PS3 syscon error a0801001 a0801004

[azlox9]

Hello everyone
​

I got my hands on an CECHC04 PS3, flagged as "faulty lens", won't read discs.

The warranty seal wasn't tampered, the console was sold as it.

On the original hard drive smart, I saw that the console has only 145 days of use, for approximatively 500 power/on off.

First, when I got it, the console won't display on the first try : first boot, green led, black screen, I had to power cycle for it to display on the screen.

On the XMB, the console was working flawlessy.

Then, I dissassembled it, cleaned it (full of smoke/dust, used in a very dirty environnement, isopropyl alcohol and lot of time and effort.

I replaced the lens, and here we go : drive were detected.

That's when the troubles started : first game inserted, loaded : black screen system hang.
Power cycled : XMB loaded, then green artefacts on the screen, then system crashed.

Power cycled again : black screen, green led, no display, system hang.

So, I took it appart again, soldered the USB COM port to read the syscon, and I saw on the error log, 2 errors, A0801001 and A0801004, repeating, the only ones, no other errors.

So... is it the NEC/TOKIN? I've already replaced them on other console, but it's a pain to do it clean, I have all the stuff, but I want to be sure before starting the replacement.

Any hint ? at least, it seems that it's not an RSX/CELL fault, even with the artefacts before the final crash.

Thanks for any help.

 

[bguerville]

You should maybe call in the cavalry directly with the mention system rather than leave a post with a link in another thread. [emoji6]
@vyktormvmpay25
@squeept
@RIP-Felix
@Pacorretaco
and the others..

 

[vyktormvmpay25]

Go to internal mode running "clearerrlog " then "bringup" twice then "errlog". After that copy all and post it here. Assuming you didn't read step by step RIP-Felix link from his signature please do that as well.
Also post all measurements around cell rsx see if any real short circuit în power lines from 12v and 5v down to cell and rsx vddc

 

[azlox9]

Go to internal mode running "clearerrlog " then "bringup" twice then "errlog". After that copy all and post it here. Assuming you didn't read step by step RIP-Felix link from his signature please do that as well.
Also post all measurements around cell rsx see if any real short circuit în power lines from 12v and 5v down to cell and rsx vddc

Thanks for your reply.
Sorry, the thread is huge, there is a lot of replies, I don't know exactly where to start.
Could you give me the link to the post with the details on how to do the voltage measurements ?
Thanks

 

[Pacorretaco]

That's when the troubles started : first game inserted, loaded : black screen system hang.
Power cycled : XMB loaded, then green artefacts on the screen, then system crashed.

Power cycled again : black screen, green led, no display, system hang.

So, I took it appart again, soldered the USB COM port to read the syscon, and I saw on the error log, 2 errors, A0801001 and A0801004, repeating, the only ones, no other errors.

So... is it the NEC/TOKIN? I've already replaced them on other console, but it's a pain to do it clean, I have all the stuff, but I want to be sure before starting the replacement.

Any hint ? at least, it seems that it's not an RSX/CELL fault, even with the artefacts before the final crash.

Thanks for any help.

Hmm, no it is not the NEC/Tokin capacitors.

You have graphical artifacting/GLOD.
The SYSCON cannot really help there because it is not detecting any error (that's why the light stays green, no YLOD, no beeps, no blinking red).
Those 1001 or 1004 errors should be ignored because generally they mean nothing.

The good and bad news is that the issue is more obvious than you might think.
Yes, it is a CELL/RSX fault most likely. More specifically I would say RSX/VRAM related issue, which is not rare at all. The giveaway are the "greenish" artifacts.
The CELL is probably OK in this case but the board still requires confident BGA work, like in most cases when dealing with these old machines.

We can speculate more, but Is not the first time we see something like that. Often after physical shock or rough shipping.





Oh well

 

[azlox9]

Hmm, no it is not the NEC/Tokin capacitors.

You have graphical artifacting/GLOD.
The SYSCON cannot really help there because it is not detecting any error (that's why the light stays green, no YLOD, no beeps, no blinking red).
Those 1001 or 1004 errors should be ignored because generally they mean nothing.

The good and bad news is that the issue is more obvious than you might think.
Yes, it is a CELL/RSX fault most likely. More specifically I would say RSX/VRAM related issue, which is not rare at all. The giveaway are the "greenish" artifacts.
The CELL is probably OK in this case but the board still requires confident BGA work, like in most cases when dealing with these old machines.

We can speculate more, but Is not the first time we see something like that. Often after physical shock or rough shipping.

View attachment 37026

View attachment 37027
View attachment 37028
Oh well

Thanks for your reply.
That's sad... it was working before I repaired the drive, and launched a game, artefacts and voila.
The console doesn't have a lot of running time, I've good another BC model with 1000h of power on and it's working flawlessy.
That's a gambling, here in France the CECHC04 are very hard to find, I'm already lucky to have fixed a fews..
I'll probably keep spare PSU/drive/accessories, then maybe sold the MB on ebay for a verry little amount, if someone is willing to reball the chip.
I tried to replace 1 of the CELL tokin, and the result is the same, having all the tools, I've done it properly, and yes the issue is the same (clean work, solder paste, good iron and soldering, replaced 1 in 10 minutes...).
Mayve I'll have more luck next time!

 

[Timmy19]

Hi, I no expert so just wanted to get that out there. In fact I'm still yet to read the Syscon, this is because I mainly deal with working consoles. However every time I have seen green anomalies and GLOD it's always been a CPU substrate issue. (unless the controller connects every time then its something else) The reason I know this is because I have used a pressure mod to connect the solder balls back together. Let me be clear this is a mod and not a fix, I'm currently testing 7 consoles that have had the mod applied and all are still working with one console lasting over 13 months so far. So if you apply this pressure mod and your console boots without the graphical glitches it's likely you will need a CPU reball.

See link below for the mod. Your see the green glitches and then the mod is applied in real time and then tested showing the console is fully working.

Used an old phone and its used an old user name. I'm actually timbo98765

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

 

[azlox9]

Hi, I no expert so just wanted to get that out there. In fact I'm still yet to read the Syscon, this is because I mainly deal with working consoles. However every time I have seen green anomalies and GLOD it's always been a CPU substrate issue. (unless the controller connects every time then its something else) The reason I know this is because I have used a pressure mod to connect the solder balls back together. Let me be clear this is a mod and not a fix, I'm currently testing 7 consoles that have had the mod applied and all are still working with one console lasting over 13 months so far. So if you apply this pressure mod and your console boots without the graphical glitches it's likely you will need a CPU reball.

See link below for the mod. Your see the green glitches and then the mod is applied in real time and then tested showing the console is fully working.

Used an old phone and its used an old user name. I'm actually timbo98765

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, that what I was thinking, but since I had spare capacitor, I tried to replace 1 tokin to give it a try.

I had this on 2 motherboard from unopened console, after thermal paste replace.

I carrefully removed the radiator, but it seems that the solder were faulty and the little pressure generated by the removal broke them.

The console had in common not too many time of use, approximatively 30 days (reported from the original hard disk SMART).

One of the motherboard has been sold, the other one is still listed on eBay, if someone equipped want to give a shot.

 

[Pacorretaco]

Hi, I no expert so just wanted to get that out there. In fact I'm still yet to read the Syscon, this is because I mainly deal with working consoles. However every time I have seen green anomalies and GLOD it's always been a CPU substrate issue. (unless the controller connects every time then its something else) The reason I know this is because I have used a pressure mod to connect the solder balls back together. Let me be clear this is a mod and not a fix, I'm currently testing 7 consoles that have had the mod applied and all are still working with one console lasting over 13 months so far. So if you apply this pressure mod and your console boots without the graphical glitches it's likely you will need a CPU reball.

See link below for the mod. Your see the green glitches and then the mod is applied in real time and then tested showing the console is fully working.

Used an old phone and its used an old user name. I'm actually timbo98765

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

Hello Timbo,

Yes I didnt really comment but I knew about your thread and your pressure tricks hehehe.
And yeah I think they are... interesting but personally I am not so sure it is necessarily a "CPU substrate" issue.

When you put heavy pressure under the CPU, you are not just messing with the CPU but also flexing the whole board which make the issue more difficult to isolate.

Personally I am more inclined to think that this flexing is temporarily reconnecting some RSX/RSXVRAM related contact, like has also been reported to change behavior with different pressure tests.
I have also seen this issue "begin" after people simply open and close, maybe for "preventative maintenances" like replacing thermal paste etc... Disassembly and reassembly alone can be enough to change behaviour of these precarious connections.

There are also contacts that go directly between the CPU and the RSX and these could indeed break either on the CPU or RSX side. But
as far as I know... normally these would be caught in the powerup sequence and trigger a YLOD; which isnt really happening here.

And while this is interesting, the problem is that the board would relax eventually, or the temporary flexing could become a permanent deformation over time... And end up having opposite effects.
Putting some abnormal pressure in certain areas that were meant to have some flexibility can concentrate stress on other areas and is hard to say how that could evolve

Anyway maybe some of our good friends like @RIP-Felix or @vyktormvmpay25 can comment on this or explain better (why this is "against their religion" hehehe)

Cheers

 

[vyktormvmpay25]

Well Paco you explain very well all risks , I can not force people to understand more if they want cheap way is them decision. Either way if I am able to recover board by reball another rsx or reball same cell and is passing from 3034 errors then is fine. If state is changed from 3034 to another error like 1601,1701,1802, or another unusual errors 3013 etc... after cell reball then I gave up.
This is always a gambling if they start or not were time is lost. I really can't fight anymore over and over.
As you already see in many videos from Computer Booter, they should work right away after rsx swap done well, or even in drop units full reball work in lucky situation.

 

[Timbo9876]

Yes, I originally believed this was man made. After doing some maintenance work on a console I realised during tests that I was getting glitches and graphic anomalies.

Because I record my referbishments I looked back on the recording and I noticed I couldn't separate the CPU heat spreader away from the heatsink. It eventually separated but not without using more force than I was comfortable with.

So I added pressure to the CPU and the issue was resolved, so I believe I pulled at the CPU substrate and broke some solder connections that the pressure is now reconnecting. (I use thermal pads to create the pressure and I haven't seen anyone do it in the same way that I do)

What I am doing is an experiment, the only reason I decided to share it was because I am confident the modification lasts a reasonable amountof time. (the first one I did this is is now 14 months old and has done over 90 hours of game play). The other reason is a reball costs a lot of money and we don't all have the expertise or the money to get this fix done. Also I know lots of people that have had a reball and it's not lasted more than 6 months.

So yes a reball is the absolute correct way to fix this issue or more ideally a Frankenstein with a CPU reball, however I will continue to test this pressure mod until it fails, to date none of them have.

I have received a lot of negative comments regarding this mod, just so we are clear I am not promoting this over a correct fix. I am merely suggesting its an option if you can't fix it yourself or don't have the finances to get someone else to fix it for you. Basically if your only option is to bin it or sell it for peanuts as spares then this mod is for you, otherwise get a professional to perform the correct fix.

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