General Troubleshooting

If you encounter an issue with using your PS4 console, the solution may be posted here! Please note that the solutions here are in no way official and may not be 100% accurate as these are community sourced. We do not take any responsibility for any actions you take to repair your console. You are responsible for your console and any warranties that apply to it or anything that results of you taking these steps.

Console flashes white and there is no picture on the screen (WLOD)

This error is the result of the video signal not reaching the TV, try some common basic troubleshooting steps, such as trying a different HDMI cord or seeing if it's your TV.

If the above does not work, attempt booting the console into Safe Mode:

1. Turn the console off by holding the power button until it powers down.
2. Press and hold the power button until you hear a second beep, this should take about 7 seconds.
3. The console should now be in safe mode, connect your controller via USB and press the PS button.
   • If you do not see anything on screen still, continue to the next troubleshooting step.
4. If you do see something on screen, select the "Change Resolution" option which should correct any resolution settings that were corrupt.
5. Once the console reboots, you should change the video settings to something that matches the settings for your TV.
   • If the PS4 rebooted and you still do not see any picture, reboot back into safe mode and try the other options, such as "Restore Default Settings" and if necessary, "Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software)" which the latter will wipe everything and restore you to default PS4 System Software.

If Safe Mode does not output any video, the issue may be with the PS4 console, it's notorious that the HDMI port on original PS4's was not that good and may need to be replaced. You could try cleaning it though with these steps:

Tools Required: Isopropyl Alcohol (>=70%), Cotton Q-Tips, Canned Air (if applicable)

1. Ensure the PS4 is powered off and the power cable is unplugged
2. If you have Canned Air, blast the HDMI port in short bursts to loosen any hard material that may be stuck
3. Dip your Q-Tip in the Isopropyl Alcohol
4. Rub the inside of the HDMI port as much as you can and try to clean the metal contacts on the port as much as you can
5. You can try taking an HDMI cord and moving it in and out of the port to try and loosen any gunk on the port.
6. Let the port dry (This should take a few minutes at most) and then try to power on the console
7. If this does not work, continue to the next troubleshooting step

If cleaning the port did not work, the issue could be the port or the HDMI IC itself is just faulty and needs replaced. We do not provide these steps here but you can find guides and tutorials all over the internet. Experience in Soldering required.

Console flashes red (RLOD)

The console is overheating, use Compressed Air to clean out the cooling vents alongside the console and if necessary, replace the thermal compound on the CPU heatsink. If that does not work, the console's thermal sensors in the CPU may be faulty or the cooling fan may need to be replaced. iFixit has a guide on how to replace the fan, but unfortunately the CPU is tied to the console and cannot be replaced.

• ConsoleMods Wiki does not recommend trying reflowing or reballing as that does not guarantee success and is regarded as a waste of time.

Console flashes blue and there is no picture on screen (BLOD)

The BLOD occurs when the console fails it's start-up self tests, and is regarded as a general system failure.

Replace PSU, HDD, and attempt to put more pressure on the APU to see if potentially the BGA has a cracked solder ball. Historically, it's been the opinion of this site that reflowing/reballing is generally a waste of time. However, the PS4 does suffer from production faults where the BGA can crack and a reflow/reball will fix. This is able to be diagnosed with extra pressure on the BGA. You can do this by putting washers under the screws for the heatsink, or by using the X-clamp for an X360 as demonstrated in this video by TheCod3r. If the system boots with extra pressure, then the BGA is at fault and a reflow/reball should be performed. You can also try heating the CPU with a hot air station, at a low heat for 15 seconds, as thermal stress may cause the BGA to temporarily reconnect.

Note: The pressure test is not a permanent fix. You WILL warp the board and cause further issues. You should only do this for testing purposes and should undo it before continuing with repair or further testing.

The PS4 also has a UART interface that you can tap into for diagnostic information from the Southbridge. With this, you can get a general idea as to what is failing the self tests. (Note: requires advanced repair/technical knowledge)