Hey guys, I have a PS3 Slim CECH-2004B that over the course of I'd say 2 months started showing the usual symptoms, sudden shutoffs after the console was on for a bit, that I thought were overheating at first, then I thought I'd found a way to mitigate them by first playing a less demanding game for a bit to "warm up" the console then jumped on a more demanding game and it worked for a while then eventually it started happening more and more, the "warm up" wasn't working and eventually I got into the red blinking light state every time I tried powering on the PS3, after about 5 seconds.
This was all in 2019 I believe. After the immediate shutoffs started happening I left the console alone for a long time thinking that it was dead. When RIPFelix posted his YLOD history video in September 2022, it got to my recommended pretty early on (it had something like 4k views) and I was obsessed for a while with the issue, especially the bumpgate issue cut off which made me almost certain that my 65nm RSX kicked the can because the manfacturing dates lined up.
After this, I went back to the attic and tried turning the PS3 on. Sure enough, the same symptoms ocurred but I kept trying. I sat it on its side, I held it upside down, and then eventually sat it on its topside, in a frustrated attempt to get a boot. To my absolute shock it actually booted into the XMB and I left it alone for like 10 minutes to see if it would stick. Came back, it was still on. I used webman to check temps and a bunch of other stuff and it seemed like the console was on fine. I didn't play any games and I was sure that as soon as I turned it off it wouldn't turn back on again, and that's exactly what happened. Defeated, I put it back in the attic and it remained there for a few more months.
So when I found out about the SYSCON method, I got into soldering. Fixed some other stuff, like cables and controllers first and then opened my PS3 up for the second time ever. I soldered the RX and TX leads and sure enough I got my SYSCON codes:
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22000.1696]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
So it seems to be A0801002, which, from what I can tell from my short reading of this thread, is usually the fault of the tokins. I knew that replacing the tokins had a chance of bringing it back to life but I never bothered to actually try it because I thought I should take more precautions and actually ask in here first before doing it. So here I am. Is it worth it? Slim PS3s where I live sell for around 50€ and I wouldn't mind buying one but I would really like to give it a shot and try to repair it, it's not about the money, it's about the pride of (maybe) being able to fix it, even if it's only for a short while.
I found post #3546 in page 178 from @Pacorretaco in which he soldered what I think is a tantalum capacitor? to the tokins and didn't replace any of the original ones and got a CECH-20XX to work again, so if that's something that I could maybe do then that seems like the least destructive way to attempt to fix this console. Thanks in advance and thank you Felix for all the investigation and help you've given to people regarding these issues, the world needs more people like you.
Tokins are the most likely diagnosis. I have since confirmed the 65nm RSX is not affected by bumpgate. At least not the bad underfill. And if there is a lacking polyamide stress layer, it doesn't appear to cause premature failure. So you'll be fine.
I reccomend tantalizers for beginners. Since you want to fix it for the sake of fixing it, not becauae it's econimically viable to do so (it'll cost roughly the same to fix as it does to replace), then I'd say have at it!
PS: for the information effort the power on useage would be great to have. becount is the command but it doesnt work on sherwood syscon. So you'll have to check bgtoolset's errorcode under system management tab (same tab as if you were going to jailbreak). Or use ps3advancedtools I linked in my syscon tutorial.
I'm curious how long it lasted before toking out. Also, THX for the backstory. That context is useful and rarely provided.
Thanks for the reply, I'll check out the tantalizer.
The local used market is a graveyard of for parts CECH-2004Bs, this makes more sense now, I assume all with the same fault as mine.
Is this finding about the 65nm RSX not being affected by bumpgate documented anywhere? I'd like to find out more about that. That's definitely a relief, I guess?
And about the post I mentioned from Pacorretaco, do you know anything about that?
Yes, adding parasite caps like that does mask the symptoms, but doesn't repair the cause. You need to remove the failed tokins and attenuate the ripply/noise. 1-5% of VDDC is around 10-50mVpp. Addind a parasite doesn't do enough IMO.
I was going to order to PCBway the PS3 Tantalizer v0.6b. After uploading the gerber zip file (downloaded from OSH Park site) and submitted the request for production I got this reply via email:
"For PCB order PS3 Tantalizer v0.6b,"edgelating" not selected for this order,do you want edge of boards plated or not?"
Guessing that the "edgelating" is required for proper soldering the Tantalizer to the motherboard (both positive and negative pads) I have confirmed it via email. Then they asked to select in their web PCB Specification Selection page, the "Edge Plating" option in the Advanced options which resulted in charging additional costs.
I'm not expert of gerber files so my doubt is if PCBway's request to add that option is correct or not. For the moment I have not submitted the order.
Thaks for helping.
P.S. PS3 Tantalizer is really fantastic and should make very easy to replace the tokins
It's what they have to do to sleep at night. They are slots. The slots are not edge plating. They call it that cuz they don't like that I'm asking them to route through them so that it separates the tantalizers. Originally I wanted v-scoring and you'd snap them off. But they don't support v cuts anywhere except at the edges
Finally I decided to order at OSH Park. After a few emails exchanged with them it was clear to me that they already know how to manage the tantalizer PCB production. More or less the price, including the shippment, is the same.
Even if I have a have good soldering experience, both with soldering iron and hot air/smd, I'm sure it will be much easier to replace the tokins.
the problem with memory there is something wrong sem 001 ic 6302
L6303 there is something wrong with the traces it is i removed the cpu i found out that itis ported with the ram
since the console uses rsx ram and you donot have to fix this trace to power it on you have to change nec caps
if someone fixed it let me know
Felix, can i use X7R capacitors instead of the X5R?
And can i use caps with higher voltage rating? It's just the voltage that they can be exposed to so i don't think it matters if i choose >10V caps
hi everyone. have a fat cok-002 with ylod. turns on and off immidately. changed one of the cpu and one of the gpu nec tokins. after that first time boots up into xmb and work 3-4 mins, then turns off with ylod. and now lags then freezes on boot wave screen, freezes about 4-5 seconds and gets ylod, tried change 2nd nec of rsx but nothing changed
hi everyone. have a fat cok-002 with ylod. turns on and off immidately. changed one of the cpu and one of the gpu nec tokins. after that first time boots up into xmb and work 3-4 mins, then turns off with ylod. and now lags then freezes on boot wave screen, freezes about 4-5 seconds and gets ylod, tried change 2nd nec of rsx but nothing changed
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