This past week I tried to fix my wife’s iPod. I thought, “I can do this.”
In the past week my wife’s iPod was acting funny. Since this was a “hand me down” from me I felt obligated to see if I could fix the problem.
Turns out there were some black streaks running through the LCD display of the 5th Generation iPod Video. I had replaced the battery myself about 2 months ago with a battery I ordered online but now these black streaks were bothering her…and me.
Upon inspection, I noticed the faceplate was coming off. So I looked online and ordered a replacement faceplate. Cost me about $12 with $2 shipping.
It arrived and went to work on replacing it. Click on the pictures for a larger view – they had some VERY VERY small screws! I had to get my daughter to help me put those on the tip of my screwdriver!
I carefully took it apart and replaced the new faceplate, held my breath and turned it on – but it didn’t do anything to fix those black streaks on the LCD. They seemed to be getting worse.
Some more investigation online and it seemed that the LCD was going bad. It’s a 5yr old iPod so I figured maybe it was time to see if I could replace the LCD myself. Looking and getting prices plus quotes to send it in and get it fixed, I decided I could buy the LCD online for $30 with shipping. I would be saving about $70. But it would mean I would have to totally disassemble the iPod and I was worried.
But then my mantra kicked in…
If it’s already broken, then take it apart and try to fix it – if you don’t then you haven’t lost anything but you have all to gain.
So I did a trial disassemble to see if I could get to the LCD before I ordered the part. I took it apart, then put it back together and it started up! So I ordered the LCD.
It arrived and I went to work…then I broke the battery connector that was soldered to the logic board…
DOH!
I can’t fix that. So I threw in the towel. I must’ve pushed my luck on the battery connector one too many times in my trial disassembly and it snapped off.
I showed my wife and I could see she was bummed (but not as much as me) so I purchased her a refurbished 120gb iPod online. She was happy to get something electronic from that was not a “hand me down.” I’m going to return the unused LCD part minus a $5 shipping fee.
You win some, you lose some.
Beto