NOVICE ATTEMPTS AT REPAIRING THIS FAULT CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. HEATING THE BOARD UP CAN GET THE CONSOLE FUNCTIONING FOR A FEW DAYS BUT THIS CAN WARP THE BOARD AND DAMAGE SOME OF THE COMPONENTS.

Infra Red re flow of Xbox GPU at our electronic workshop in Manchester.

The Error 73 problem is caused by the failure of solder connections called - BGA solder joints. The use of Lead Free solder and the high temperature of the operation of the Xbox 360, over time, cause these connections to fail. Cracks can appear in the solder that break the electrical connection and generate the error. This is a manufacture defect and is not caused by 'wear and tear'.

The only reliable method of repairing this problem, is to re flow the solder on the BGA chip. This can ONLY be done reliably, using an INFRA RED BGA REWORK STATION.

The method we use to repair Error 73 faults is the method used by Microsoft to repair this kind of fault.

Methods involving putting the main board in an oven, will not repair the solder joints. All the plastic components on the board would melt before the correct temperature (required to re flow the solder) would be reached.

Xbox 360 Error73 1-Red-Light fix - £40 + £15 c&d UK

Error 73 is a more temperamental fault than the Ring Of Death. The solder that is failing can be on a different chip than the Ring of Death fault. If the fault returns within 3 months of the original repair, we will repair it again free of charge, but it is your responsibility to cover the courier costs. Courier collection and delivery is currently £15 anywhere in the UK.

If a previous repair has been attempted on your Xbox 360, don't use this service. We will charge £20 to work on consoles that have been 'repaired' by novices even if the unit does not recover. Novice repair methods of heating the board up cause the pcb to warp. It is then impossible to get a correct re flow of the solder because of the curvature on the PCB.

The Only way to properly repair this problem is to use an Infra Red BGA re flow of the solder.