parts. There are a few good guides if you Google a bit - here and here aren't bad, but there's a real famous PDF floating around somewhere (I'll take a look around and see if I can't find the name of it for you).

I've performed the heatsink-clamp replacement fix on four different RROD'd 360s, all successful. Especially due to the age, you're not likely looking at an E74 error, so you've got a fairly good chance this will work for you (and worst cast situation, you're down a little bit of money).

Whatever you do, please keep in mind that you can sell these for parts online - there are people out there who will buy these and fix them up, so if you're going to get rid of it, at least make some money to recoup the cost of buying another 360 new.

EDIT: As @Dave mentioned, don't forget to check the 360 support site. I've had numerous friends call me about RRODs, only to tell them to check all the connections to their power supply and have it start working again.

Answer 2

Microsoft does offer out-of-warranty repair services, although they are not cheap (then again, with modern electronics, few repairs are cheap). Their Warranty and registration FAQ gives the following information:

Q. How much does an out-of-warranty repair cost?

A. The cost of an out-of-warranty console repair varies:

• $99.99/£62 plus tax if you submit a repair request online (at https://myservice.xbox.com/)
• $119.99/£75 plus tax if you call Xbox Support and have a support agent create the repair order for you

When you send your console to our service center for repair, we test your console for three flashing red lights or an E74 error. If your console does not exhibit three flashing red lights or an E74 error, and you are out of the standard one-year product warranty, you can have your console repaired for a fee or choose to have your console returned to you unrepaired.

Note: If your console has three flashing red lights, please try using our Flashing Red Lights Solution to troubleshoot the problem before sending your console to us for repair. If you have an E74 error, submit an online repair request.

The Flashing Red Lights Solution can be found on the 360 support site ... I've (cross my fingers) never had to try it yet, but perhaps that will work for you and save you quite a bit of money.

(Note that links above are to US support, but the UK support page lists the same information, with only the costs changed.)