PS3 owners

[NoWayOut]

Have any of you ever had issues with your PS3 shutting itself off or conversely turning itself on all by itself? Over the last couple of weeks it's started in with these random shutdowns. A movie or game will be running along perfectly and in a split second I have a blank screen. I look over and sure enough it's powered off.

Last night was the first time it did the power on all by itself. I wasn't even in the room when it happened. I was just outside the door and heard the unmistakable beep. I came in shut it off and no sooner got back to the door when it did it again. I shut off and this time it only waited 2 or 3 seconds and turned itself back on again.

At that point I just unplugged it as I was in no mood for the trick candle/PS3 gag. I plugged it back in a bit ago, and it started in again. Here's what I've done so far and my thinking behind it....

-Tried unplugging it from the surge protector and plugging it into the UPS that my computer is on. Thought maybe there were issues with that surge protector, even though the other items on it were fine.

-Plugging into the UPS didn't change anything. I figured maybe there was an issue with the controller that had been plugged into the console throughout all this. I plugged the controller and removed it from the room, to the other end of the house even, to make sure I broke the connection between the two.

-I rebooted the PS3 and connected the backup controller, but still the problem remains. Random system power offs and power ons.

Anybody else ever run into anything like this? I'm beginning to wonder if the console itself is starting to give up the ghost. Hopefully there's another explanation.

[gainerama]

It could be yellow light of death. If your PS3 is off and you try to power on, a yellow light will blink for a second before it goes red and then shuts off. If that happens, your PS3 is at end of its life as the soldering is cracked from temperature changes and no longer connecting the motherboard anymore. This can be temporarily fixed with the hairblower trick or you can take it to PS3 fixer to reheat the solder back together. If the PS3 can still power on at lengths and it doesn't blink yellow before shut down, then it may be too much dust in the machine and its interrupting the motherboard.

[dongjohnson]

Do you have an old, fatty PS3? I had some issues with one a long time ago but have never dealt with any issues on my 3 year old slim.

[ericdaoust]

There is also possibility of interference from something else. I'll give my personal example.

I installed a driver in my laptop so that I can plug my PS3 controller in the PC for NES/SNES/Genesis emulators. I use my laptop in my rec room, about 10 feet from the location of my PS3. The controller is wireless so when I use it on the PC it will sometimes turn on my PS3.

All that to say... check for outside sources that could be causing this.

[Dakkster]

Two words for you, dude: Paranormal Activity.

[NoWayOut]

Originally Posted by gainerama

It could be yellow light of death. If your PS3 is off and you try to power on, a yellow light will blink for a second before it goes red and then shuts off. If that happens, your PS3 is at end of its life as the soldering is cracked from temperature changes and no longer connecting the motherboard anymore. This can be temporarily fixed with the hairblower trick or you can take it to PS3 fixer to reheat the solder back together. If the PS3 can still power on at lengths and it doesn't blink yellow before shut down, then it may be too much dust in the machine and its interrupting the motherboard.

Thanks gainerama. The shutoffs aren't happening right after powering up the console, they happen well after that. Could be anywhere from a half-hour to five or six hours after. It's extremely random and there's no discernable pattern either. On the plus side I haven't noticed anything with the yellow light, then again I'm not looking at the console right before it happens.


On the other, I do try and wipe down the outside of the machine at least twice a week to prevent dust buildup, and also give it a quick blow out with one of those compressed air in a can deals every three or four weeks. I don't get it right down on it, I try to keep the end of the nozzle a few inches back so that the console doesn't take the full force of the blast, just so it gets enough to clean it out. Maybe that just hasn't been enough to get it good and clean.

[ericdaoust]

Originally Posted by NoWayOut

Thanks gainerama. The shutoffs aren't happening right after powering up the console, they happen well after that. Could be anywhere from a half-hour to five or six hours after. It's extremely random and there's no discernable pattern either. On the plus side I haven't noticed anything with the yellow light, then again I'm not looking at the console right before it happens.


On the other, I do try and wipe down the outside of the machine at least twice a week to prevent dust buildup, and also give it a quick blow out with one of those compressed air in a can deals every three or four weeks. I don't get it right down on it, I try to keep the end of the nozzle a few inches back so that the console doesn't take the full force of the blast, just so it gets enough to clean it out. Maybe that just hasn't been enough to get it good and clean.

I had a laptop that used to shut off after random intervals, but it was always when I had it on a table in class at school (ie overheating). Sometimes it was in the first 15 minutes of class, and sometimes it lasted all day. The new devices all have temperature thresholds before they just turn off.

[NoWayOut]

Originally Posted by dongjohnson

Do you have an old, fatty PS3? I had some issues with one a long time ago but have never dealt with any issues on my 3 year old slim.

Like you I have the slim. This one is just shy of two years old, actually will be two in January. Damn how pathetic is it that I know my PS3's birthday. F--- I need a life.

Originally Posted by ericdaoust

There is also possibility of interference from something else. I'll give my personal example.

I installed a driver in my laptop so that I can plug my PS3 controller in the PC for NES/SNES/Genesis emulators. I use my laptop in my rec room, about 10 feet from the location of my PS3. The controller is wireless so when I use it on the PC it will sometimes turn on my PS3.

All that to say... check for outside sources that could be causing this.

I don't have any setups like that, and the surroundings are the same as they have been for the last year. Well the old big screen TV is now in here, but when I first got the PS3 it was hooked to that same TV, and it actually sat on top of it without any issues.

Originally Posted by Dakkster

Two words for you, dude: Paranormal Activity.

That was one of my first thoughts...seriously. This house has some weird shit happen at times that makes you wonder.

[NoWayOut]

Originally Posted by ericdaoust

I had a laptop that used to shut off after random intervals, but it was always when I had it on a table in class at school (ie overheating). Sometimes it was in the first 15 minutes of class, and sometimes it lasted all day. The new devices all have temperature thresholds before they just turn off.

When it was just the random shutdowns that's what I chalked it up to. I have a lot of heat pumps in here between the TV, computer, printer, etc, etc. I've been trying different solutions to cool this room down without turning the rest of the house into a freezer or this room into a small scale NASA wind tunnel.

It's this bit with just out of the clear blue turning itself on, or after I turn it off it goes it turns itself right back on, that has me baffled.

[Ross The Boss Palmer]

Originally Posted by Dakkster

Two words for you, dude: Paranormal Activity.

That was one of my first thoughts...seriously. This house has some weird shit happen at times that makes you wonder.

Have you looked out your window and saw a random little girl standing by a well? A fuzzy screen then a dark ring appears? Messages written on your steamy mirror after a shower? Perhaps you ate some crazy Indian food recently? Happens to me all the time.