Instructions
Turn on your PS3 as you normally would. This should change the solid red power light to the solid green power light in a working system.
Determine if your power light is flashing red. This may indicate overheating or internal damage due to heat. The PS3 will turn off after three minutes if the heating issue is not resolved. If your system does this consistently and you have taken all steps to clear out proper ventilation for your PS3, you have a bricked system.
Determine if your power light changes colors when turning on. If a PS3's power light changes from green to yellow and then to flashing red, this is a sure sign of a bricked system. In this situation, the system will not turn on at all due to internal damage or software corruption.