Calling all guru's! Unique PS3 problem - I promise, you've never seen this before - not YLOD/RLOD. Google has no answers to this

[bboydocument]

Hi all,

Apologies for my first thread to be a troubleshooting one.

I've googled for the past few weeks and have had no success finding someone with this same PS3 problem. I've emailed other people, repairers, and I cannot find anyone who isn't stumped by this problem and knows whats going on. Therefore, I am here to call upon the experts/gurus!

I have a post-YLOD PS3 CECHC02, (60gb launch model). Was YLOD repaired a few months ago - I believe it wasn't reflowed just thermal paste changed to AS5. Since the repair, the system boots up fine.

The system starts up fine, I can play a game or watch a divx movie of the HDD. I can play a game for over an hour without issues. However, the following problem occurs regularly, but at a random interval, when I watch any divx movie off the HDD.

Randomly within 30-45 minutes of the movie (but sometimes, it doesn't happen at all, and I can watch a 2 hour movie without this happening), the system shuts off to standby mode (without warning, just instantaneously) with:
*1 Beep ie. NO three beeps that other people have experienced.
*Solid red light ONLY. ie. NO blinking red light. NO YLOD. NO RLOD.
And, the fan was blowing warm air at level 2, not loud or anything

I can immediately turn the console back on by pressing the touch sensitive power button on the front of the console. I get the "your console wasn't turned off properly" warning when I turn the console back on.
If I play the movie again, the system will do the same again but usually in a shorter timeframe.

For games, I don't experience this. Sometimes, it doesn't do it during a divx movie and I am fooled thinking the console is working again. But it is becoming a regular occurrence now, one that I or anyone can't seem to explain!

I've been told by some people who have taken a guess that the power supply could be faulty - however, if this was true I wouldn't experience the return to standby mode, the console would shut off completely, where I would have to unplug the power and plug it in again (a common problem i've found with people's ps3's on the net who experience the power shutting off completely - although my symptoms above are very different).

I've been told that the console isn't overheating - because there is no warning on the screen, no three beeps and no flashing red light. I'm suspicious, my guess is this console is overheating but it's turning off in a different way (just switching to standby mode) to the usual way it shuts down due to overheating.

When it does this, the bottom of the console is hot, which I guess just means the heatsink is working the way it should but the fan isn't kicking in. Which is why I am thinking of getting a fan controller.

However, i'm just uncertain as to what the problem is.

What I have tried:
-Reopened console to clean dust but it was clean inside.
-Reapplied AS5.
-Swapped HDD's 60gb to 320gb (5400 rpm) and vice versa. Problem happens regardless of hdd.

What I want to know is: Has anyone here at psx-scene, seen this before? OR, know what is going on here?

Please, help me troubleshoot this. I've researched everywhere I can and have had no luck

Thanks and regards

[uberh1]

try just using your system without playing divx movies seems like from what your stating its only when watching movies
also check the settings to make sure the timer or power saving setting is not turned on to shutdown system to stanby after a certain period of time

[bboydocument]

try just using your system without playing divx movies seems like from what your stating its only when watching movies
also check the settings to make sure the timer or power saving setting is not turned on to shutdown system to stanby after a certain period of time

Thanks, I should've mentioned that yes I have checked the power save settings, and have this switched off and should not auto power off.

I guess I could use it to play games, but I want to know what is wrong with it- there is clearly a problem and I would actually like to know why it shuts off during divx movies..

Edit: i should also mention, this is on OFW 3.61 so my games aren't stored on my hdd. If they were, I wonder if I would get the same problem? Wonder if it's the constant reading from the internal hdd (during divx movies) that is causing the problem?

[MDRV500]

That kind of instability sounds like a power supply issue. When my power supply went bad in my comp it didn't just stop working. It would shut itself down but I would be able to hit the power button and boot right back up again only to have it shut down 15 minutes later. Other times I would have to unplug the power cord and wait etc. In my power supply the 5V rail was intermitent and it sounds like your're experiencing a similar problem. If you can soure another PSU you should try that.

[relaxxx]

Considering this was a YLOD board, it's got heat damage. Heat is slowly killing the board. Cooling will help it last longer no matter if that's the problem or not so do the fan mod or even rig up an external fan sucking air out the back vents. If moving enough air the bottom will stay cool and you'll see if it stays on or not.

[andonevris]

I second a possible power supply issue, symptoms sound right.

[greyest]

It may be power supply. Check youtube, there is some videos about the problem.

[CarvinDC125]

Hey! Im a certified IT specialist. I fix computers and ps3s for a living. From what you describe you could have multiple issues going on. You said you didnt have the system reflowed or reballed when it got the YLOD. That could be one reason. Heat is a huge factor here also it could be a faulty power supply. Heres what I would do first, have it reflowed (DIY if you can) and then mod the fan to out put better airflow. Then if that doesnt help I would swap the PSU. This will cover any errors with heat, the fan, and the power supply.

[bboydocument]

Thank you all for the awesome helpful responses

This is a work in progress, so I'm going to try the following first:
-fan mod
-if that still doesn't solve this, then ill try replacing the psu
-if I have still have this issue, then my last resort will be a reflow or reball

Btw I've looked all over YouTube and can't find anyone with this same symptom. If you know of any YouTube videos which show this problem, please share . I'd make a video myself but it's pretty self explanatory

I'll report back here soon to let you know of the outcome

[bboydocument]

Okay it's been one week since I did the fan mod to the PS3, experienced none of the problems UNTIL tonight the above problems have started again! Unbelievable!

Since the fan mod, and having the fan running at high speed and consistently blowing cool air, I have been playing games, watching movies, for the past week and haven't had a random shut down to standby mode until I was playing a game tonight. The random shut down to standby mode are happening now when playing both games or movies. Before I only experienced it while divx movies were playing. This problem is starting to be so inconsistent it's been hard to replicate and troubleshoot.

At least heat is out of the equation - the console is cool underneath when the console switches off to standby. My next move is to purchase another power supply (APS227) and try that. I am really avoiding doing a reflow or reball to the console - seriously the console is working apart from this random standby mode problem