Recently, my friends Xbox 360 kicked the bucket... Yes, the infamous 3 Red Lights. He recently came to me asking if there was any way to fix this problem for cheap, I knew a couple ways I've seen and looked into them.

Whole Story:
About 2 weeks ago my friend was playing Xbox 360, when he called me up and asked "Why his Xbox had no video, only sound?". I know that his Xbox was shot when he told me the details. I told him it would soon go to RRoD. I asked if you called Microsoft, ye said he did, and his warranty was void and it cost 100$ to send it back in. He said "I'm either getting or new Xbox or your Fixing this one".

I told him I could fix it but he'd have to acquire some tools for me. Although, being an Xbox owner my self, I know it would most likely end with him buying a new Xbox.

He agreed, and then asked "Is there any way to use the Xbox in the mean time?". I told him yes the Towel trick method.

By the time he got the tools and parts he told me he used the towel trick to the point were it would only work for about a half an hour at a time. I know that this wasn't good, but what the hell, it was broken.

So he gave me the Xbox and tools and I began working

I decided to preform the X-Clamp fix, and the Penny fix. So I took everything apart polished down the CPU and GPU. Put the pennies on the bottom chips with thermal compound. Then bolted the CPU and GPU heatsinks back onto the Xbox using custom bolts and thermal compound.

Put it all back together to try it out excepting again, the RRoD, were I would towel trick it one last time. But no... I hit the power button and it powered up, displaying the Xbox logo for a split second and about 3 seconds after power on I was presented with 2 Red Lights (Overheating).

I thought maybe To much/to little thermal compound or to tight/to loose bolts on Heatsinks. SO i took it all apart again and redid it and got it to work for about 1 min until I was presented with the 3 Red Lights. I was thinking back to the normal Towel Trick 3 Red Lights, but again, not as I thought.

Now when I power on the Xbox I am presented with an instantaneous 3 Red Light, were as nothing powers on Fan/Dvd Drive. So I'm in a pickle here. I can't towel trick because it doesn't technically run. I tried "baking" it with a Heat gun, and still nothing.

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction? I'm thinking it's totally shot, but I'd hate to let my friend down.

Thanks, and Sorry if this was a waste of your time reading,
NEMESIS