Mi Problema
Yellow Light of Death on my first generation, backwards compatible, 20-or something gig PS3. Didn't have the money to ship it off to be repaired. Couldn't find an affordable, "new" backwards compatible one. Newly purchased (for a discounted price) Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 trapped inside. Decided that for 40 bucks I could risk trying to fix it myself. If I messed up, I'd just tear the game out and buy a new PS3.
Mi Solución
It took SOOOOO long, but only because I am very perfectionist. I have the old system so there was an extra screw near the AC inlet that you need to remove before taking off the lower casing (Step 15) and there weren't any wifi wires/plugs. Also, because it is old and I actually bought it off a friend of mine, it was caked in dust. There were many varieties and flavors of dust from the furry dust to the dust that's so old it was basically dirt. So a lot of time was spent cleaning the motherboard and then the parts as I reassembled them. The hardest part was finding a level surface to remelt the solder on. I got a shoe box and then had to put a book and some cardboard pieces underneath it because my table wasn't even. Also, the ceramic paste dispenser that comes in the kit kept getting clogged up so I just pulled the stopper out and used a de-cottoned q-tip to scoop the paste out. It was very messy and frustrating and got everywhere, but it turned out lovely. I would have taken pics but the process is very all consuming. Quite frankly, I'm surprised the process worked. You can't actually see the solder remelting so there's really no way to know if you've made a difference (though I'm sure cleaning, dusting, and fresh ceramic paste didn't hurt). But now I just keep expecting the PS3 to go out at any moment.
Oh, and don't attempt this repair near a functioning smoke alarm. The instructions say the heat gun gives off a little smoke when you first start it up. It does a little, but it was enough to set off my alarm. I took the battery out temporarily which was good because as soon as I turned the heat gun off, it started billowing smoke. I guess this is normal, but still...
Mi Consejo
I would definitely suggest this repair for anyone not under PS warranty, or even if you are. I have heard a lot that if your system craps out with a game in it and you send it to Sony, you won't get the game back. So, even though this repair voids the warranty, I say go for it. It's really not that hard if you keep track of all the pieces. You're probably going to treat it better than any third-party would. And the price is so reasonable. Plus, you can keep the kit and start your own PS3 YLOD repair business. (Oh, and for super dusty consoles, I HIGHLY recommend those Swiffer Duster things. They are freaking amazing. They pick up everything, and leave no foreign debris behind).
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