Flying Blind

Mi Problema

The time between turning on the PS3 and having it shutdown without warning grew shorter and shorter until it wouldn't power on at all.

And then I saw the lights flash yellow.

Mi Solución

The repair was pretty staightforward, except for all of the parts where the pictures and video didn't match my machine.

I've never really done anything like this before -- I "built" a computer once but this seemed like a much higher stakes game.

I was generally nervous throughout, but I figured as long as I kept track of what screws went where and didn't hit the motherboard too hard I could at least get everything put back together.

Mi Consejo

Like I said, my model didn't match up (see photos).

Actually, there were several pieces I was instructed to remove that I didn't have. Conversely there were several pieces I had to remove that weren't addressed in the instructions.

As I saw it, the goal was to get the motherboard safely freed from all other components so that it could be heated safely, without damage.

To that end, when I encountered a step that differed from the guide, I made sure I labeled all of the screws I took out and made a mental note of roughly where the removal occurred in the context of the larger process.

I kept a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie nearby and I labeled the hell out of everything. If a hole took a longer or shorter screw than all the other ones, I gave it a little label so I could reassemble things.

I also used the masking tape to label the assorted containers I used to keep the screws together.

So when I took out a piece that may or may not have been the control board, I carefully disconnected any cables or plugs, unscrewed it, and set it aside with a container of screws marked "control board?".

That is the general process. Carefully unplug things, carefully unscrew stuff and then pull it out. There's only a few areas that have plastic tabs instead of screws so watch out for those.

And take your time preheating the board *and* reflowing the solder. That's the crux of the entire repair operation and there's no sense in rushing it after having been hunched over a table for two hours.