Dead 360, no warranty. What to do?

[zombiecraig]

My 360 finally bit it tonight. No red rings, but it no longer outputs video. It had been acting up over the last month and finally went out this evening. I had a spare cable to check it, but nope, nothing.

 

I checked with Microsoft's website and it looks like my warranty expired long ago. 2007.

 

I can pay them $100 to have it repaired. But is that recommended? Will they just repair this system, or substitute a new one? I'm just concerned that if they repair this one and something else goes wrong, I'll have to pay another $100 due to no warranty. I had been considering upgrading to the larger HDD, anyway. Maybe I should just buy a new one?

 

What are your opinions?

[moycon]

My 360 finally bit it tonight. No red rings, but it no longer outputs video. It had been acting up over the last month and finally went out this evening. I had a spare cable to check it, but nope, nothing.

 

I checked with Microsoft's website and it looks like my warranty expired long ago. 2007.

 

I can pay them $100 to have it repaired. But is that recommended? Will they just repair this system, or substitute a new one? I'm just concerned that if they repair this one and something else goes wrong, I'll have to pay another $100 due to no warranty. I had been considering upgrading to the larger HDD, anyway. Maybe I should just buy a new one?

 

What are your opinions?

 

If I were you I'd sell it on eBay (as non working) and snag a new one.

 

You could spend the $100 to fix it, then pay to get an extended warranty on it, but if you were planning on getting a multi-year extension (It's $30 a year) you'd might as well bought a new one. The new ones are much quieter anyways, Treat yourself. Get the Limited Edition C.O.D. 2 Elite!!!

[FastRobPlus]

If you get it repaired it will have a 1 year warranty.

[2600Lives]

You know, my original box red ringed back in 2007 (was less than a year old). I get a new one in November of last year. It peters out in September of THIS year, with a bad disc drive. So, a buddy of mine tries to fix my original one. We take all the stuff apart, and lo and behold, the thermal paste has melted ALL over EVERY circuit and component. So, we get a bottle of acetone and scrub the shit out of everything that was safe to scrub, re-assemble it with a few tweaks he found online (just some new screws and a few washers), and BAM, it's working fine now! That thermal paste is a beyotch, so you may take it apart and see if that's causing the issue (shorting out some circuit or something).

[Chickybaby]

I'm sorry you are going through this. I'm more of a gearhead so I'll put this from an auto standpoint, lol.

Something to consider is this equasion:

 

The cost of the exact model you have now *used* - how much money you can get for a dead one if it's worth selling it = Would it be considered totalled if it was a car?/Is the value close to that $100 mark that you would have to pay plus the shipping costs(if appliccable) and the extra $30 for an extended warrenty for a second year?

 

I hope you understand what I mean. Sorry I didn't word that well but it's been another rough night.

 

Another few things to consider are:

 

- Would you feel more secure just selling everything you have and buying a different gaming system so these problems don't repeat themselves another year or so from now?

- Have you tried calling Microsoft and bitching to holy heck a couple times to see if they would charge you as well as finding out if they would swap your dead system for a new one or repair the current one?

- Would it be better to go to a videogame store that offers a warrenty on used consoles which would cover everything else that might go wrong?

 

Best of luck.

[+RevEng]

Buy a new one, sell the broken one.

 

The newer falcon chipset uses less power and generates a lot less heat. Your chances of a RROD are a lot less with a newer model, since majority of the issues causing RROD are heat related.

 

I didn't buy a 360 until the change to 65nm chipsets for that very reason.

[+save2600]

If I were you I'd sell it on eBay (as non working) and snag a new one.

 

I was going to suggest the same thing. And if you want to be a wanker about it, you could always sell it as "un-tested"... lol

[zombiecraig]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I really appreciate it.

 

I still haven't decided what I would like to do. I think that I will hound Microsoft over the phone a few times, like Chickybaby suggested. Other than that, I don't think I'll rush right into it.

 

I do want another 360 and I'm thinking about upgrading to an Elite, and selling this one for parts/repair, like moycon and a few others suggested. But, I'm too damn busy right now to be in any hurry. I think that I'll let things ride until after the holidays and see how things pan out.

 

This is the first console that I've purchased that has ever gone bad, and I have quite a few. So...not too bad, if you look at it that way. Gee thanks, Microsoft.

[keilbaca]

The RROD is so common, people decided to do some creative things with the console, when it dies.

 

One person modded the case into a joystick, and another modded it into a tissue dispenser, and an alarm clock.

 

^_^

[Hyper_Eye]

They are more likely to send you a different unit than to repair and send back the same one. Regardless of which they do you will have a "repair" warranty on your unit. You will then be eligible to purchase an extended warranty for the same price as an "in-warranty" unit. That is what I would do.

[AtariLeaf]

If I were you I'd sell it on eBay (as non working) and snag a new one.

 

I was going to suggest the same thing. And if you want to be a wanker about it, you could always sell it as "un-tested"... lol

 

Don't forget to say it worked the last time you used it and that you have no way of testing it because you have no way of hooking it up to your tv

[NE146]

Buy a new one, sell the broken one.

 

The newer falcon chipset uses less power and generates a lot less heat. Your chances of a RROD are a lot less with a newer model, since majority of the issues causing RROD are heat related.

 

I don't think the Falcon's are available anymore.. I believe they're all Jaspers now.

[+RevEng]

You are correct, I had my chipsets mixed up.

 

My thanks and +1 rep for keeping me honest.

[bloodreptile]

Alternatively you could use it as a door stop or beat an intrduer over the head with it...

[JamesD]

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

[+HammR25]

The newer ones are also a lot quieter.

[Chickybaby]

Is this actually possible? If so, seems like a decent enough idea.

 

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

[Video]

Is this actually possible? If so, seems like a decent enough idea.

 

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

 

 

It can work, it's just heating up all the solder till it melts and the system shuts down, at that point, it all cools down and is soldered back together. It can ruin the system too, make no mistake about that, but as your system is busted, and out of warranty, you have nothing really to loose.

[zombiecraig]

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

 

So, if it red rings, will they repair it for free regardless of the warranty being expired? I'm assuming so, by the other comments.

[moycon]

So, if it red rings, will they repair it for free regardless of the warranty being expired? I'm assuming so, by the other comments.

 

360 have a 3 year warranty for RRoD but I've heard of folks getting them fixed even after the 3 years. Try to get it to RRoD and them call them and raise a bitch how they released a game system with a flawed designed to the public and see if they don't fix it.

[Buyatari]

My 360 finally bit it tonight. No red rings, but it no longer outputs video. It had been acting up over the last month and finally went out this evening. I had a spare cable to check it, but nope, nothing.

 

I checked with Microsoft's website and it looks like my warranty expired long ago. 2007.

 

I can pay them $100 to have it repaired. But is that recommended? Will they just repair this system, or substitute a new one? I'm just concerned that if they repair this one and something else goes wrong, I'll have to pay another $100 due to no warranty. I had been considering upgrading to the larger HDD, anyway. Maybe I should just buy a new one?

 

What are your opinions?

 

If it were me I'd sell it as is on ebay but check completed auctions to see what the prices are with cords and with controller etc. I would think you might get the same without a controller and if so keep it. You may make more selling in pieces.

 

Then I would take that money and add some of my own to buy the Modern Warfare system with the 250 gb hard drive. I've been looking for an excuse to buy that baby.

[moycon]

I've been looking for an excuse to buy that baby.

 

My excuse was I canceled my pre-order of the Prestige Edition of Call of Duty MW2 and therefore I deserved it.... cept now I still want those goggles!!!

[JamesD]

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

 

So, if it red rings, will they repair it for free regardless of the warranty being expired? I'm assuming so, by the other comments.

They extended the warranty to 3 years for that.

[Buyatari]

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

 

So, if it red rings, will they repair it for free regardless of the warranty being expired? I'm assuming so, by the other comments.

They extended the warranty to 3 years for that.

 

It is ONLY for the overheating issue. If something else breaks people are wrapping the unit in a towel causing it to overheat and THEN sending it back.

[+HammR25]

If you can get it to turn on, put it in a plastic bag and let it heat up until it red rings?

 

So, if it red rings, will they repair it for free regardless of the warranty being expired? I'm assuming so, by the other comments.

I just sent mine in with RROD out of warranty. I called MS and they sent a mailing label on the console no questions asked. They just put a new 360 in the mail for me today. I already bought a new arcade and have been using it. I'll give the refurbished one to my sister and brother-in-law along with the coffin it came in for when it dies on them so they don't have to go buy their own box to ship it back to MS.

Edited January 4, 2010 by HammR25