Hobbies And Interests
Overheating
Overheating is one possible reason for a recurring yellow light. As you use the PS3, its internal components become hot and the device's fan may or may not be able to cool down the components. Overheating leads to one or more heat sensors triggering, resulting in the yellow indicator light illuminating. Your PS3 will then shut off automatically to keep the components from melting. Leave your PS3 off until it is cool to the touch -- one to two hours.
Connections
A loose controller, video or power cable, can trigger the illumination of the yellow indicator light. The light will illuminate repeatedly until you secure the cable or cables that are loose into the device's connectors. If you notice the yellow light coming on immediately after moving the gaming machine, check the cable connections and make sure they are securely plugged in.
Hard Drive Failure
A faulty PS3 hard drive will trigger the yellow indicator light to come on. The device may turn on initially, make one or more beeping sounds, illuminate the yellow light then shut off automatically. Your PS3 may or may not power on again or may repeat the turning on the yellow indicator light, sounding one or more beeping sounds then shutting off process.
Internal Component Failure
A yellow indicator light will also trigger when one or more internal components have failed. The component could be the device's motherboard, secondary circuit board or other internal part. Or it could be a combination of components all failing at one time.
Repair
To resolve the problem, contact an authorized Sony PlayStation repair service or Sony directly. Sony will repair the problem for free if the gaming machine is still under warranty. Repair time and cost varies. Consult your PS3's owner's manual for the procedure on sending the device back to Sony. You can also repair the PS3 yourself, if you are skilled in electronics repair, by purchasing a third-party PS3 repair book and kit -- available online.