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iPod I found an iPod in the trash

T

timelord726

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 4, 2007
80
0
Maryland, USA
I found what appears to be a fifth-generation 30 GB iPod sitting in the trash. After numerous attempts to get it working, I can state pretty authoritatively that the battery will not hold a charge (plugging it in and letting it charge just results in the battery with lightning bolt forever), and the backlight in the screen does not work (the screen itself comes on, but just won't get past the battery icon even after letting it charge for days).

HT1435_5.jpg


I just wanted to get a second opinion (or two) before returning it to the trash can. I'm not an iPod man myself (except for the iPod touch; I own an iPhone), so even if I could fix it I probably wouldn't use it. I just want to make sure I shouldn't attempt to sell it for parts or give it to someone who might be able to fix it.

Trash?
 
Take it to Apple next time you are buying an ipod, I believe you'll get 10% or something like that off.
 
Squeeze play

I have a color ipod (20gb). Same issue. Apple store didn't the 10% discount, rather a flip remark... " you got four years out of it, just get a new one."

I was going to buy a new circuit board from iFixIt (good people), but tried this out of desperation. I had nothing to lose.

Here's what I did.
Turn the iPod on.
At the 10:00 o'Clock position outside the click wheel and close to the edge of the case, but below the display, I squeezed the case (hard) ... between my thumb and forefinger.

It rebooted! I've been using it for the past three months. Occasionally when the battery runs down, the iPod reverts to its non-functional self. When it does, I repeat the process and I'm back in business.

I'll start looking for new iPod soon. Until then... this works in a pinch.
 
frankmansell said:
I have a color ipod (20gb). Same issue. Apple store didn't the 10% discount, rather a flip remark... " you got four years out of it, just get a new one."

I was going to buy a new circuit board from iFixIt (good people), but tried this out of desperation. I had nothing to lose.

Here's what I did.
Turn the iPod on.
At the 10:00 o'Clock position outside the click wheel and close to the edge of the case, but below the display, I squeezed the case (hard) ... between my thumb and forefinger.

It rebooted! I've been using it for the past three months. Occasionally when the battery runs down, the iPod reverts to its non-functional self. When it does, I repeat the process and I'm back in business.

I'll start looking for new iPod soon. Until then... this works in a pinch.
Click to expand...
How strange! Sadly this doesn't seem to have any effect on the one I have...
 
i had an ipod that was about a year and a half out of warranty. i figured what the heck ill try to get it fixed in the apple store. after driving up to the store and waiting, the genius comes out the back room and states he has bad news, he is unable to fix the ipod. the good news was that he would be able to give me a new one, free of charge. this is when i started only buying apple stuff. can get over the amazing customer service that they give you. Lloyd
 
frankmansell said:
I have a color ipod (20gb). Same issue. Apple store didn't the 10% discount, rather a flip remark... " you got four years out of it, just get a new one."
Click to expand...

That is very strange, never heard of that.
Like 6 months ago, maybe a little longer I traded my 512MB 1st Gen Shuffle in and got a 32GB iPod Touch, got 39.99 for the shuffle, almost what I paid for it.
 
Take it to the Apple store, ask if they can look at it.
"It just stopped working.."
Your not really lying so much as telling the truth.
See what they do.
Who knows? You may get lucky!:apple::D
 
If it's a battery thing

Well, you could buy a replacement battery and see if that's the problem. I haven't tried the newer iPods, but replaced the hard drive on a Gen2 iPod once.

Alternately, crack it open and spend $5 for a cheap enclosure. You now have a 30GB hard drive for $5. Along these lines, you could see if one of the places that sells iPod parts would give you a credit.

BB

timelord726 said:
I found what appears to be a fifth-generation 30 GB iPod sitting in the trash...
Click to expand...
 
puckhead193 said:
you can use it as an external drive
Click to expand...

Not if it won't get past the "battery is too low for use" charging screen he can't.

I'd buy a battery replacement kit just for kicks and see if that fixes it. They can be had for $15 or so. If that fixes it it could probably bring you $50 on ebay.

Better than a kick in the teeth,
 
palane said:
Well, you could buy a replacement battery and see if that's the problem. I haven't tried the newer iPods, but replaced the hard drive on a Gen2 iPod once.

Alternately, crack it open and spend $5 for a cheap enclosure. You now have a 30GB hard drive for $5. Along these lines, you could see if one of the places that sells iPod parts would give you a credit.

BB
Click to expand...

It's really easy to replace the battery on the 30GB 5G iPod. There's literally one connector. Take out the old battery, put in the new one and close it up again. It'd take 2 minutes.

Free iPod :)
 
instaxgirl said:
It's really easy to replace the battery on the 30GB 5G iPod. There's literally one connector. Take out the old battery, put in the new one and close it up again. It'd take 2 minutes.

Free iPod :)
Click to expand...

My battery is failing on my 5th gen ipod. Any suggestions on a cheap place to pick up a battery for it?
 
Hmm, I'm UK based and buy mine from Maplin (too impatient to wait for online delivery)

Amazon, eBay, iFixit all have them though. Plus a million iPod repair sites. I'd spend about £20 on one. iFixit's probably the best known site for iPod parts and you can get an opening tool or whatever they call it at the same time (I just used a tiny flat head screwdriver because I wasn't bothered about scratching my iPod) but you'd be just as well with one from a reliable eBay seller.
 
instaxgirl said:
Hmm, I'm UK based and buy mine from Maplin (too impatient to wait for online delivery)

Amazon, eBay, iFixit all have them though. Plus a million iPod repair sites. I'd spend about £20 on one. iFixit's probably the best known site for iPod parts and you can get an opening tool or whatever they call it at the same time (I just used a tiny flat head screwdriver because I wasn't bothered about scratching my iPod) but you'd be just as well with one from a reliable eBay seller.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! What's the deal with all the $4-5 replacement battery's on ebay? Are they DOA?
 
hey that's one nice trash you got there! If I were you I'll go to Apple see if they can do anything with it to make it work, if it's going to be expensieve, I get the harddrive out of it and use it. :rolleyes:
 
Lloyd Christmas said:
[...]. the good news was that he would be able to give me a new one, free of charge. this is when i started only buying apple stuff. can get over the amazing customer service that they give you.
Click to expand...

That's exactly the opposite of what Apple's reaction (and reputation) in the Netherlands is. Over here, Apple grands you one one year of guarantee, although the legal minimum is more, depending on the product.

The only way to get your guarantee though, is by either buying an expensive extra insurance from Apple or having your attorney writing them a letter. Even then it can take weeks or more before your Mac / iPod gets repaired.

Quite interesting to see Apple is so much customer friendly in the US.
 
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