If you're a Microsoft Xbox 360 owner and you've come across this article, I'm sure you know how utterly painful it is to see those three red lights on the front of your console. Maybe your console has been acting strange lately, or maybe the red ring of death was completely unexpected.

Whatever the case, this article about things you should know about Xbox 360 three red lights warranty information.

What Does Xbox 360 Warranty Cover?

Xbox 360 warranties cover manufacturing defects and flaws. Warranties never cover wear and tear, product abuse, or any accident that leads to product malfunction (by the owner).

That being said, the three red lights error (and the E74 error) is covered under Microsoft's warranty.

How the Repair Procedure Works

If your console is having problems, the first thing you need to do is find out if the warranty is still valid. To check it, you can call 1-800-4-MY-XBOX or visit the support site on Microsoft's website.

If you're still covered, you can either print out a shipping label from their website or have them mail you one (which takes about 4 days).

After this you will pack your console in a box and send it off to them.

Microsoft claims that this procedure takes around 21 days, but many Xbox 360 owners complain about excessive wait times, some up to 6 and 8 weeks without their consoles.

Getting Your Xbox 360 Back

When you get your Xbox 360 back, you'll be receiving a refurbished model Xbox 360 that has previously been shipped to Microsoft. This console may or may not experience three red lights at a later time. This is because Microsoft does not fix the root cause of the problem, but instead only resets the error code.

What If You're Not Covered Under Warranty?

Chances are your console might not be covered under warranty any longer. If this is the case then you can still have Microsoft repair your console, but you will also have to pay repair service fees for the three red lights.