What caused the red ring error on the xbox 360.
Congratulations, you have just joined the thirty per cent of Xbox 360 owners who are experiencing the red ring problem. This problem is very apparent when the screen turns blue and the message to contact xbox support or a disk read error will appear. You will also have the 3 flashing red rings instead of the normal green rings around the power button.
The Xbox 360 red ring is caused by a general hardware failure condition brought on by too much heat in the console box. Just like any high powered computer with advanced microelectronics, the Xbox 360 will generate a lot of heat internally.
The small case size of the console is also a part of the problem. The cooling fans do not circulate enough air flow to properly cool the chips on the computer mother board. Unlike a larger desktop computer, the small console does not have the capacity for large cooling heat sinks and fans. This causes the internal temperature to rise very fast. When the temperature gets too high, the computer goes into a "standby" mode and displays the 3 red rings.
Once your console is affected by the red rings, it is just a very expensive paperweight until repairs are made.Microsoft has extended the warrenty on most Xbox 360 consoles for up to 3 years. If you are the original purchaser of the unit and have not opened the box you may have a shot at getting the problem fixed under the warrenty. Providing that you have the original paperwork of course.
Repairs usually take from four to eight weeks and can cost around $150 dollars if you are not under the extended warrenty. It will be up to you to pack, insure, and ship your console to the repair facility located in McAllen, Texas.
