Opening Ipod Nano 3rd

I need to change my battery. I've seen the videos that make this look easy but it has not been so easy for me. I can wiggle the smallest crack around the seams using a guitar pick and assorted plastic levers but can never get beyond that point. Can anyone here describe the "secret" to cracking the case? Freezing? Heating? Thanks for any suggestions.

Reply to
John Keiser
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Apple will charge you about $60 for the honor of changing your battery.

It just works... until the battery dies.

It's not suppose to be easy. Apple does not want you to fix their products. You're expected to pay Apple the equivalent value of a replacement unit for the privledge of continuing to use their product. The other alternative is eWaste and buying the latest model, which probably part of marketing plan.

You have to pry a little with the spudger. The guitar pick isn't really strong enough. You have to pry at the retaining clips. See photo at:

Just follow the instructions. If you don't have the tools, they're for sale on eBay. Search for "spudger". Get some extras. If you trash the spudger edge, use a flat file to make a new edge.

Whatever you do, do NOT use a metal screwdriver. Whatever you do, do NOT use a metal screwdriver. Whatever you do, do NOT use a metal screwdriver. Whatever you do, do NOT use a metal screwdriver.

Around the outside of the case, there's welded strip of stainless steel that acts as part of the mechanism you're trying to take apart. Try very hard NOT to mangle the stainless strip or you'll have serious difficulties getting it back together.

Getting it apart is difficult. Getting it back together is almost as difficult. I had to use two pieces of wood and a bench vise with an iPod Touch 2G. I was lucky I didn't break the glass. Good luck.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Second that. I've handled a few for my anklebiters and the rear never closes as before. The iFixit page recommends "purchasing an additional rear panel to properly reassemble the iPod". One of our iPods continues to live with tape around the seams. Ugly. Good luck and lots of patience.

Reply to
c4urs11

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

maybe someone who has their IPod apart should snap some pics of the case and post them so that others can see where the catches are.

BTW,there's a lot of uses for the metal banding used to tie down shipping crates and large packages. Like scrapers,shims,all sorts of things. When ever I find a large piece,I cut off some strips to stash away.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
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Reply to
Jim Yanik

That's exactly what the iFixit web site tries to do. See above URL. Note that the title describes battery replacement as "very difficult".

Different type of band. The back of the iPod is stainless steel, which is very slightly flexible along the rolled edges. Spot welded to the inside of this edge is a strip of stainless steel with detents bent inward forming the hook part of a latching mechanism. The size and shape of the hooks vary depending on product mutation. Here's the enlarged iPod Nano 3rd mechanism:

The socket part is provided by the cast aluminum frame of the iPod. There's a very thin o-ring in a grove in the aluminum frame for waterproofing. When snapped together, the bent stainless strip locks into sockets cast into the aluminum.

The problem is that there are no provisions in this mechanism for disassembly. There's no way to get under the latching mechanism to release it. A simple goove in the top of the frame would have done that. Instead, one must pry the very inflexible stainless back of the iPod outward and hope that the latches will release. Too much pressure and you can break the glass front. Use the wrong tools, and you'll mangle the stainless strip or aluminum casting, which won't be noticable until it fails to snap back together.

Like anything complex, dealing with Apple's award winning and customer resistent mechanical designs does take some practice. I've disassembled a few and have noticed that later models are becoming increasingly more difficult to disassemble. Apparently the highly "green" Apple is not concerned about the reparability of their products.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

I had seen all the photos but appreciate the encouragement. Dental floss has helped open up a more useable slit. I'll try to be patient. Thanks.

Reply to
John Keiser

Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I didn't mean to use it as trim,but as a TOOL. I made banding into a fine scraper for cal stickers on instrument front panels,pry tools,etc; it's thin,stiff metal,fine for slipping into part of the case that you've pried apart. to help release the hidden inner catches.

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Jim Yanik
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Reply to
Jim Yanik

That's even worse. The guts of various Apple products is a mixture of materials most of which will be damaged by anything harder than a guitar pick. I used a metal pocket screwdriver on an iPod 2G and made a mess of the aluminum casting. Other units have ribbon cables VERY close to the edge, which will get shredded by metal tools. I recommend staying with plastic for spudgers, pry bars, and warranty violator tools. However, if you want to use metal, a dental spudger works nicely, mostly because it's very stiff, and has well rounded edges and corners.

I tried to use banding for shims and tension wrenchs in lock picking. There are better materials as the banding stuff is rather brittle.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

of

catches.

Do any old-world types know of an equivalent term for spudger?

I've heard the term a Jim Crow in the UK, for some specialised tool or jig made up for some specific job, seems to have been a term borrowed the new-world where it means solely a specialised tool in rail-track laying process and nothing else , it would seem.

Reply to
N_Cook

"N_Cook" wrote in news:k0dngp$jup$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:

Amazon.uk certainly recognizes "spudger" as being the same sort of thing it is in the USA. It's basically a small rod with a (typically) wedge shaped end. The original use I saw was for folding over the leads of through hole components (like resistors) before soldering on a PCB. I've seen them described as "lead benders". The ones I use the most are disposable orange wood sticks. They can be modified with a pocket knife into a variety of special geometries.

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

Miniature spatula.

I also use these to shovel powdered chemicals between the supply bin and the ummm... experiment.

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

If anyone reads this: care should be taken in using a guitar oick or any instrument on the phone plog side of the case. There are only 2 release clips near the phone plug. The lower portion next to the LCD screen has no clips. I knew that but it was easier to work my pick in at that point. In doing so and sliding back and forth to gain space, I must have rubbed the LCD cable the wrong way. It "looked" ok but would not display. Replacing the LCD fixed the issue. Next time I will be less aggressive!

Reply to
John Keiser

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