3 Red Lights On Your XBox 360 - Don't Try The Towel Fix

As you are reading this article then there is a good chance that you have come across the red ring of death on your XBox 360, which is indicated by 3 red lights displaying on your gaming machine XBox's ring of light.

There is a also a good possibility that you have searched the internet for ways to fix this error and come across a method of repairing your XBox 360 called the towel fix or towel trick.
This seems like a quick and easy way of getting your XBox 360 back up and running, but you need to be aware of the drawbacks of using this method.

* What is the towel fix?

Basically the towel fix involves wrapping a towel around your XBox 360. In short the fix goes as follows:

1. Wrap a towel around your Xbox 360.
2. Switch your XBox 360 on for around 10-15 minutes.
3. Turn off your XBox; remove the towel and leave to cool down.
4. Switch your XBox back on.

If this doesn't resolve your problem then try again.

* Why is the towel fix supposed to work?

The 3 red lights on your XBox 30 error is caused by overheating which makes the solder connections inside your machine to loosen and crack. Supposedly the towel fix raises the temperature inside your XBox to such a degree that the solder softens and causes the connections to re-join.

* Why shouldn't I try the towel fix?
Because it is only a temporary fix. Those who have tried the towel fix and got it to work have also reported that their XBox 360 was repaired for only a short while. In some cases it has a caused their XBox to work for a few weeks, but in most cases it has only worked for a day or two.

Also, the 3 red lights on your xBox 360 is an overheating error, think about it, how can wrapping a towel around your XBox 360, consequently covering all vents and causing your XBox to overheat even more be a permanent fix.

There is a potential for bringing the temperature inside your XBox to such a high degree that it can start a fire which could transfer to the towel and possibly your home.

* So what can I do?

1. Get in touch with Microsoft support and send it away for repair. The main drawback with this option is that it could cost you around $150 if your XBox is no longer covered by its warranty and it could take between 1 and 2 months to be repaired and returned to you.

2. Buy a new XBox 360. Some people with this error (especially if it is out of warranty) have simply decided to purchase a brand new to enable them to get back to gaming as quickly as possible. In some cases they have sold their faulty XBox 360 on eBay in order to cover some of the cost of their new purchase. Many people who know how to fix the red ring of death buy faulty XBox 360's in order to fix and resell them. Of course there is a potential for your XBox to either not sell or only sell for a few dollars.

3. Your third choice is to fix the XBox 360 red ring of death yourself. This is not as hard as you may think, there are many guides to fixing the Xbox 360 red ring of death which you can get for much less than the price of a new XBox 360 or the cost of sending it back for repair to Microsoft.

These Xbox 360 repair guides give you full instructions, many with instructional videos, to enable you to fix the 3 red lights on your XBox 360 error yourself, with tools you probably already have in your home, in around 1 - 2 hours.

Check out this site for a review on fixing your XBox 360 red ring of death guides

At the end of the day it's up to you if you want to take a chance and try the towel fix, but you do so at your own risk. Just be sure you have taken into account all the points and options raised in this article and make sure you do not leave your Xbox 360 unattended.

3 Red Lights On XBox 360 - How I Fixed The Red Ring Of Death

So there I was, happily playing away on my XBox 360 when all of a sudden my fun was interrupted. My XBox 360 stopped working and 3 flashing red lights appeared on the front of the console.

Now I had heard of the red ring of death from a few forums but was under the impression that this had been fixed and was no longer a problem in the most recent release of the XBox 360, either I had got it wrong or maybe my XBox had been sitting in the stock room of the store I bought it from for a while and I was unlucky enough to get one of the older machines.

I tried my usual routine of unplugging and reconnecting cables and pressing random buttons. I even left it overnight in hopes that it would somehow come back to life, all to no avail.

In the end, I gave in and called Microsoft support. After a 30 minute wait I got through to an operator and found out that I would have to send my XBox back to Microsoft They also told me it would take between 30 and 60 days for shipping and repair depending upon the repair companies workload and would cost me around $150. On top of that they couldn't guarantee that my XBox would be repairable. They even suggested that I might want to just consider buying a new one.

I was sure there had to be a quicker and easier way to fix my XBox 360 so I Started searching the internet. After a little while I came across a few guides that promised me my XBox 360 was repairable and even better, I could do it myself, in my own home and it would only take an hour or two.

So I started investing in these guides, actually bought quite a few of them knowing that I could claim a refund if they were not up to par. Some of them where poorly written with out of focus photographs and others where so complicated that you would need a degree to understand them. After ploughing through a lot of junk, I was luck enough to come across a few guides to fixing your XBox 360 that delivered what they promised, they came with easy to follow instructions and clear pictures as well as instructional videos so I could follow the process exactly before attempting it on my XBox.

I am happy to report that the 3 red lights are not showing on my XBox 360 any more and I am once again a happy gamer.

Stuart Archer invites you to check out 3 Red Lights On Xbox 360 where he provides a free review to the best guides he has found on how to Fix the 3 Red Lights On Your XBox 360 error.

3 Red Lights On XBox 360

So what do you do if your XBox 360 has the dreaded red ring of death.

Well, you have one of three options.

1. Contact Microsoft support and pay around $150 to get it fixed. Also you will have to wait between 1 and 2 months for repair and delivery.

2. Give in and buy yourself a new XBox 360.

3. Fix the 3 red lights on your XBox 360 error yourself, in your own home in around 2 hours.

Before you waste time and money going the Microsoft route, you may want to check out this site: 3 Red Lights On XBox 360