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How to Troubleshoot a PlayStation 3 for Repairs

The PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system gives you a wide range of features, from Blu-ray playback to a large selection of video games. Being as complex as they are, figuring out exactly why yours is not functioning as intended can be a chore. A number of console repair services exist, particularly through Sony if you have a warranty. Normally, Sony requires you to attempt a diagnosis of the problem yourself first before any repairs can be attempted.

Instructions

- 1
  Look at the two lights located beneath the power icon. These lights flash in different colors and patterns to indicate a variety of malfunctions with your PlayStation 3 console. If no lights are on, power is not getting to your console. If you have a single red light, the console is in "Standby" mode. If it does'nt turn on from this mode, you need to service the console. A flashing red light means possible overheating. A flashing sequence of yellow, green then red means an internal component is experiencing an issue or has failed.
- 2
  Put discs of different types into the disc drive to check for malfunctions. Certain types may still be read while others are not, they may all be read or none may be read. If only some load, you may have a problem with game data. If all disc types are reading correctly then your issue does not lie with the disc drive. If only certain discs are read, you may have dirty discs or a damaged file system.
- 3
  Press and hold the eject button for 10 seconds if your disc appears to be stuck, or if you cannot insert a disc. If this measure does not work, your disc drive requires servicing.
- 4
  Check the error code against Sony's list. The PlayStation 3 console can give you one of many different codes for a specific diagnosis of your problem. Error code problems range in severity from loss of connection to the PlayStation network to critical hardware failures.

PlayStation 3