So there you are happily playing GTA IV on your 360 when boom, the game freezes! You think, well, don’t worry and turn off the console, take out the record, and then turn it on again. You see the dreaded red lights and panic, and then you search the internet and find your way to this article.

Well, the good news is, this article will tell you what red lights mean, how they occur, and what you can do to try to fix them.

The bad news is, as you’ve probably guessed, they indicate a problem with your Xbox!

OK, don’t panic, here we go:

Red lights are caused by the same thing that happens on the Xbox 360 overheating!

Typically this doesn’t depend on where you store the console, unless you keep it by a fire or heater, in which case move it to a cooler location. The issues stem from the Xbox’s design and lack of cooling, so it can be helpful to buy a Nyko intercooler, which is 3 fans that plug into the back and provide 3x more cooling.

The CPU and GPU overheat and as the solder loosens the motherboard bends and then the solder breaks and that’s when you get this problem.

So what can you do to repair your Xbox?

Well, if you have all 3 red lights, you can send the Xbox back to Microsoft and they will fix it for you. The only downside is that they have a lot to do, and if you ship it, you’ll find yourself waiting weeks for a repaired console to be returned.

If you can’t wait that long, you can search for an Xbox 360 repair guide online and there are some, however not all are of the same quality, so do your homework first and make sure you get one that has a full warranty and also! step by step videos to show you how to fix it!

I hope this article helped you figure out what is wrong with your 360 and provided you with a way to fix these issues.