Non-mod chip - Semi coma xbox console troubleshooting question. Works when it wants.

Siddy2

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2005
16
0
I've got a tech'ie question for some of the people knowledgeble about the xbox hardware.

I have an older 1.2/1.3 box that went bad about 4 months after I bought it from Wal mart. MS wanted near $100 to fix, so I said screw that. Never did it have a mod chip on it, nor was it ever opened before it started to act up. "The coma symptoms", as it tries to turn on/off/on/off/on/off, but won't. I CAN occasionally get it to work. Below is the deal on it.

I first installed the X3 chip to maybe bypass the MS bios. This worked great for about 4 months. Booted and ran every time via X3 mod bios, although it would not boot with mod chip turned off. I was happy.

As time went on, it degraded, and eventually would not turn on at all. HOWEVER, I could unplug it for 2 to 3 days, plug it back up, and it would run for about 3 hours, then freeze up as if it was getting too hot. However, its not a heat problem, I had fans on 100%, and case open, with fans blowing on it. even put on high grade thermal grease between the processors and HSinks.

I replaced some capacitors on the board. Just guessing here and there. (Correct Caps and polarity by the way) . Still same symptoms. worked only after keeping it unplugged 2-3 days. No way I could replace those small resistors if I wanted.

I literally have to unplug it for 2 to 3 days, as if to let power discharge from a capacitor or something, before it decides to turn on again. Makes no sense to me. Power should discharge within half hour or so, so that can't be it? (But I am not an electronic inclined person at all. I only know how to do basic soldering, cap, resistor replacement. Not PCB troubleshooting)

I put new PSU in it, same symptoms (both psu's tested to work). I've literally went over the board with a fine tooth comb and cannot find anything. The PSU works off of TTL I assume, so I tried a new switch. no help

Got mad, pulled the X3 off the board, and wire soldered it onto a 1.0 system, and it works perfectly on it. I even used the case and TTL switch from the broken one.

Any idea what the failure cause of the other box may be ? bad resistor, capacitor, TSOP chip, etc ? I'm all ears before I dump this thing in the garbage. It's never been on xbox live, and still has the mated HD, so it may be worth something for parts, although I did take my Samsung DVD from it and swapped it with the cruddy Thompson in my 1.0.

/Siddy
 
Last edited:

Martin C

VIP Member
Jan 10, 2004
35,981
0
Scotland, UK
www.team-xecuter.com
The biggest problem with Xboxes is the NVidia MCPX. It's possible that it's damaged (through overheating).

You bought it new or used? If it went bad after 4 months, then it was still under warranty.

Martin
 

Siddy2

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2005
16
0
kk

Martin C said:
The biggest problem with Xboxes is the NVidia MCPX. It's possible that it's damaged (through overheating).

You bought it new or used? If it went bad after 4 months, then it was still under warranty.

Martin
You know, you may have a point there. I bought it brand new. I never opened it, until it went into "coma mode". It was a 1.2/1.3 and it did not have the fans like my 1.0 has in it. It had the one standard fan in the back of the unit behind the CPU, but that's it. Probably lack of cooling at some point, and it damaged it.

Strange though, that it works when it wants to , like after 2-3 days being unplugged though. Seems like if it was damaged, it would just be kaput all the time. There's no telling.

Again, I don't know tech troubleshooting stuff, so no clue. Its garbage now. Not even worth my time anymore.

Happy with my 1.0 now that I've wire soldered the x3 into it, and it runs like a charm, ( mod chip enabled, and disabled ) .

I just wish I could figure out the whole DHCP networking. I keep getting 0.0.0.0 err X . Simple problem, I know with some reading up. So I just revert back to static 192.168.0.x setting, and problem solved.
 

higherbeing

Full Member
Nov 17, 2004
46
0
here
I got a simular issue with my box... other than the fact that i can't get it to start period... after pressing the power button the led flashes green, and its off again, and after 3 tries it frags... I was considering modding it... but I'm not sure if its worth it...
 

Siddy2

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2005
16
0
higherbeing said:
I got a simular issue with my box... other than the fact that i can't get it to start period... after pressing the power button the led flashes green, and its off again, and after 3 tries it frags... I was considering modding it... but I'm not sure if its worth it...
This is EXACTLY what mine did . And quite frankly, a lot of people are having same issue. If you have the X2./X3 chip, I don't see why you shouldn't try it. (unless its more worry than its worth if you have a 1.6 box, and an X3 with the 3.0.0 FB on it).
Just buy you a 2 dollar header pin, or wire solder it. what do you have to lose :)

It fixed mine for about 4 months , and always turned on witht the X3 bios. It still wouldn't boot up with mod chip disabled, so I just attributed it to a corrupt MS bios . But over time, even with the chip in there, it degraded so bad, that it wouldn't even FRAG anymore when attempting to turn it on. I'd have to unplug it for 2-3 days. PSU and TTL switch were in perfect order. Go figure.

Probably like the poster above said, could be the GPU getting heat damage. Some boxes just aren't ventilated well.
 

Siddy2

Junior Member
Jan 27, 2005
16
0
Martin C said:
What are you using for a DHCP server??

Martin
Using a DSL setup with a linksys router, but I am in the works on changing it all. I want to go wireless I think. I started another post checking to see about good wireless routers. Some of my friends have said the Buffalo Airstation G54 is good, and the Netgear with Rangemax is also a good setup. ( I have one computer in the basement, so it would have to penetrate a hardwood floor ).

Basically wanting to run 2 PC's, and 1 xbox via XBMC or similar.

I need to read the "networking for dummies" again :p . Just kidding, I am not smart with it, but I usually figure it out pretty fast. Its just a matter of getting what I want first, then I'll deal with the networking part.


Another problem I have just started having, is FTP'ing in EVOX. I can FTP to the X3 fine at its setup screen, but once I load my dash... the ftp stops. l/p correct
It's got something to do with my FTP proggie (FlashFXP). It used to work perfectly. Now it will connect, but it will hang with an hourglass. Kinda like what CuteFTP did. I think I know what the issue is ( I put a "Scene" FlashFXP client on my transfer comp. The old FlashFXP I had worked fine).