PS3 Overheating? Replace the thermal paste. :)

[Access_Denied]

OK, this is for those of you who are having problems with your PS3. My PS3 was overheating, and outputting glitched video. Sometimes I'd get video, other times I wouldn't. When I did get video, it was discolored with blurry text. So, I simply replaced the thermal paste on the CPU and GPU. Just follow this disassembly tutorial, and when you have everything apart, remove the old paste, and put new paste on.

http://llamma.com/PS3/repair/PS3_disassembly_tutorial.htm

Some say that all paste is the same, but some swear by Arctic silver. I used the generic brand from Best Buy and it worked fine. Also, as a tip, don't put your PS3 back in the case. Put everything together, but set it on some wood blocks or something, and out of the case. I set my on some books for a few hours first. Make sure the fan has enough room to breathe. After letting it just run for a few hours, I turned it off, let it cool, turned it back on, and it's been working ever since.

This is a fairly simple process, and should only take you a few hours. The one thing you MUST be careful of though, is at the very end of the disassembly tutorial. It asks you to take the metal shielding off of the motherboard. BE CAREFUL OF THE BATTERY IN THE CORNER. If you don't work with caution, you could rip it off the motherboard and have to solder back on, which is a PITA. Anyway, post here if you used this method and it worked. So far, it's also worked for tmac619619.

[h3ro]

Try reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling the most up to date firmware.

Your disk might be corrupted.

[Access_Denied]

Try reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling the most up to date firmware.

Your disk might be corrupted.

How exactly do I do that? (Sorry for being such a noob.)

[The Mana Knight]

I'll tell you what to do:
-Reformat HDD and see if it works.

-Hard Reset (http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2265/ps3_how_to_factory_hard_reset) the PS3. Basically, turn the PS3 off. Turn it back on, but hold your finger on the power button until you hear a third beep.

I've heard of freezing, but never heard of that issue (weird display).

I believe there's a setting to reformat it, or try pulling your PS3 HDD out and putting it back in.

EDIT: Go to Restore PS3 System and/or format utility.

Here's the support online also:
http://www.us.playstation.com/support/ps3

[greyzieoriental]

send it in to SONY and tell them that this happened after doing the latest firmware update
"since you do not have a receipt it will be considered out of warranty"
ask to speak to a supervisor and explain to him:

"its been a long time, i purchased my ps3 with cash and could not get any proof of purchase from the retailer"
make sure to tell them that it happened after doing an update

check the manufacture date on PS3 and see if it is within 1 year, and argue that fact calmly
if you get a nice supervisor and you are not being a dick on the phone
they might service you ps3 under warranty, under a gesture of goodwill and return your unit with a 90 day warranty

after you receive it back sell your ps3 to another unsuspecting CL person and get yourself a new PS3 (keep your receipt) or 360 (no receipt needed)

[Access_Denied]

I can't exactly format the HDD, due to not being able to boot the console now. I try to calibrate it with the AV cable, but all I get are colored specs all over a black screen, and I can hear the sound. :(

And what if the PS3 is over a year old? Will they not cover it?

[greyzieoriental]

over 1 year is out of warranty, $149+tax for service (shipping is free) and comes with 90 day warranty

[Access_Denied]

over 1 year is out of warranty, $149+tax for service (shipping is free) and comes with 90 day warranty

Screw that, I just bought this POS. Also, the guy told me he bought it at EBgames, and that they can track and replace it with the serial number. Can anyone confirm this?

[The Mana Knight]

I can't exactly format the HDD, due to not being able to boot the console now. I try to calibrate it with the AV cable, but all I get are colored specs all over a black screen, and I can hear the sound. :(

And what if the PS3 is over a year old? Will they not cover it?At least hold the PS3 power button down when you turn on the PS3 (should set it to 480i, although that seems to be your resolution setting anyway) for 5 seconds or when you hear a 2nd beep. Or else at least do the hard reset, which I mentioned.

Sony requires a receipt for in-warranty repairs (although I guarantee if you have a 20GB or 60GB, it's not in warranty) to assure the console/handheld wasn't stolen and it proves they bought it.

Did you at least replace the HDD since I heard about it coming with a dead HDD?

[Access_Denied]

At least hold the PS3 power button down when you turn on the PS3 (should set it to 480i, although that seems to be your resolution setting anyway) for 5 seconds or when you hear a 2nd beep. Or else at least do the hard reset, which I mentioned.

Sony requires a receipt for in-warranty repairs (although I guarantee if you have a 20GB or 60GB, it's not in warranty) to assure the console/handheld wasn't stolen and it proves they bought it.

Did you at least replace the HDD since I heard about it coming with a dead HDD?

No, haven't replaced the hard drive. But I was told that it would boot and play games without a hard drive. (This might be false) The only other 2 SATA hard drives I have are my 360 20GB one, and my laptop 320GB one, neither of which I want to format.

[The Mana Knight]

No, haven't replaced the hard drive. But I was told that it would boot and play games without a hard drive. (This might be false) The only other 2 SATA hard drives I have are my 360 20GB one, and my laptop 320GB one, neither of which I want to format.A PS3 HDD is REQUIRED for games. The PS3 console will turn on, but the HDD is STILL required completely. If the PS3 actually plays games without the HDD, I'll be surprised (since games have patches, mandatory installs, etc. and other things that require a HDD). I seriously can't believe someone told you that. If you do not have a HDD, the PS3 is useless. It's not like the 360 that's made to work without a HDD also.

A 360 HDD will not work. Your laptop HDD would would, but I recommend you just buy a new HDD for the PS3 (you can find SATA 2.5" ones cheap). I'm being serious though, the HDD IS required on the PS3 regardless (no external memory format is supported, even if you are playing PS1/PS2 games).

[Access_Denied]

OK, I just hooked up my PS3 hard drive to my PC and formatted it to FAT32. It seemed to format fine, but when I put it in, I get the same problem.

[The Mana Knight]

Try the PS3 without a HDD, and tell me IF you still see weird stuff. You cannot play anything or do much, but try that also. If it seems to be fine, it could be a HDD issue. If not, then it's an actual PS3 console issue. Still maybe try the hard reset because it might have been bricked or messed up.

[Access_Denied]

I tried without the hard drive, still no luck. I reset it back to 480i, and I couldn't get a picture.

[The Mana Knight]

All right, I guess the PS3 is toast. The thing is, when you hold the power button for two seconds, it resets the PS3 picture so it works fine on SDTVs. But still, your situation is really strange. I would just yell at the guy who you bought it from at Craig's List.

[Access_Denied]

The guy is being an asshole. He said he sold it 'AS-IS'. But, he lied about the description of the console. He clearly told me that I could still play games with the console, which I can't. So he's about to get thousands of text messages and phone calls thanks to some bots of mine.

[Chuplayer]

That sucks. Is it a 20 or 60 gig? If so, it's well worth it for the $150 fix.

[Access_Denied]

It's a 60GB.

[The Mana Knight]

That sucks. Is it a 20 or 60 gig? If so, it's well worth it for the $150 fix.He got it for $350. IMO, I would have preferred to buy a new one without PS2 BC (heck, I kind of wish I had a PS3 without PS2 BC since I never use it, but waiting until I get a good job to by a new one). Also, if he got one from GameStop, it would have been $429.99 before tax, and there would have been a better guarantee it would work (or could at least return it). That's why I see this as an issue in ways.

Did the guy say in his description it plays fine? If he did, then he lied. If he didn't say anything, he's not the complete blame (because you always want to make sure of that).

[Methadon]

Did you try calmly explaining to a SCEA rep that this happened during a firmware update?

[Access_Denied]

He got it for $350. IMO, I would have preferred to buy a new one without PS2 BC (heck, I kind of wish I had a PS3 without PS2 BC since I never use it, but waiting until I get a good job to by a new one). Also, if he got one from GameStop, it would have been $429.99 before tax, and there would have been a better guarantee it would work (or could at least return it). That's why I see this as an issue in ways.

Did the guy say in his description it plays fine? If he did, then he lied. If he didn't say anything, he's not the complete blame (because you always want to make sure of that).

He didn't mention it in the description, but when I emailed him, I asked if it would still play games, and he said yeah. I'll try calling SCEA.

[Chuplayer]

He got it for $350. IMO, I would have preferred to buy a new one without PS2 BC (heck, I kind of wish I had a PS3 without PS2 BC since I never use it, but waiting until I get a good job to by a new one). Also, if he got one from GameStop, it would have been $429.99 before tax, and there would have been a better guarantee it would work (or could at least return it). That's why I see this as an issue in ways.

Did the guy say in his description it plays fine? If he did, then he lied. If he didn't say anything, he's not the complete blame (because you always want to make sure of that).

Yeah, but it's not like the service charge is going to be any more expensive than getting another PS3. And it's a 60gig console, so there's the extra incentive right there.

[siderealshift]

Try reformatting your hard drive and reinstalling the most up to date firmware.


If you are able to do this, and it is still acting funny, you're probably screwed. You might be able to sweet-talk Sony into fixing it for you, though, if you play it right.

I'd say that if you paid more than $100 for it, you got fleeced. (I wouldn't buy anything from eBay or craigslist listed "as is" -- the seller is basically saying "I know that this item is, or will soon be, in some way, totally FUBAR, and I don't want you crying to me about it".)

[Access_Denied]

Tried calling SCEA. Said it happened after a firmware update. They want $149 to fix it. Fuck.

[Access_Denied]

I don't know how, but I managed to see the screen enough to format the HDD and install the latest update. It works now. So, fuck that dude. He's still getting thousands of phone calls.

EDIT: Fuck, I installed the update, but it rebooted and did the same thing. But everything looked OK during the update. Fuck.

[js1]

Have you been able to try it on a hdtv with a HDMI cable? just to see if it's the cable or output on your ps3 could be broken.

[Access_Denied]

Have you been able to try it on a hdtv with a HDMI cable? just to see if it's the cable or output on your ps3 could be broken.

Yeah, I tried with an HDMI cable, and still, no luck.

BTW- The CSR said that using any HDMI cable not specifically approved by Sony voids the warranty. :roll:

[js1]

Damn, that sucks dude. I hope you can get it fixed at little to no cost.

[Access_Denied]

I doubt I will. Maybe I'll just put it on eBay as a broken console, count my losses and move on.

[kube00]

You could try selling it on here

[Access_Denied]

You could try selling it on here

I could. But there's really only like one person who buys broken consoles on CAG. (ProtonX, great CAG) Anyway, I'll probably have better luck on eBay.

[Chuplayer]

Yeah, I tried with an HDMI cable, and still, no luck.

BTW- The CSR said that using any HDMI cable not specifically approved by Sony voids the warranty. :roll:

1. That's bullshit.

2. What warranty? They wouldn't be charging you $149 if you still had a warranty.

[The Mana Knight]

1. That's bullshit.

2. What warranty? They wouldn't be charging you $149 if you still had a warranty.Well, technically Sony DOES void the warranty if you use a non-Official Accessory (this has been known for a long time). However, do NOT tell SCEA you were using a non-official accessory. All people have to do is tell them they used official PlayStation HDMI cables, component cables, etc. and they'll never know. It states that in the manual too. I know plenty who use monoprice cables and got their PS3 fixed for free, you just shouldn't tell them. SCEA will say this because some accessories (if not made right) could damage a console, but if you know for a fact that's not the reason, just don't tell them.

To the OP, no offense, but you REALLY shouldn't have bought the PS3. Based on what I've seen from your posts (I could be wrong), you really don't seem to know much at all about it (many things have been all over forums for a while now). Also, don't ever buy a used product from someone unless you see them prove it works. If they don't prove it, then tell them you will not buy the console unless you create a contract or whatever that if it doesn't work when I test it, you get it back (or whatever). If they refuse, then something is up.

The OPs PS3 isn't in warranty regardless I believe. The 60GB consoles have been discontinued since March 2007 I believe, so unless someone found a new 60GB PS3 within a year at a store, it's out of warranty.
THIS WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY IF THIS PRODUCT (A) IS USED WITH PRODUCTS THAT ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THIS PRODUCT; (B) IS USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES (INCLUDING RENTAL); (C) IS MODIFIED, OR TAMPERED WITH; (D) IS DAMAGED BY ACTS OF GOD, MISUSE, ABUSE, NEGLIGENCE, ACCIDENT, WEAR AND TEAR, UNREASONABLE USE, OR BY OTHER CAUSES UNRELATED TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP; (E) HAS HAD THE SERIAL NUMBER ALTERED, DEFACED OR REMOVED; OR (F) HAS HAD THE WARRANTY SEAL ON THE PS3™ SYSTEM ALTERED, DEFACED, OR REMOVED. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER CONSUMABLES (SUCH AS BATTERIES) OR PRODUCTS SOLD "AS IS" OR WITH ALL FAULTS. THIS WARRANTY SHALL ALSO BE VOIDABLE BY SCEA IF (1) SCEA REASONABLY BELIEVES THAT THE PS3™ SYSTEM HAS BEEN USED IN A MANNER THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF A SEPARATE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR SYSTEM SOFTWARE; OR (2) THE PRODUCT IS USED WITH PRODUCTS NOT SOLD OR LICENSED BY SCEA (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NON-LICENSED GAME ENHANCEMENT DEVICES, CONTROLLERS, ADAPTORS AND POWER SUPPLY DEVICES). YOU ASSUME ALL RISKS AND LIABILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH USE OF THIRD PARTY PRODUCTS. A VALID PROOF OF PURCHASE IN THE FORM OF A BILL OF SALE OR RECEIPT FROM AN AUTHORIZED RETAILER WITH THE DATE OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE MUST BE PRESENTED TO OBTAIN WARRANTY SERVICE.
http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/Warranties/PS3

Also for the future OP, only buy a used console from a non-retailer IF you can test it before you go home. Otherwise, just buy a used console at Game Crazy, GameStop, etc. because if it does not work, you can easily return it (spending the extra money at those stores is worth it, to be safe).

[Access_Denied]

No, I don't know much about the PS3. But, I really didn't think this dude would be that much of a douchebag. (Shows what I know.) But he lives in the town right next to mine, and my uncle is a cop there, so I'll see what I can do.

Even if I don't get a refund, the most I could be out is $150. A lot of money, but considering I just sold a free Vista Ultimate fro $172, it's no big deal. And that guy may have scammed me, but he's going to be pissed when I take his phone number and give it to every 'free' ringtone provider out there. Not to mention handing it out at school. (I've decided to wait a few months on that though. Don't want him to suspect me.)

[kevlar51]

Wow, VERY SIMILAR situation happened to me. I bought a 60gig PS3 off of Craiglist (with 4 sixaxis controllers and NFS Carbon) for $360. I already had a 40gig but wanted the BC.

The system booted up but after about 5 minutes everything froze up and a bunch of colors popped on the screen. Then it wouldn’t boot up at all. The next day I tried turning it on again, and it worked for another 5 minutes then froze with the colors.

Of course I wasn’t able to get ahold of the seller again.

I called Sony support and after the reset test failed they said I’d have to send it in for the $149 repair. I decided to hold off.

Since this appeared to be a heat issue, I opened up the machine and cleaned it up. It looked like someone spilled soda on it at some point, which I cleaned off, along with a ton of dust. I also applied new thermal compound to the processor.

Then it seemed to work, so long as it had plenty of ventilation and was upright (no idea why that was necessary). This lasted for a few weeks until I started getting the same symptoms again. So I decided to pony up the $149 and get it “fixed” (they really just send you another refurbished unit to save time).

On the bright side, I traded in 3 of the controllers and NFS to Gamestop and I got $60 in credit. I also traded in an old PS2 with some old EA sports games plus a coupon and got close to $70 in credit. I got lucky with selling my 40gig PS3 on craigslist—I listed it at $350. Expecting (and getting) plenty of lowballs, I wanted to give myself some negotiating room. But as I was preparing to sell it for $315, someone emailed me and offered the full $350 (that same week the new 80gigs came out too, so I got EXTREMELY lucky).

So despite a thousand headaches and a tremendous tongue-lashing from Mrs. Kevlar51, I think in the end things turned out OK for me; but that was mostly due to luck.

[Oktoberfest]

this is why you should buy hardware new ;)

I would still focus my efforts on getting in contact with the seller rather than trying to spam him... spamming will only lessen your chance of working something out with him, I would imagine

[greyzieoriental]

Yeah, I tried with an HDMI cable, and still, no luck.

BTW- The CSR said that using any HDMI cable not specifically approved by Sony voids the warranty. :roll:

That CSR doesn't know what the fuck they are talking about, over 1/2 of the people that work there don't know what they are talking about. HDMI ports are an industry standard so any HDMI cable will work, if it was a 3rd party component/composite cable or anything that is plugged into a proprietary Sony made ports than it would be considered out of warranty.

What you want to do is call back with and give them a different phone # when asked, maybe a cell/house/friends #, When they search in their system it will be by your phone #. tell them that you think this happened when you did the 2.41 firmware update, but you didn't have time to call in, ask to speak to a supervisor, they have the power to make it under warranty if they are nice (most of them are assholes, so goodluck)

If the picture is not coming on, try it with an HDMI or Composite cable, turn the system off from the back, turn it back on the red light will be there, hold the power down to the "2nd" beep (about 5 secs) and let it go. The light will stay green and the screen should flicker, sometimes it takes a lil time to show up on the TV, If there is no picture than you have another problem.

If you decide to send it in, depending on where it goes will determine if it will be repaired or you will get a refurb. PEC=refurb LRC=repair

[Access_Denied]

this is why you should buy hardware new ;)

I would still focus my efforts on getting in contact with the seller rather than trying to spam him... spamming will only lessen your chance of working something out with him, I would imagine

I've contacted him several times. He told me to fuck off.

And will Sony still fix my console even if I void the warranty? (Peel the sticker?)

[Chuplayer]

I've contacted him several times. He told me to fuck off.

And will Sony still fix my console even if I void the warranty? (Peel the sticker?)

I don't know, but either way, I wouldn't try fixing it yourself. $149 for a fully BC PS3, man. It's not going to get any cheaper than that. You've already been screwed, but just letting Sony handle it is cutting your losses in a big way.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

I don't know how, but I managed to see the screen enough to format the HDD and install the latest update. It works now. So, fuck that dude. He's still getting thousands of phone calls.

EDIT: Fuck, I installed the update, but it rebooted and did the same thing. But everything looked OK during the update. Fuck.

So wait, you didn't test the system, the ad said 'as-is' and you're pissed off at the seller and going to spam them into oblivion? That's just fucked up. It's the responsibility of the BUYER to ask/demand that the seller test the system for a reasonable amount of time before they make the deal.

If you don't, you only have YOURSELF to blame.

That's my take on this anyway, but I'd still be pissed like you, even though I'd know it was my fault for not fully testing the thing before buying.

[Access_Denied]

So wait, you didn't test the system, the ad said 'as-is' and you're pissed off at the seller and going to spam them into oblivion? That's just fucked up. It's the responsibility of the BUYER to ask/demand that the seller test the system for a reasonable amount of time before they make the deal.

If you don't, you only have YOURSELF to blame.

That's my take on this anyway, but I'd still be pissed like you, even though I'd know it was my fault for not fully testing the thing before buying.

I DID ask him to test it. He said that you're still able to play games without a hard drive and the PS3 still works. He said that Geek Squad (??) said that the hard drive was bad. I didn't know enough about the PS3 at the time to know that you couldn't play games without a hard drive. He lied to me, plain and simple. Not my fault.

And, I think it really is either the hard drive, or the firmware. As during the firmware upgrade and after the HDD format, it worked fine, but then went to shit again. Something must be corrupting files that it need, which a bad HDD could very well do.

[greyzieoriental]

as of right now if its out of warranty you can do whatever you want to it, take it apart, peel off the sticker, whatever

but if you still want it to be serviced down the road, make sure you don't physically damage the unit, keep everything intact (if you take it apart make sure you know how to put it back together) and dont spill liquid into/onto the unit.

its $149+taxes, take the loss or sell it to someone else, either way you'll be taking a loss
at least you don't have the blinking red light, you can always buy a HDD swap it out and see if it works, if it does keep the HDD if not return it to the store

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

I DID ask him to test it. He said that you're still able to play games without a hard drive and the PS3 still works. He said that Geek Squad (??) said that the hard drive was bad. I didn't know enough about the PS3 at the time to know that you couldn't play games without a hard drive. He lied to me, plain and simple. Not my fault.

And, I think it really is either the hard drive, or the firmware. As during the firmware upgrade and after the HDD format, it worked fine, but then went to shit again. Something must be corrupting files that it need, which a bad HDD could very well do.

This is why you have to take the time and get informed on what you're trying to buy, since if you don't someone will take advantage of you. It's only a matter of time before it happens.

He took it to Best Buy(which is where Geek Squad is from) and they said the hard drive was bad and you still bought it? You also asked him to test it, he didn't and you STILL bought it?

That's just opening yourself up to be taken advantage of, if you ask me. Either way, you have two choices now:

option 1) sell it at a loss to someone else as a broken system and consider this a lesson learned

option 2) pay Sony the $150 to repair or replace it and again consider this a lesson learned

There are no other options for you, as far as I'm concerned, since you admitted to not demanding he test the system for 20 or so minutes to show you it worked 100%. As far as spamming him goes, doing that just shows that you're a bitter noob who got taken and you are a child for doing so.

[Hybrid5006]

If you paid with paypal or a credit card, you can file a claim and get all your money back!

Paypal - file a claim and escalate it and either try to get a full or partial $150 + tax refund

[Access_Denied]

This is why you have to take the time and get informed on what you're trying to buy, since if you don't someone will take advantage of you. It's only a matter of time before it happens.

He took it to Best Buy(which is where Geek Squad is from) and they said the hard drive was bad and you still bought it? You also asked him to test it, he didn't and you STILL bought it?

That's just opening yourself up to be taken advantage of, if you ask me. Either way, you have two choices now:

option 1) sell it at a loss to someone else as a broken system and consider this a lesson learned

option 2) pay Sony the $150 to repair or replace it and again consider this a lesson learned

There are no other options for you, as far as I'm concerned, since you admitted to not demanding he test the system for 20 or so minutes to show you it worked 100%. As far as spamming him goes, doing that just shows that you're a bitter noob who got taken and you are a child for doing so.

*Sigh* I DID ask him to test it. He said it DOES work, and you CAN play games, it just needs a new hard drive. He's a douchebag and a liar. He fully deserves any spam I send his way.

And no, I paid with cash, so no PayPal claim.

[DarkNessBear]

TO op:

Oh my, I see the problem here. You need a new tv.

[yukine]

Yikes, that's why I avoid buying expensive things off of CL.

You keep saying you asked him to test it and he said it worked? Haha... I would of taken my money and run.

Just pay the service fee, you're not going to get shit if you sell it as broken.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

*Sigh* I DID ask him to test it. He said it DOES work, and you CAN play games, it just needs a new hard drive. He's a douchebag and a liar. He fully deserves any spam I send his way.

And no, I paid with cash, so no PayPal claim.

I mean no offense, but how the fuck can something be 'working' but need a part to make it work 100%? Broke is broke. The fact that you also didn't protect yourself from this kind of thing by paying via Paypal or other charge back capable payment form makes you even more of an idiot than not demanding that they test it.

The spamming them for selling you the pos just shows that you're an immature crybaby.

By the way, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. I only accept cash, non consecutive small denomination bills ONLY and I can't get you the deed to it till the fifth Thursday of next month. That ok?

[kevlar51]

The fact that you also didn't protect yourself from this kind of thing by paying via Paypal or other charge back capable payment form makes you even more of an idiot than not demanding that they test it.
[/quote]

To be fair, this is just how Craigslist works. You meet the person at a neutral location and exchange cash for the product. It's not ebay. You don't make the purchase online. Barring a laptop with a wireless connection, there's no way to transfer money via paypal at the time of exchange and I sure wouldn't want to give some random guy my credit card number and tell him to "only charge $350 to it."

The neutral location also limits your ability to test it. Most legitimate Craigslist users, both buyers and sellers, prefer to meet at a neutral location for everyone's protection. Giving an address to a seller across the country is one thing, but having someone show up at your house to buy something is potentially more dangerous than meeting at a neutral location and forgoing the opportunity to test out the product.

Real lesson learned though is just don’t buy expensive things that you can’t test on Craigslist. Sometimes we have to learn that lesson the hard way (myself definitely included).

[kevlar51]

Here's another crummy Craiglist situation I had with lessons learned, this time I was the seller. It could have turned out much worse than it did. This is cut from an e-mail I sent to a friend about it:

I completed a Nintendo DS craigslist transaction this morning and thought I should share the story with you.
I had it on CL for 3 or 4 days at $125, sealed in box with receipt. No biters, so I drop it to 115 and get four emails; two want it cheaper, two seem fine with the price. I go with the first to email me that was good on the price. The lady is getting this as a gift for her nanny and says her husband is going up to Delaware tomorrow (friday) so he can swing by the mall at 7am. Sure that's fine (I have off today).
He calls me up that morning to let me know he's coming and that he brought a charger to make sure it will work. I let him know its sealed so it's brand new. "Oh... OK."
We meet at a McDonalds and he looks at it quickly and says "no, this has been opened." I assure him it hasn't. "Well then do you mind if I open it up so I can at least make sure it works?" I say "that's fine, but if you're giving it as a gift you should probably leave it sealed." "No no, I need to see if it works."
So we run in the McDonalds and sit down to open it up. Everything's flawless and obviously untouched. I show him the receipt, which shows it cost $130 + tax. "So how much?" "115" "Is that firm?" Ugh. "Yes" "Well if I can get this for $130 brand new in the store, why wouldn't I just do that? I'll give you 105." "This is brand new! You've just opened it!" "Well I need to call my wife." And he walks away to make the call. That's when I realize he has me by the balls. I was selling a brand new sealed unit that is now no longer sealed.

"OK, I talked to her and she was under the impression that this would be sealed in shrinkwrap." "Huh? They don't come sealed in shrinkwrap." "Oh yes they do; anything new does." "I assure you, that if Best Buy were open right now, we could walk in there, find the DS's and you would see that they all have the seal stickers on the side and no shrinkwrap."

"Well, I don't know much about these things. To me buying anything new or used off craigslist is the same as buying used." ???

I sigh. "I'll give it to you for 110" "Haha! It's like we're bargaining now or something! ... OK 110, let's go get the money."
He takes me to the car, gives me 110 and we're done.

Sure I only lost another $5 on the deal, but this was the first time someone has tried to haggle with me after meeting, not over e-mail. Thank God the guy didn't realize the huge advantage he just gained over me. But the real moral of the story is don't sell sealed items on craigslist. If they ask to open it you really can't say no because it seems like you're hiding something, and if you let them open it you have lost most of your options to back out of the deal.

[yukine]

Another $5.00, but what an ass. You should of mentioned the whole tax thing, at least here tax is 8.5%, so that would of been a bit over $10.00 to buy it in the store as well.

[kevlar51]

Another $5.00, but what an ass. You should of mentioned the whole tax thing, at least here tax is 8.5%, so that would of been a bit over $10.00 to buy it in the store as well.

The guy I sent that e-mail to responded with this:
"I would have paid the $5 to not look like a complete douchebag."

[Access_Denied]

Update, the PS3 now works pretty well. I figured out that the fan is dying, so it's not spinning fast enough. However, completely removing the PS3 from the case helped. I set it on two blocks to keep it ventilated. I can now boot up with perfect graphics, and even play a song. However, any chances to multi-task or play a game are far away. Also, after running for a few minutes, it has to cool down before I can boot it up again.

So, it's odd that the PS3 has overheating problems like the 360. But still, you have to give props to Sony, as a working cooling system in the PS3 is 100 times better than a working system in a 360. The heatsink and fan are so damn big, you could cool 3 360s with it.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

Update, the PS3 now works pretty well. I figured out that the fan is dying, so it's not spinning fast enough. However, completely removing the PS3 from the case helped. I set it on two blocks to keep it ventilated. I can now boot up with perfect graphics, and even play a song. However, any chances to multi-task or play a game are far away. Also, after running for a few minutes, it has to cool down before I can boot it up again.

So, it's odd that the PS3 has overheating problems like the 360. But still, you have to give props to Sony, as a working cooling system in the PS3 is 100 times better than a working system in a 360. The heatsink and fan are so damn big, you could cool 3 360s with it.

The fan is HUGE in the PS3, but yet if you actually touch the base of the case after the PS3 has been running for 30 minutes, it's very warm to the touch to say the least. So while it does a pretty good job of pushing out the hot air, it doesn't keep the system truly cool. On a warm day, my PS3 will even get warm on the end by where the hard drive door is and the one spot over the disc slot will even get warm to the touch.

There are also fans in the back of the system, if I remember correctly. However, if I were you I'd find out what size that fan is and buy a replacement from Radio Shack or some other store that might have them and put the PS3 back together to see if just replacing the fan fixes it.

That's the only UPside to sending it in for actual repair from Sony, is that they will give you a 90 day warranty with the repairs and they may not have to take parts on and off to find out the problem. That way, if something ELSE happens to it, it's still under warranty and they'll even pay to ship it to them.

Sorry about being an ass to you saying you got what you deserved and all, but you really should've taken a friend or two with you and met the seller at their place so you could've tested it for 20-30 minutes and then you wouldn't be in this situation now.

[Access_Denied]

The fan is HUGE in the PS3, but yet if you actually touch the base of the case after the PS3 has been running for 30 minutes, it's very warm to the touch to say the least. So while it does a pretty good job of pushing out the hot air, it doesn't keep the system truly cool. On a warm day, my PS3 will even get warm on the end by where the hard drive door is and the one spot over the disc slot will even get warm to the touch.

There are also fans in the back of the system, if I remember correctly. However, if I were you I'd find out what size that fan is and buy a replacement from Radio Shack or some other store that might have them and put the PS3 back together to see if just replacing the fan fixes it.

That's the only UPside to sending it in for actual repair from Sony, is that they will give you a 90 day warranty with the repairs and they may not have to take parts on and off to find out the problem. That way, if something ELSE happens to it, it's still under warranty and they'll even pay to ship it to them.

Sorry about being an ass to you saying you got what you deserved and all, but you really should've taken a friend or two with you and met the seller at their place so you could've tested it for 20-30 minutes and then you wouldn't be in this situation now.

Well, I'm going to performs some 'tests' to see if I can pinpoint the problem. It probably is the fan. Hopefully ProtonX will have some extras. (CAGs very own system repair man.) If not, I seen them for like $30 on eBay.

Also, yes, I should have tested it. I guess it's my fault for being too trusting. Live and learn. I won't do something this stupid again.

[IAmTheCheapestGamer]

If it were a PS2 you were having issues with, I would probably be able to help you out alot, since I've taken apart alot of those and at least 3-4 Xbox systems.

[tmac619619]

Hey access_denied sir i have the same exact problem as you!!! Maybe you can help me out? It's the same problem, then fan. Please tell me what you did to fix the fans.

[Access_Denied]

I updated the first post with a mini-tutorial. We have two success stories so far. You could be number 3.

[jcoelho]

Hey guys,

I have exactly the same problem with my PS3. I tried replacing the thermal paste but the problem is still there...do i need to replace the fan?

I apreciate your help.

[Thomas96]

He got it for $350. IMO, I would have preferred to buy a new one without PS2 BC (heck, I kind of wish I had a PS3 without PS2 BC since I never use it, but waiting until I get a good job to by a new one). Also, if he got one from GameStop, it would have been $429.99 before tax, and there would have been a better guarantee it would work (or could at least return it). That's why I see this as an issue in ways.

Did the guy say in his description it plays fine? If he did, then he lied. If he didn't say anything, he's not the complete blame (because you always want to make sure of that).


350 plus 150... 500 hundred.. seems to me that the craiglist guy sold it at that price to minus off the cost of fixing. He really wanted to see it at 500, but probably felt he was doing the buyer a favor by dropping off the 150. OP you didn't test the system before you BOUGHT it?1