What is the actual cause of the "yellow light of death"? the cell, gpu etc?

And to the people that lost game saves etc, couldn't you just remove the hard drive before getting it repaired?

I beleive they tell you to remove the HDD when sending the unit in.  I certainly would

If you got nothing to lose....

Open you PS3, clean the surface on the CPU and the GPU with this or isopropyl rubbing alcohol : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARCTICLEAN-THERMAL-CPU-PASTE-CLEANER-REMOVER-PURIFIER_W0QQitemZ200328366388QQihZ010QQcategoryZ46322QQcmdZViewItem

Then put a new thermal paste on the CPU and GPU : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ARCTIC-SILVER-5-AS5-THERMAL-CPU-PASTE-COMPOUND-3-5G_W0QQitemZ200328366470QQcmdZViewItemQQptZComputing_ComputerComponents_Fans_Heatsinks_SR?hash=item200328366470&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1690|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

I don't think the YLoD is related to any one specific item. Microsoft used the lights on the front of the system as debug lights. As far as I can tell, Sony didn't do the same other than yellow=broken.

As for harddrive. I believe you can take it out, but it won't work unless you use it on the same system. I'm not sure though.

my ps3 got the ylod a month ago the sad part about it is a few days after my ps3 breaks down my wii starts to scratch my discs and after i get both back my xbox breaks down

Ahh ok, so yellow light just means not all is well with the system? and there isn't anyway of knowing the actual cause without sending it in to Sony? isn't there repair kits for ps3's like there are on 360's?

Oh, that's a pain, I only have the standard hard drive in my ps3 and never tried taking it out but I thought it would let you put it in another ps3 and it would work with all your content?

You were an unlucky one.

It didn't happen to him, he posted an article and made a comment at the end of the post.

My PS3 never gave me ANY problems at all. Its a very reliable machine.

you say that now...