Xbox 360 Two Red Lights Question

Ok maybe someone here with an Xbox 360 can help me. I've looked everywhere online for a solution but nobody seems to just cut to the chase and give me the bottom line. I was playing Gears of War 2 with some buddies and about an hour of Halo 3 before that. In between games my Xbox 360's fan went absolutely bananas and the whole system went louder than I've ever heard it, then it just shut off and flashed TWO (not THREE, I know what the RROD is) red lights at me. My system is laying down so its the top left and bottom left quadrants of the ring of light flashing.

Some of the sites I've visited say this problem is an overheating issue. Fine. So whats the bottom line? Move it so it gets more air, or will this problem persist? Is this just a precursor to the red ring of death? Is the bottom line that I should just buy a new system? I know Microsofts warranty doesnt cover two lights, only the three (my one year warranty has since expired).

two lights means that it has overheated and needs to cool down. Just leave it somewhere open for a couple of hours (overnight) and it should be fine

should be...

yeah make sure you dont leave anything on top of it or leave it in a close quarters situation (inside an entertainment center) this will cause overheating issues and it could ever lead to the Rings of Death.

If I were you Id get an extended warranty or service plan if it is not too late.

It's time to do something you should have done on Day 1: Buy, install and use a Nyko Intercooler EX*!

I've been using one since I bought my 360 and I've had not one red light on the front of my console!

But even with the Intercooler, you need to use some common sense:

1. Make sure your 360 is out in the open, where plenty of air can flow around it. NEVER use it in an entertainment center cabinet with the glass doors closed, that's a major no-no!
2. NEVER place your 360 on soft surfaces like carpets, blankets, pillows, etc. Only place it on a flat, level surface such as a shelf or a hardwood or tile floor.
3. ALWAYS take a 15-20 minute break after every hour or 2 of gameplay. This is as important for yourself as it I for your 360. When you take your break, save your game, exit out of the game to the Xbox Console, then let the system sit idle on the Console screen for 15-20 minutes. This allows the chipsets time to cool down.
4. When you're completely done playing, again, exit to the Xbox Console and let the system sit idle on the Console screen for 5-10 minutes BEFORE you turn the system off. This gives the Intercooler's fans time to cool down the chipsets before you turn the machine off.
5. (Optional) Hook up your system to a TV that runs at a lower resolution to decrease the workload on the GPUs. On a PC, the higher you set your resolution, the harder the graphics card has to work to generate the images you see and the more heat it generates. The same holds true for an XBox 360. Hook it up to an HDTV running at a full 1080p, and the 360 has to work VERY hard to generate those images and it generates a LOT of heat that, over time, will damage the chips. Hook it up to an HDTV that runs at "only" 720p resolution, and you decrease the system's workload and help it run cooler and therefore last longer. Hook it up to an old Standard Def set (480p) and generating those graphics is a piece of cake for the system, allowing it to run smoothly for years to come!

Follow these tips and you'll avoid the dreaded Red Ring of Death for some time to come! Ignore them, and you'll end up having to replace that system sooner or later. It's your choice. You must do what you feel is right, of course.

Oh, and for the love of Gord, don't listen to the idiots at Gamestop or Microsoft that will try to tell you that the Intercooler will harm your system, they have no idea what they're talking about.




*Note: The Intercooler EX is not compatible with newer XBox 360s (manufactured on dates of late 2007 and after), necessitating the use of Intec's Air Cooler (also sometimes called the Turbo Cooler), a knock-off of Nyko's product that is compatible with newer consoles. Use of the new "temperature-sensing" Intercooler TS is NOT recommended, as the 360 itself uses temperature-sensing fans, and that's part of the problem. The fans don't spin often enough to do any good, whereas the fans on the Intercooler EX and the Intec Air Cooler/Turbo Cooler spin continuously, creating a constant, steady airflow to vent the system's heat, which is what you want.

I did everything right with my 360 since I bought it in september of 2007 (its the halo 3 edition). Not on the carpet, not in an entertainment unit etc. etc. I think it just overheated to the point of two red lights. I let it sit for a while and turned it on just a minute ago and after 20 minutes of Halo 3 it freaked out again and two red lights...

So my question is, is this problem similar to the three red lights in that it HAS to be repaired, or will it fix itself over time? Or should I just go and buy an arcade version?

I am on my forth xbox 360 since December of 2005. I now keep it on top of an upside down inbox that letters go into with metal grating for airflow and things are great now!

It's kind of like this only a single one upside down and black:



I wish I was at home to snap a picture. I've used the intercooler too and it didn't work for me.

Just put it somewhere cold and it will live.
If all else fails, smash it with a hammer.

Looks like I will have to buy another one. Since its only two red lights Microsoft said they will charge me pretty much the price of a new one anyways to have it repaired and that still runs the risk of 2-3 red lights issues happening again. I needed a new harddrive anyways (I had a 20gig Halo 3 edition) so I asked them to send me a transfer kit.

My boss (at EBGames no less lol) told me to wrap it up and try to get it to 3-RROD but it didn't work. Ah well...

Xbox 360 Halo Edition, I hardly knew ye.
Sept 18, 2007-January 18th, 2009

Originally Posted by olorin56

I did everything right with my 360 since I bought it in september of 2007 (its the halo 3 edition). Not on the carpet, not in an entertainment unit etc. etc. I think it just overheated to the point of two red lights. I let it sit for a while and turned it on just a minute ago and after 20 minutes of Halo 3 it freaked out again and two red lights...

So my question is, is this problem similar to the three red lights in that it HAS to be repaired, or will it fix itself over time? Or should I just go and buy an arcade version?

Again, try one of the coolers I recommended above. That may be all you need to do to get it working. Microsoft's temperature-controlled fans are WEAKSAUCE and DO NOT provide adequate cooling. Your system is overheating because it can't get rid of the heat fast enough. Pony up $20 for a cooler, then report back in the morning.

Well I'll try the cooler and see what happens...

Originally Posted by olorin56

Well I'll try the cooler and see what happens...

IF that doesn't do the trick, then what has most likely happened is that the system was overheating too often, and for too long, resulting in a system that is now fried... which SHOULD cause it to go to the RROD... still can't figure out why that didn't happen.

Well today I started it up and played Halo for about 20 minutes before it crapped out on me again. I think upgrading my cooling system might do the trick. If it stays sufficiently cool I honestly think it will stay fine, it was only after a while (the 20 minutes of use) that it overheated.

I was reading online some of the facts about units that die and really the odds of it happening to anyone with a 360 is pretty high, I think one article I read said that every 60 out of a 100 units are defective/at risk for RROD, given the failure rates over the years. Its just really frustrating because I don't want to have to send it away to Microsoft and have it happen again, or buy a system only to have that one die.

Meh...shoulda went with Ps3

Well, here's the deal. The 360s are prone to problems, but the newer ones work better than the older ones.

The Intercooler that Jack T. Chance is talking about does help a lot. Specifically if you get the EX model.

The systems can still RROD even when using one, but it should help.

I actually had one of the very, very early models of Xbox 360. I bought it in December 2005. And the really early models are the ones that are the most prone to the problems.

I pretty much started using an intercooler right after they came out. And I later upgraded to the EX model because it was supposed to work better.

I did finally get the RROD back in September of '08, but considering the EXTREME likelyhood of getting the RROD with the early systems, I do believe that it helped quite a bit. I was actually glad that I got the RROD when I did, because otherwise this past December my 3-year replacement warranty for that problem would have been up.

But I got my replacement unit, and it works great, and I've been using my intercooler with it.


If your system keeps having problems, I would send it in. Even if you are only getting the 2 rings and not 3, just mark it as the 3 rings when filling out the online form. I honestly don't think they even check the system when they get it. When I sent mine in, I checked UPS tracking, and within less than 24 hours of receiving it, the replacement was on it's way. The whole process, starting from filling out the online form to receiving my replacement console was about a week and a half, and most of that was because of the time it took to ship a total of 3 shipments via UPS (the box getting to me, my system in that box getting to them, and then the replacement system getting to me). Other more recent RROD stories that I've heard from other people seem to confirm this turn around time.

Originally Posted by nutnog

I am on my forth xbox 360 since December of 2005.

The loyalty of xbox fans continues to amaze me.

Originally Posted by hijinio

The loyalty of xbox fans continues to amaze me.

To me it has nothing to do with loyalty. I just have that many games on the 360 that if I ever get the RROD (which so far I have never had and I have had my 360 almost as long as they have been out) it would be cheaper for me to get a new 360 then to get all the games again for my PS3... if you can even get them at all

My Xbox 360core system was free in 2005 so really, the RRoD is not a big deal. All repairs are covered by Xbox including shipping and like I said, I got my Xbox for free so I can't complain very much plus I love the system. Attached is a picture of how I have the basket now that I am home:

Thats a pretty snazzy setup there, nutnog. Thats probably what I will end up doing once mine is fixed. i filled out the online for as it being 3 red rings and I called xbox support to find out if I will be getting the Halo Edition Xbox back and they said more than likely, so thats a nice ray of light I guess.

Originally Posted by olorin56

Thats a pretty snazzy setup there, nutnog. Thats probably what I will end up doing once mine is fixed. i filled out the online for as it being 3 red rings and I called xbox support to find out if I will be getting the Halo Edition Xbox back and they said more than likely, so thats a nice ray of light I guess.

Thanks, yeah a friend of mine plays for hours and hours a day with his machine constantly running and has never had problems with his box and he told me about this trick and so far it's worked wonders. I think that basket costs me like $3 or something.

I just got mine for christmas (I have to thank my wife Rhoda for the awesome gift!) and so far no problems... but IU went to Walmart last night and the display unit had the RRoD issue. It was wierd all of their display machines were broken. The X-Box had the RRoD, the PS2 was physically broken, and the PS3 was just not on at all.

I have to say I love this machine, but I think my PS3 is way better all around... with the exception of the prices for accessories being a few bucks higher.

I keep my 360 on it's side in an open cabinet between my printer and my PC, but it has plenty of breathing room. I also bought the intercooler for it. I tend to have good luck with game consoles, so I hope to never get the RRoD. I still have my original Atari, NES, Super NES, Genisis and Playstation... and they all work perfectly.

X-Box question: anyone else ever have a game just pause on you and the screen say "reattatch wireless controller" or something to that effect? It's like the controller just turns off for some reason.

Originally Posted by Rain

X-Box question: anyone else ever have a game just pause on you and the screen say "reattatch wireless controller" or something to that effect? It's like the controller just turns off for some reason.

It powers off after so much idle time to save battery power. Just press the middle button and big it back from it's slumber.

Originally Posted by Rain

X-Box question: anyone else ever have a game just pause on you and the screen say "reattatch wireless controller" or something to that effect? It's like the controller just turns off for some reason.

That typically means the battery is getting low on power and needs to be recharged.

Originally Posted by Dynamo of Eternia

That typically means the battery is getting low on power and needs to be recharged.

That may be the case, and I thought of that too.

I don't think it's idle time Nutnog, as I am actually playing when it happens... which really sucks when your jumping in mid air and the control pauses on it's own... when you un-pause you tend to fall and die lol.

Originally Posted by Rain

That may be the case, and I thought of that too.

I don't think it's idle time Nutnog, as I am actually playing when it happens... which really sucks when your jumping in mid air and the control pauses on it's own... when you un-pause you tend to fall and die lol.

Usually, when the battery's getting ready to die, you'll see the green lights around the XBox Console button periodically blink out an attention-grabbing light show. That's your warning that the battery is about to die.

Also, if you press the XBox Console button, when the window pops up on the left-hand side, near the top you should see a battery meter (similar to what you'd have on your cell phone) which will let you know whether or not you're almost out of juice.

Well you'll be happy to know that I bought a Nyko Tempsmart intercooler and my Xbox life (for now I suppose) has been extended. I put in an hour and a half of halo today and an hour of Prince of Persia yesterday with no problems at all. The fan remains on even after power down to return the inside to "optimal console environment".

Thanks for the tips Jack T. Chance. Nutnog you'll be happy to know I'm gonna buy one of those desk filer things and set it on that.

Originally Posted by olorin56

Well you'll be happy to know that I bought a Nyko Tempsmart intercooler and my Xbox life (for now I suppose) has been extended. I put in an hour and a half of halo today and an hour of Prince of Persia yesterday with no problems at all. The fan remains on even after power down to return the inside to "optimal console environment".

Thanks for the tips Jack T. Chance. Nutnog you'll be happy to know I'm gonna buy one of those desk filer things and set it on that.

aren't you that dude that used to post drunken threads all the time ,like a few years ago ?





or maybe that was me