The Yellow LED/Light of Death (or YLOD) on the PlayStation 3 indicated a hardware failure. It’s similar to the Red Ring of Death (RROD) on the Xbox 360 but less common, according to Sony. It’s frustrating if you have ever experienced this problem before, as you cannot start up your PS3 or even eject the disc. The YLOD can mean one of several things: faulty power supply, disconnected CPU/GPU, fan/cooling failure, or excess dust/dirt.
YLOD:
The YLOD is actually easy to fix in most cases, and most problems involving the YLOD are CPU/GPU related. I encountered the YLOD over the weekend and managed to fix it within a few hours thanks to a tutorial on YouTube (included below). If your console is still under warranty, you should send it to Sony to get it repaired for free. Otherwise, doing it yourself is the best option (or Sony will charge you $150 + tax).
Your warranty is void if you follow the instructions in the video below as you need to open the console up. You also need at least two hours to properly fix the issue, which includes complete disassemble (and assembly of the PS3) and reflowing the solder. If you prefer text based instructions, you can download a detailed PDF guide here.
What you need is:
- Philips screwdrivers (#1 x4 and #00 x2-1/2)
- Torx (T-10) screwdriver or similar flathead
- Heat gun capable of 500ºc
- 2 hours of free time
Video Tutorial (Part 1):
Video Tutorial (Part 2):