PS3 thermal paste application gone wrong?

I decided to remove the old thermal paste (for replacement) in my old cecha01 ps3 today. I noticed the old thermal paste wasn't as crusty as I've seen, even in newer consoles which is surprising considering how much I've used this PS3 in the past playing intensive games like uncharted 2 and final fantasy 13. Well, I put in the new thermal paste, Arctic Silver 5, put it all back together leaving nothing out, and now the ps3 is buggy. Turned on, reset the time, and started downloading the firmware update. seemed fine until it errored out in the middle of the download.

I turned it off, then back on and the controller wouldn't connect. kept trying but no go, and then I noticed the ps3 had frozen. I flipped the switch in the back, turned it back on and used a keyboard to control the ps3, then the controller finally worked this time when I pressed the ps button. Now, the ps3 gets very warm, I don't hear the fan running, the ps3 is very silent... It also takes pretty long to turn on, but it will eventually turn on like normal. Once on, it tries to connect to psn but after a while fails, without notifying me that it needs the firmware update.

Somethings obviously wrong, I know for sure I reconnected the fan. Maybe I made the mistake of turning the ps3 on in the vertical position with fresh thermal compound, potentially causing it to run, not sure. Also, maybe I used too much thermal compound? I used approximately half the tube of 3.5 grams covering the entire tops of both the gpu and cpu.

There was really no reason for me to replace the thermal compound, I just thought it was finally time after all the ps3 has been through.

EDIT: After letting it sit to cool down, It turns on normal, except once again the controller wont sync and i am also unable to use the keyboard to control the ps3. It's possible I didnt reconnect the wifi/bluetooth module correctly or loosely, but would that explain the usb keyboard not working, keeping in mind that the usb ports are part of the logicboard?

Also, I know arctic silver needs some time to settle in (cure?) but as far as I know that just involves letting the computer run for a few days without doing anything too intensive, correct?

Anyone got any advice? This ps3 is old, but it has NEVER had ylod, I got it second hand in 2008 but the warranty sticker was intact so I know I was the first one to open it (I replaced the laser in 2009)

 

Thermal paste curing is done over many hours and many heating/cooling cycles and it at best gets you a few degrees more cooling but it does not make the difference between the machine burning itself to death and functioning just fine.

Sounds more like to me is the fan isn't kicking in for some reason or you way overdid the thermal paste to the point where it doesn't seat properly anymore, leaning towards the former honestly. Just because its connected doesn't mean it is turning. I'd open it and check EVERYTHING short of redoing the thermal paste - for now.

Should've used IC7 Diamond stuff, it does a better job at a somewhat higher price point.

 

Make sure you applied it like this!
With thermal paste, the less you put the better.
A very thin coat spread evenly, that was masked off with masking tape (or electrical tape)
Also clean the plates VERY well with a micro-fibre cloth. Same goes for the heatsinks!
(the center final blob is not necessary, but I put it anyway. It is actually too much.)

 

Would just like to add to Haunted's post that the old thermal paste should be removed completely to the point where you get a mirror finish on the Processor This can be removed with alcohol wipes.

 

Yes. Alcohol and microfiber cloths once you have removed all you can.
The microfiber cloth just gets where normal tissues can't.

 

Just a thought - isn't Arctic Silver 5 one of those compounds that are electrically conductive (as opposed to ceramic based compounds)? In that case, also make sure you haven't accidentally managed to get it anywhere else than where it's supposed to be. It easily happens, especially if you use too much compound. Also, it might happen when you remove the old paste, that operation is even harder to keep clean. Personally I usually tape a mask around the chip I'm about to remove thermal compound from, to avoid smearing the PCB with the old paste.

 

Well, the wifi/bluetooth board ribbon cable was just loose. I pushed it in further and now the ps3 is working normally, updated, connects to psn, all's fine. I also cleanned up some of the thermal paste. I think this ps3 is ready for a few more years of use.

unrelated: does anyone know where I can get a replacement top cover for this ps3? I don't see any on ebay and mines pretty scuffed along the taller part of the curve.

 

Sometimes they appear on eBay. If not, you will need to phone up some repair shops that fix 360's and PS3's if they have any spares.

 

Check your local Craigslist for a YLOD PS3 and offer to buy the top cover.
Or, buy the whole thing, and toss the board in the oven for fun to see if you temp. fix it.

But really, most of the time there are lots of Craigslist dealers that sell cheap PS3 parts. Chances are one of them have a good condition top cover.