my xbox caught on fire [Archive] - ASSEMblergames.com

socialdrone

08-22-2005, 12:52 AM

a couple days ago while playing x-men legends my xbox started to smoke i unplugged it right away, but it was too late. today i opened it up and found that from G7 to G6 was completely charred through.

its a 2002-07-29 v1.0 model that was made in mexico.

has this happened to anyone here, and is that horrible smell normal?

anyone know where i might find some schematics or detailed pictures of the motherboard... cause im missing some capacitors and maybe a couple of fuses around c7g9 and c7g5?

any help would be great.

liquitt

08-22-2005, 01:00 AM

we don't need to unplug let the motherf*cker burn, burn mutherfu*cker, BURN!

*sing*

:D

g_sepp

08-22-2005, 01:05 AM

need to call ms. and tell them what happened... They will either replace or sue you i would think they would replace it.

Evangelion-01

08-22-2005, 01:10 AM

those damn mexicans! they cant build shit!

gaming247

08-22-2005, 01:12 AM

My old computer burned and melted the motherboard a bit. It smelled pretty awful. But that's what happens when you get a HP and they didn't use a CPU fan or anything else substantial enough to cool it.

I'll try to find some xbox schematics, there are usually some pretty good pics of motherboards on mod sites.

And I modded mine to play PAL format and unsigned development discs NOT to steal games onto a huge hard drive (just wanted to get that understood since I know there are quite a few professional programmers here)

FirestarterCL

08-22-2005, 01:17 AM

I guess they weren't lying about those power cords, huh? I wouldn't be worried about the smell, burnt electronics always smell awful.

My xbox died a couple weeks ago too, but it fell victim to lightning.

ASSEMbler

08-22-2005, 01:52 AM

make sure you tell them it damaged your matisse as well ;-)

dj898

08-22-2005, 02:13 AM

I'm still waiting for my replacement power cable block from M$...
they said they shipped three weeks ago but still no sign... :(
Hope mine don't catch fire in between...

mairsil

08-22-2005, 03:10 AM

I'm still waiting for my replacement power cable block from M$...
they said they shipped three weeks ago but still no sign... :(
Hope mine don't catch fire in between...

The "problem" with the power cable is actually a problem with the soldering on the internal power supply. Some PSU's are only using two solder points for the cord connector. With constant plugging/unplugging of the power cable, these solder points can break or arc. The replacement cord is nothing more than a regular power cable with a fuse in it that blows (instead of blowing the Xbox) when there is an electrical problem. Micorsoft must have found it to be cheaper to replace all the cables than to replace all the PSU's (where the real problem is).

dj898

08-22-2005, 05:46 AM

so that black box in the middle of the cable is for the fuse to blow? o_O

XerdoPwerko

08-22-2005, 10:36 AM

those damn mexicans! they cant build shit!

:fu A fine day for Kamikaze Racism! :smt082

(I know you're joking and I'm actually laughing a lot!)

strider

08-22-2005, 11:29 AM

those damn mexicans! they cant build shit! hahahaha

subbie

08-22-2005, 11:32 AM

*sits worried his xbox will be next*

Is there any advance way to repair this so it does not happen? Like can I put some shielding or something in the xbox psu to keep it from blowing up?

zappenduster

08-22-2005, 11:37 AM

ill bed this is not bug more a feature at the release date of the xbox 360 99% of the xbox 1 will blow up and get on fire so you have to buy the new one (with 15% money saving cause of the accident)

Paulo

08-22-2005, 11:53 AM

wonder if sony were going for that idea but decided fuck it well have them fail every few months instead.

PhreQuencYViii

08-22-2005, 12:20 PM

I guess someone never got a replacement power cord.....

Paulo

08-22-2005, 12:56 PM

Well that only stops your xbox from catching fire but it doesnt stop it from screwing up the inside!

RPA

08-22-2005, 12:59 PM

The "problem" with the power cable is actually a problem with the soldering on the internal power supply. Some PSU's are only using two solder points for the cord connector. With constant plugging/unplugging of the power cable, these solder points can break or arc. The replacement cord is nothing more than a regular power cable with a fuse in it that blows (instead of blowing the Xbox) when there is an electrical problem. Micorsoft must have found it to be cheaper to replace all the cables than to replace all the PSU's (where the real problem is).

Thats pretty low even for Microsoft.

mairsil

08-22-2005, 01:11 PM

Thats pretty low even for Microsoft.

Yup. Doesn't even matter for those us of who use surge protectors, since the surge protector will cut the circuit too. The only real way to fix the problem is to replace the PSU or add more solder to it to make it more secure.

JTI2K

08-22-2005, 03:04 PM

its a 2002-07-29 v1.0 model that was made in mexico.

Maybe the burrito CPU exploded sending frijoles to the enchiladas motherboard and the nachos GPU :smt042

mairsil

08-22-2005, 03:09 PM

No, it was the water that they used in the manufacturing process... :D

Taemos

08-22-2005, 03:09 PM

Yup. Doesn't even matter for those us of who use surge protectors, since the surge protector will cut the circuit too. The only real way to fix the problem is to replace the PSU or add more solder to it to make it more secure.

It doesn't help that I *would* do the repair to mine (the connector is finicky, so my Xbox will randomly reset), but I'm terrified of power supplies :).

Borman

08-22-2005, 03:11 PM

And when you email/call them, LIE! Thats the way you get shit done.

the_steadster

08-22-2005, 03:12 PM

It doesn't help that I *would* do the repair to mine (the connector is finicky, so my Xbox will randomly reset), but I'm terrified of power supplies :).

Ahh it doesn't hurt too much. I got hit with 240V while working on a saturn...twice....within about 1hr. That was impressive!

Just use a few rules with working on PSU's
Leave it as long as possible unplugged first, so as to discharge caps.
Don't work with it plugged in, unless you're as stupid as me
...And thats about all I can think of for now. If you take care it's all good.

Taemos

08-22-2005, 03:15 PM

When I work on my Xbox, I always unplug it and hit the power button a few times. That doesn't stop t3h ph33r, though :).

Edit: "Usually" and "always" are two different things :).

madhatter256

08-22-2005, 03:30 PM

Open up your xbox and check the solder points. When I got mine, it was charred meaning that it happend to the previos owner because I bought it broken as-is. All I did to fix it was I scrappd off the black burn marks around it and added some more solder. Xbox fired up just fine...

Taemos

08-22-2005, 03:39 PM

I'll take a look at it later. I've had a sneaking suspicion that the "In game reset feature" of the BIOS that's used with my softmod may have something to do with it, although the local would-be Xbox technician assures me my power supply plug is loose, causing it to randomly reset.

I'll check it out tonight.

Pikkon

08-22-2005, 11:04 PM

Well I bet you have a foxlink psu.For anyone who has one I suggest to do this.
Just put some solder on the 2 joints and you should be fine.Make sure you get
the solder on there real good.If you do this your xbox will be fine,as I had to do
this myself.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v285/g0t_m4xx_21/foxlink-edited.jpg

madhatter256

08-22-2005, 11:15 PM

What I recommend is you first heat up the joints so that the solder becomes liquid, then just apply more solder to it. Otherwise, you'll end up with a cold solder joint that will come off and possibly short your PSU if it touches other parts.

dj898

08-22-2005, 11:29 PM

Ahh it doesn't hurt too much. I got hit with 240V while working on a saturn...twice....within about 1hr. That was impressive!

long time ago I grab the metal pole that somehow got fused with live 100 VAC and it felt like someone put the giant vibrator down my arm and then spine... (Not that I have any experience w/ vibrator coz)

I can't imagine what would be like hit by 240 VAC??O_o
And twice within an hour?
so tell me did you get any super power after that? Like that electricity guy in old Spiderman comic.. :p

Sweater Fish Deluxe

08-23-2005, 12:08 AM

I got shocked once when trying to fix a computer monitor, which was very scarry because I've always heard that they have very high voltage coils in them. I'm sure those are in the gun not on the PC board, but in the flash of an instant that it happened, I began to doubt that assumption. I don't know what kind of amps I got hit with with from this thing; it wasn't plugged in, so it was just residual charge or whatever, but it was enough to create a huge flash and blow a big smouldering lump into the board and char my thumb and forefinger. It was a big popping shock, not one of those coursing AC shocks. I had to go and take a walk after it happened to calm down.

...word is bondage...

dj898

08-23-2005, 12:32 AM

I heard that kind of warning.
when my 15" Apple monitor died on me back in 97 I simply put it outside front yard and in ten minutes it's gone!

The only CRT device at home is the free SONY TV I got for our guest room...
Am planning to replace it with LCD TV down the track...(After we replace our main PDP first of coz)

Mr. Casual

08-23-2005, 12:33 AM

hahahaha
I've been reading your posts and you type and act like someone I know...who has 3 accounts and 2 posts between all of them.

PhreQuencYViii

08-23-2005, 12:34 AM

socialdrone

08-23-2005, 01:00 AM

I'll try to find some xbox schematics, there are usually some pretty good pics of motherboards on mod sites.
its ok, in a couple days i might be getting a replacement motherboard for free...so no need to go to the trouble. but, if you allready found some schematics id be really interested in seeing them.

ill bed this is not bug more a feature at the release date of the xbox 360 99% of the xbox 1 will blow up and get on fire so you have to buy the new one
i never did correctly set the date on my xbox. its possible it was offset a year or so into the future and because of this it triggered the self-destruct command early.

Open up your xbox and check the solder points. When I got mine, it was charred meaning that it happend to the previos owner because I bought it broken as-is. All I did to fix it was I scrappd off the black burn marks around it and added some more solder. Xbox fired up just fine...
in the case of my xbox, it had nothing to do with the power supply. and when i said it was charred i meant that it was burnt to a crisp. i lightly touched the effected area with a q-tip and it sort of dissolved and blew away.

PhreQuencYViii

08-23-2005, 01:08 AM

i never did correctly set the date on my xbox. its possible it was offset a year or so into the future and because of this it triggered the self-destruct command early.

HAHAHAHAHHhjhahahahahahha thats funny, im going to go goof with my time now.

RPA

08-23-2005, 12:56 PM

Wow. Ouch. Our old TV blew up when somehow a knife got stuck ni the VCR (no idea, i think it like....fell in there from a plate from above or something), but yeah, gotta be careful with TV's and moniters because of the capacitors and junk...those things hold a charge for a hella long time.

Speaking of which are LCD tv's the same?

Yea. The backlighting runs on 1,000+ volts. It's no biggie if you get zapped though because it has very little current. I've got zapped by 40,000 DC volts a couple of times and it stings for a couple of seconds but no harm is done.

Taemos

08-23-2005, 01:04 PM

Blur2040

08-23-2005, 01:04 PM

I own a 300,000 volt stun gun that I use as a toy. Runs off a 9 volt battery. Doesn't hurt much at all...it's low amperage. I love my stun gun...but I'm mega afraid of CRTs...

madhatter256

08-23-2005, 01:13 PM

long time ago I grab the metal pole that somehow got fused with live 100 VAC and it felt like someone put the giant vibrator down my arm and then spine... (Not that I have any experience w/ vibrator coz)

I too experienced 100VAC when I was a kid. My parents were painting the house and took off the light switch covers so as not to paint over them. So, the wires were exposed and one day when I went to turn on the light, I didn't look where exactly my hand was heading but my finger went in and about 5 seconds later I felt vibrations going thru my arm down to my leg. It just felt wierd, no pain, nothing.

dj898

08-23-2005, 07:34 PM

I own a 300,000 volt stun gun that I use as a toy. Runs off a 9 volt battery. Doesn't hurt much at all...it's low amperage. I love my stun gun...but I'm mega afraid of CRTs...

i dunno why our fed ban those toys as illegal weapon... O_o
but then they thought gun is illegal weapon too! well unless you have few hundreds to spare for a GLOCK. :p

madhatter256

08-23-2005, 10:19 PM

i dunno why our fed ban those toys as illegal weapon... O_o
but then they thought gun is illegal weapon too! well unless you have few hundreds to spare for a GLOCK. :p

A "glock" or any 22cal pistol here is $60+ depending where you go.

Tasers and other non-lethal weapons here in America have been getting a lot of badpress because cops are actually using them in situations that would otherwise have them use a pistol or nightsticks. There was one case here in my hometown where an officer tasered a guy in a hospital bed because he refused to pee in a cup for drug testing. Another "embarassing" incident was where an officer tasered a 15yr old girl, but that was because she was holding a knife, yet her parents want to sue the police department for using that on her.