[KillerBug]

My website says not to use the Set-N-Forget version of BC models; the other two versions (and the DIY version) work fine with the BC models. The easiest one to install in any fat model is the "Hidden Control" version.

There are a few good reasons for using these. The first is when the fan does not run fast enough by itself, resulting in temperatures that are high enough to cause damage quickly. The second is that the fan tends to wait too long to start...so temperatures get high before the fan kicks in, and then drop back down to safe levels after the fan kicks in. The third most common issue is that sometimes the fan runs too fast after a YLOD repair; not so much a reliability issue as much as a noise issue.

If it takes two minutes before the fan suddenly starts going fast, this can be due to actual cooling issues like bad/poorly applied thermal compound or warped contact areas, or it can be a result of damaged thermal controls (the thermal sensing diodes or the chips that monitor them).

Personally, I would not even consider running a PS3 with firmware over 3.15 without a fan controller...even under ideal conditions, the firmware runs the fan too slow. It sounds like your fan is working about how firmware 3.55+ is designed to run it, and that by itself is probably the reason that you got a YLOD to begin with.

[Herman]

Try replacing the thermal paste UNDER the CPU and GPU IHS'. Should sort the flashing red light issue (indicates overheating, but can show up if there is poor contact to the heatsinks & IHS).