iPod Battery replacement

Has anyone actually had their battery replaced? Did they have someone (that wasn’t Apple) do it? Did you do it yourself? I went to Batteries Plus today and they wanted $30 for the battery (a special order) and then $20 to install it.

And the guy actually asked who makes the iPod. WTF?

I wouldn’t trust someone who doesn’t know who makes the iPod to replace the battery.

I sent in my iPod Mini for battery replacement a year and a half after I got it. They just send back another refurbished iPod of the same type, not your original one. This was a few years ago, so you might want to check if they changed this policy.

Certain iPod models (like the mini) had serious problems with battery life dying over time. What kind of iPod is this?

As a side note, my one trip to the apple store to address this very problem was quite unpleasant, and not very helpful. The staff there didn’t believe in responding to customers asking for help, unless there name was their computerized list. When I did finally get some help, they were impatient and not very helpful. Again, this was one store about 4 years ago, but I think you best bet is to send it back to apple or get a new iPod. I have had my new iPod nano for about 10 months and it has not once run out of battery power, and I use it almost every day.

Huh. My iPhone is really good with the battery (and I use the hell out of it) but my MacBook… middling at best. I should probably pay more attention to battery technology.

For a qualified tech to replace it, the replacement will run you around of USD$75. That’s why RadioShack always pushes the service plans so hard on iPods as battery replacement is covered annually under such. RadioShack Service (stop in at any local store for drop-off) can do the swap for you of Apple’s infernal custom shape and size battery even without the service plan but it will run about the cost I mention.

Depending upon the model, replacement may sadly be a cheaper option.

Warning. Warning. Warning.

Concur with Alpaca Herder. However, there are a couple of key elements we need to know to give a fully qualified opinion, primarily generation of iPod and capacity and how long ago you got it.

I also recommend only dealing with Apple. I haven’t dealt with them for a while now, but they were courteous and proactive in helping me with my dead iPod battery. I think I ended up paying 60 bucks for it…also check to see if they extend the warrantee if they handle.

Important note: Dead iPod battery does not mean useless iPod. I use my iPod with the dead battery as my livingroom jukebox. It lives in a Bose speaker, so the battery life is not an issue. You can also use a dead iPod in your car the same way. If you plug it into a powered USB port you can also use it as a large flash drive or backup device. That livingroom dead batter iPod? It also has a complete backup of my father-in-law’s laptop. :smiley:

It’s a 30gig 5th gen (video)-about 5 years old (or maybe 4-I forget). It used to have a long life between charges but now I’m lucky to get 6 and a half hours out of a charge (not good on an 8 hour workshift)
So It’s not completely dead-but it’s been tempting to pick up a shuffle as the “spare ipod” for when the 30 gig runs out of power and I need something for the end of work.

Well, 4-5 years sounds like a reasonable lifetime for an iPod battery, but since I have only owned minis and nanos I’ll let someone else with more knowlege of that type of iPod answer it. Sending it back still might be your best bet, but cost wise a shuffle would probably end up about the same. It depends if the battery keeps getting worse to the point it is not usable.

Replacing an Ipod battery isn’t complicated if you have the tools. You can find the tools online for about $10. This would void any warranty so it is only a good idea for older models. Also, if you don’t ever plan on needing to crack one open again it probably isn’t worth it. I wouldn’t trust anyone I met that doesn’t know who makes the Ipod.

I just found a site that has the battery and the tool in a kit for $29. This would be a cake walk for anyone with a Geek Card. They also have a video on the site that shows you how to do it.

Whatever you do, replacing the battery will be better than putting money into a shuffle. If you purchased a battery online or from Apple it will be a new model and have a much longer run time (at least 2X) so you will see a BIG difference. :cool:

Ive done several of them now. if you are good with little tools and can be careful with the little interior parts of the ipod then its a piece of cake.

I sucessfully replaced the battery on my beloved mini. If you’re careful and don’t touch the parts they say not to touch, success will be yours. The instructions that came with the tools were handy-dandy and had great pics to boot. If full ipod replacement is not an option right now, then DIY is the way to go for ye of the steady hands.