Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Fix a red ringed (RROD) Xbox 360.

Written By: Andrew Bookholt

INTRODUCTION
[video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZayE6SDudXk]

Use this guide to install iFixit's Red Ring of Death Fix Kit.

Reflowing the motherboard after completing Step 49 of this guide (before you install the
RROD fix kit) both provides a higher chance of success in fixing red ring failures and also
safeguards against future failures.

TOOLS: PARTS:
Arctic Silver ArctiClean (1) Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit (1)
or high purity rubbing alcohol

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 1 — Hard Drive

 Grasp the hard drive assembly and press the release button while lifting its front edge.

 Remove the hard drive assembly from the top vent.

Step 2 — Bottom Vent

 Stand the console vertically with

the bottom edge facing up.

 Throughout the following opening

procedure, the finger of an Xbox
360 opening tool can be used in
place of a spudger.
 Insert the flat end of a spudger or
the edge of an Xbox 360 opening
tool into the small gap at the front
edge of the bottom vent.

 Pry the front edge of the bottom

vent away from the faceplate.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 3

 In the next few steps, you will use the tip of a spudger or the finger of an Xbox 360 opening
tool to release the clips along the left and right sides of the bottom vent. Their locations are
highlighted in red.

 You will insert the tool into the holes molded into the white plastic side case pieces.

Step 4

 To release the clips, work from the front edge of the bottom vent.

 While slightly lifting the front edge of the bottom vent, use the tip of a spudger to push the
clips closest to the front of the bottom vent towards the inside of the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 5

 Repeat the same process to release the two center clips on the bottom vent.

Step 6

 Use the tip of your spudger to release the clips on the bottom vent nearest the back of the
Xbox.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 7

 Remove the bottom vent from the

360.

Step 8 — Faceplate

 Insert the edge of a spudger between the faceplate and the outer casing near the power
button.

 Run your spudger along the edge of the faceplate to release the clips securing it to the
front of the console.

 You may also accomplish this task by using the edge of the Xbox 360 opening tool, but it
may scratch the plastic case.

 Alternatively, you can use your hands to carefully pull the faceplate away from the Xbox.
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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 9

 Repeat the same motions as

previously mentioned to release the
left side of the faceplate.

Step 10

 Remove the faceplate from the

front face of the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 11 — Top Vent

 Stand the console vertically with the top edge facing up.
 The top vent is secured to the console via clips. The first two clips are located underneath
the top vent closest to the faceplate, as shown in the pictures.

Step 12

 Insert the flat end of a spudger into the small gaps previously mentioned to release the
clips.

 You may also use the long finger of an Xbox 360 opening tool to accomplish this task.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 13

 In the next few steps, you will use the tip of a spudger or the finger of an Xbox 360 opening
tool to release the clips along the left and right sides of the top vent. Their locations are
highlighted in red.

Step 14

 To release the clips, work from the middle of the top vent.

 While slightly lifting the front edge of the top vent, use the tip of a spudger to push the clips
closest to the center of the top vent towards the inside of the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 15

 Use the tip of your spudger to

release the clip on the top vent
nearest the back of the Xbox's
upper case.

Step 16

 The last clip is hidden underneath the rubber foot nearest the back of the console.
 Use the tip of your spudger to release the clip on the top vent nearest the back of the
Xbox.

 Remove the top vent from the 360.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 17 — Lower Case

 To continue, you must peel the

warranty sticker off the console. Be
aware that this will void your
console's warranty agreement with
Microsoft. Proceed at your own
risk.

 Carefully peel the warranty sticker

off the console.

Step 18

 The upper and lower cases are attached via several latches, located in the front and back
of the console. These latches must be disengaged to separate the upper case from the
console.

 Use the flat end of a spudger to release the following latches:

 Above the front-facing USB ports.

 Beneath the front-facing USB ports.

 Above the Memory Unit slots.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 19

 Insert the flat end of a spudger and

pry upwards to release the last
remaining latch located above the
eject button.

Step 20

 Slightly lift the front portion of the

lower case to ensure that the
latches in the front have been
completely released.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 21

 The upper and lower cases are held together by seven release latches located on the back
of the console. Their locations are highlighted in red.

Step 22

 Press the Xbox 360 opening tool down into the clips securing the lower case to the upper
case near the I/O ports.

 While pressing down on the tool, push the lower and upper cases apart to separate the
retaining clips.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 23

 While pushing the upper and lower cases apart, use the tip of a spudger or the finger of an
Xbox 360 opening tool to push the long clip highlighted in red toward the center of the 360.

 The clip should release, leaving the clips near the power connector as the only thing
holding the upper and lower cases together.

Step 24

 Press the Xbox 360 opening tool

down into the two remaining clips
near the power connector.

 Push the upper and lower cases

apart to fully release the retaining
clips.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 25

 Orient the console so that the front

portion is facing downwards.
 Grasp the back portion of the lower
case and lift it upwards to separate
it from the console.

 Be careful not to excessively bend

the lower case near the power plug,
as it can crack easily.

Step 26 — Eject Button

 Use the tip of a spudger to release the clip securing the eject button to the metal casing.

 Insert the flat end of a spudger between the eject button and the optical drive.
 Pry the eject button off its retaining posts and remove it from the 360.

 This can also be accomplished using an Xbox 360 opening tool.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 27 — Upper Case

 Remove the six silver 64 mm T10

Torx screws securing the upper
case to the metal casing.

Step 28

 Orient the console so that the

upper case is facing upwards.
 Lift the upper case straight up and
remove it from the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 29 — Optical Drive

 Peel the silver tape securing the

optical drive to the metal casing.

Step 30

 Slightly lift the optical drive

upwards to gain clearance to
disconnect the SATA and power
connectors located on the backside
of the optical drive.

 Don't try to completely remove the

optical drive just yet. Two cables
still connect it to the motherboard.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 31

 Grab the power connector by its cables and pull it straight out of its socket on the optical
drive.
 Disconnect the SATA data connector from its socket on the optical drive by pulling it
straight away.

Step 32

 Lift the optical drive assembly out

of the metal casing.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 33 — Cooling Fan Duct

 Insert the flat end of a spudger into the small rectangular opening on the top of the cooling
fan duct.
 Carefully release the fan duct retaining clip and remove the fan duct from the Xbox.

 The clip can alternatively be released using the metal finger of an Xbox 360 opening tool.

Step 34 — Dual Fans

 While lifting the metal chassis strip above the dual fans, pull the fans toward the center of
the motherboard.

 Do not completely remove the dual fan assembly yet. Its cable is still attached to the
motherboard.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 35

 Lift the dual fan connector straight

up from its socket on the
motherboard.

 Some fan connectors have a

locking tab. If yours has a locking
tab, be sure to depress it while
disconnecting the fan from the
motherboard.

 Remove the dual fan assembly

from the console.

Step 36 — Motherboard

 Use the flat end of a spudger to release the clips securing the RF module shield along the
top and the left edge of the RF module.

 It may be easier to use your fingernail to release the clips from the RF module.
 Remove the RF module shield from the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 37

 Remove three 5.6 mm T8 Torx

screws securing the RF module to
the metal chassis.

Step 38

 Grasp the RF module and lift it straight up to disconnect it from its socket on the
motherboard.

 Remove the RF module from the console.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 39

 Remove the following screws

securing the motherboard to the
metal casing:

 Nine gold 11 mm T10 Torx

screws.
 Eight black 5.6 mm T8 Torx
screws.

 If you are reassembling your Xbox

360 after installing the Red Ring of
Death Fix Kit, the eight T8 Torx
screws circled in orange are not
reused.

Step 40

 Turn the Xbox over, being careful not to let the motherboard fall out of the chassis.
 Lift the motherboard assembly from its front edge.

 Be careful not to damage the sockets as you rotate the motherboard away from the metal
casing.

 Remove the motherboard assembly from the metal casing.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 41 — GPU Heat Sink

 Insert the tip of a small flathead

screwdriver between the X clamp
and its retaining post on the heat
sink.

 Pry the X clamp away from its

retaining post until it is lifted above
the small groove cut into the
retaining post.

Step 42

 Insert your screwdriver parallel to the motherboard between the X clamp and its retaining
post.
 Twist the screwdriver to fully release the X clamp from its retaining post.

 Repeat this process for all four corners of the X clamp.

 When removing the last corner of the X clamp and holding the motherboard upside down,
be sure to catch the GPU heat sink to avoid damage from it falling.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 43

 To reinstall the X clamp, first start

by attaching two corners to the
posts on the heat sink.

 While holding the third arm of the X

clamp down against the post
attached to the heat sink, use a
small flathead screwdriver to pry
the X clamp away from the heat
sink post.

 As you pry, press down on the arm

of the X clamp until you "walk" it
down into the retaining groove cut
into the post attached to the heat
sink.

 Repeat this process for the fourth

arm of the X clamp.

Step 44

 Remove the GPU heat sink.

 Before reinstalling the GPU heat

sink, be sure to apply a new layer
of thermal paste.

 If you need to mount the heat sink

back onto the motherboard, we
have a thermal paste guide that
makes replacing the thermal
compound easy.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 45 — CPU Heat Sink

 Insert the tip of a small flathead screwdriver between the X clamp and its retaining post on
the heat sink.

 Pry the X clamp away from its retaining post until it is lifted above the small groove cut
into the retaining post.

 If necessary, insert your screwdriver parallel to the motherboard between the X clamp and
its retaining post. Twist the screwdriver to fully release the X clamp from its retaining post.

 Repeat this process for all four corners of the X clamp.

 When removing the last corner of the X clamp and holding the motherboard upside down,
be sure to catch the CPU heat sink to avoid damage from it falling.
 Remove the CPU heat sink from the motherboard.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 46 — Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

 The X-clamps are not reused when installing the red ring of death fix kit.
 Now that the heat sinks are off both processors, use a plastic spudger to remove all of the
old thermal paste residue from the faces of both processors and the inner faces of the heat
sinks.

 Work slowly as you remove the old residue, as many sensitive components are soldered
near the processors. If damaged, you may need a whole new motherboard

 It is best to use a solvent such as ArctiClean to dissolve the old thermal paste and remove
all residue before applying new paste. Alternatively, you can use a mild solvent such as a
high purity rubbing alcohol.

 You can also use many classic dry-deoxidating sprays: spray it on the paste then rub it;
you will remove the paste almost effortlessly and with no residues.

 Now is also a good time to clean any dust out from between the fins of both heat sinks.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 47

 After cleaning, the mating faces of the heat sinks and the processors should look as
shown.

 Before proceeding any further, now is the perfect time to reflow the solder on the
motherboard. Reflowing provides a higher chance of success in fixing red ring failures and
is not hard to accomplish. All that is required is a heat gun. We have a guide that makes it
easy.

Step 48

 Flip the motherboard over.

 If your motherboard does not have

RAM chips on its underside like the
board pictured, skip this step.
 Peel off the four silicone thermal
pads stuck to the RAM chips on
the bottom of the board.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 49

 Use the 1/4" drive end of the

included 6-in-1 screwdriver with no
bit inserted to remove the four X-
clamp posts from both the CPU
and GPU heat sinks.

Step 50

 Apply a thin layer of thermal paste

to the areas highlighted in red.

 If you have never applied thermal

paste, we have a guide that makes
it easy.
 After applying thermal paste to the
processors, it is time to reattach
the heat sinks one at a time. In our
case, we attached the CPU heat
sink first.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 51

 This step is performed with the motherboard out of the chassis.

 Insert a machine screw through each of the four holes around the CPU heat sink, with their
heads on the back side of the board.

 While holding the head of the screw, place a nylon washer then a metal washer over the
threads.

 The order of the washers is important. Do not put the metal washer on first.
 When attaching the CPU heat sink, be sure the fins are aligned with the air flow from the
fans (as seen in the third picture). Having the flat side of the fins perpendicular to the air
flow will cause your Xbox 360 to overheat.
 Using the large flathead screwdriver bit, tighten the screws into the CPU heat sink. First
lightly tighten the four screws in an X-shaped pattern as seen in the second picture, then
follow the same X-shaped sequence to really torque the screws down.

 Don't be afraid of over-tightening the screws - the pressure between the heat sinks and
processors caused by sufficiently torqued screws is needed to squeeze the processors
back against the board.

 Repeat the same process to attach your GPU heat sink.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 52

 Use the edge of your small flathead screwdriver or another thin and sharp object to
carefully pull up a corner of the blue or white plastic sheet covering the adhesive on the
bottom of both heat sinks.

 Be careful not to wrinkle or peel up the adhesive in the process.

 Peel the protective sheets off the adhesive on both heat sinks.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 53

 Lightly clean the surface of the two chips highlighted in red on the first picture.

 Be sure to position the heat sinks correctly before you stick them down, as the adhesive is
extremely strong and sensitive to being repositioned.
 Stick the two heat sinks down against the top of the two chips highlighted in red on the first
picture, being sure the fins are aligned as seen in the second picture.

 When reinstalling the optical drive, be sure both the power and SATA cables do not
interfere with the heat sink attached closest to their sockets on the motherboard.

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Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death Fix Kit

Step 54

 If your motherboard lacks RAM chips on its bottom face, it is not necessary to apply
thermal pads.
 Remove the clear and colored plastic backing material from all four thermal pads.

Step 55

 Stick the thermal pads down against the RAM chips on the bottom of the board.

 The thermal pads included in your kit might be slightly different colors than those
pictured.
 Reinstall the motherboard back into the chassis and reassemble your Xbox 360.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions from Step 42 in reverse order.

This document was last generated on 2015-05-01 05:20:44 PM.

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