Xbox 360 3 Red Lights: Can I Fix It Myself?
By Seth Taylor
If you are someone who loves your 360, nothing is quite as upsetting as seeing the 3 red lights error, also known as the infamous �Red Ring of Death.� If you come across this problem, know that you are not alone.

In fact 1 out of every 3 360 owners have experienced the 360 3 red lights error at some time or another. Many people have gotten this error on multiple occasions with more than one system. So at least you are not the only one.


However, this does not fix your problem of getting back to gaming. So what do you need to do?

First Steps

The first thing that you need to do is to let the system cool down. Then make sure that your console is getting enough ventilation. Wipe down the 360 with a dry cloth to remove any loose dust and move it to a place with plenty of air flow. After you have tried this and it does not work then you have a much deeper problem.

Microsoft recently extended the original 1 year warranty of the 360 to 3 years covering the 3 red lights error and the E74 error only. So if your system is under this warranty then you can send it to Microsoft to get fixed.

However, keep in mind that you are responsible for the shipping, you must have the receipt of purchase to prove your warranty,

and there could be a wait time of up to 4 weeks or more before you get your system back.

On the other hand, if your system is not under warranty or you do not wish to wait to get your system back then you can fix your console yourself. Just know that once you open your console your warranty is voided, although you could give a hill of beans if your system is out of warranty anyway.

Fixing Yourself

The truth of the matter is that your 360 is no where near as complex as you might think it is. You will need to have some instructions in front of you, and you may need to worry about having good information, but the truth is that many repairs can be put into effect with some very basic tools, and the fix is going to be similar if not identical to what the Microsoft technician is going to be able to do.

The first step towards fixing your 360 yourself is going to be finding the right guide online. There are some guides online that provide step by step video instruction to helping you get rid of the 3 red lights error.

You want to make sure that they are user friendly, with clear views and have very simple repairs. With the right guide, a couple of basic tools and a little time you should have your system back running in no time.
Seth Taylor is the publisher of an informative web site that provides Xbox 360 repair reviews of the best guides to fix the Xbox 360 3 red lights error and other Xbox 360 errors. The most recommended Xbox 360 repair guide can be found here.