Xbox 360 Trinity doesn't boot up

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

Hello from Ukraine!
Sorry if my English is not the best, but I will do my best
So about the issue I've got with my Xbox 360.
I have an old Trinity console with installed Coolrunner somewhere back in 2011. After the casual service (cleaning and replacing the thermal paste) it started to randomly freeze. Sometimes in dashboard, sometimes in a games sometimes could play for hours, sometime froze on a logo. Pretty often with graphical artifacts. I turned off all plugins, replaced an hdd and problem disappeared for a short while. But now it's not booting up at all. Can't even enter the Xell. Coolrunner chip has red light and periodically flashing the green one (like once per 4-5 seconds) with a ticking sound.
I tried to connect the console to TV via analogue cable, also with HDMI.
Checked the wiring - it seems fine.
Should I perform re-soldering? Or maybe there is an issue with the console, not with a chip?
Thanks!

Ferris1000 · Feb 4, 2023

Sounds to me that the cooler is installed improperly or you the fan is not connected.
Graphical Artifacts are a sign of overheating or failing GPU.
You could also check the Capacitors near the APU because they are critical and causes a Device to freeze or misbehaving APU/CPU/GPU when they have failed.

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

Ferris1000 said:
Sounds to me that the cooler is installed improperly or you the fan is not connected.
Graphical Artifacts are a sign of overheating or failing GPU.

I've rechecked it few times - everything got installed properly.
Also temperatures after replacing the thermal paste got lowered (logically)
Visually, everything seems fine on the board...
Oh! One more thing - freezes never happened to me when I booted into the native dash (pressed RB during the booting)

BigOnYa · Feb 4, 2023

These boards were known for the Red Ring issues. Sounds like the case here to me. A complete reball / reflow is what is needed on them, but sometimes you can get away with just reflowing the CPU/GPU chips, with a cheap reflow air station.
I've built several "jigs" for the dif x360 mobo boards for my air station using alumium L strips, nuts bolts; so I can secure the board down, but not damage any of the small parts while heating up. I'd say I fixed 8 of 10 mobo's just by squirting little flux around the chips and reflowing, But had a few that needed a full reball. Good luck though!

Ferris1000 · Feb 4, 2023

It would be helpful if you could give some details which alternative dashboard you're using.
Maybe all you need is to delete you alternative dash and start with a fresh copy of FSD/Aurora.
maybe try a different HDD.

If the APU is dying there is no way to fix it permanently by reflowing or reballing the APU because they don't fail like most of the People think.
If it is the APU that's gone bad (what I don't hope for you) there is only the option to replace the APU, replace the mainboard or the entire console.
Microsoft also explained in their documentary how it the xbox360 GPU failed, The Die looses connection to the GPU PCB and not The CPU PCB to the Mainboard.

Source:

Power On: The Story of Xbox | Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death

Time: 19:44 / 42:06

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

Thanks for replies.
I thought that Xbox 360 Slim Trinity counts as one of the coldest boards.
Thing is it gave me artifacts sometimes when xbox was cold. Also it act fine for days...

Originally I used Freestyle for years, then switched to Aurora and used it for like 2 years, then during my tries to fix that issue, I've switched to Freestyle and it acted well then suddenly stopped to start

One more thing, it stopped to work when got connected to PC monitor via HDMI switch. Not sure if it's helpful

Ferris1000 · Feb 4, 2023

The Trinity Board is indeed more reliable than Falcon or Xenon Mainboards.
Jasper Mainboards were pretty reliable in comparison to Falcon and Xenon.
Microsoft redesigned Trinity Mainboards completely from scratch but it's still possible that they fail.
I came across some Trinity Mainboards with Red Dot of Death, but not as much as Phat Consoles.
The most reliable Mainboards are Corona Mainboards.

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

I just wonder if it was coincidence that issues has started after my "maintenance"

Ferris1000 · Feb 4, 2023

I missed that part that your xbox360 doesn't boot at all.
Did you checked all the Connections from the Mainboard to the Coolrunner?
Maybe one cable is loose or shorted.

If your Xbox has Red Dot of Death it's hard to tell because the glitching prevent the Console to report any errors and the Coolrunner assume that it has to keep glitching until it boots.

To find out if the Xbox360 has RDoD you have to flash the Stock NAND image back to your Console using a Hardware flasher and remove the Coolrunner.

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

Ferris1000 said:
If your Xbox has Red Dot of Death it's hard to tell because the glitching prevent the Console to report any errors and the Coolrunner assume that it has to keep glitching until it boots.

Xbox doesn't have the Red Dot. It has the green dot.
But the coolrunner chips has the red light and flashing green one.
I will check and re-solder wires again tonight. Will report later. With photos

Ferris1000 · Feb 4, 2023

you got me wrong.
If the Console has Red Dot of Death you won't be able to notice it because the way the Reset Glitch works.
The only way to find out if the Console has a critical fault is to undo the Reset Glitch.

As an Example: If you modify the NAND and there is no Glitch chip installed the Console thinks that there is something wrong and have a Red Dot of Death because of the Xbox360 internal Security.
The Glitch Chip resets the CPU very often very fast to slow it down and exploit it to run unsigned code which makes it possible to run the Custom Firmware.
The Disadvantage is that if there is something wrong with the Console the glitch chip will reset the console infinitely without noticing that their is an actual issue with the Console.

That's why I said that you have to undo the Mod back to Stock to make sure if the Console works or has Red Dot of Death.

One Time I had this happened to a Xbox360 Console after I was done Modding it that the Console failed, I was struggling to get the Console do boot, I undid the Mod and found out that the Console failed.

Vodkaseledka · Feb 4, 2023

Thanks for reply.
Well, I did re-soldering, result is the same.
So I guess, I will wait till the Raspberry Pi Pico will arrive and will try to build RGH3. If it will not work, then...then it's dead)

Vodkaseledka · Feb 27, 2023

Hello guys
Well, some updates from my side.
I've installed the rgh3 with a hope that there is an issue with Coolrunner, not with xbox.
1. Upgraded the nand to rgh - no xell, no boot. Ticking sound goes from under the fan. Fan also resets its speed every few second.
2. Used the generic rgh2m nand for trinity - no xell, no boo, fan spins as crazy (!)
3. Assembled retail nand from the donor - few ticking, then red dot.

I tried various wires, resistors...Still nothing( What else can I do?
Saddest thing I couldn't make the Xell run...

misiozol · Mar 12, 2023

Do you have ori nand ?

Xbox 360 Trinity doesn't boot up

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Has A Very Big

Well-Known Member

Power On: The Story of Xbox | Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death​

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Member

Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads

Popular threads in this forum

Power On: The Story of Xbox | Chapter 5: The Red Ring of Death