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How to Take Apart a 5th Generation Video iPod

john Posted at 22:12 on Sat, 05/03/2008
Your rating: None Average: 4.8 (5 votes)

Technical Specifications


Size and weight (30GB model)
Height: 4.1 inches
Width: 2.4 inches
Depth: 0.43 inch
Weight: 4.8 ounces


Required Tools

  • Small Phillips Screw Driver
  • Small Flathead or Exacto Razor
  • Case Opener Tool

Steps

To open the iPod start with slightly squeezing the middle of the ipod to create a small gap between the plastic and the metal part. Then insert the case opener tool and pry along the front bezel wiggeling the tool a bit until the iPod pops open.
Be careful and don't take the two halves apart yet, because there are 2 ribbon cables still attached inside. One connects the headphone jack and the other is for the battery.
First remove the battery cable with a flathead by carefully slipping it under the brown battery clip connector and lifting it up. Make sure you don't use too much force, because the battery connector can easily break off the motherboard, which is not such a good idea.
Now you can open the iPod like a book.
Flip over the hard drive out of the front panel and lay it down.
Next you want to take out the hard drive. Its ribbon cable has two clip connectors; one on the motherboard and one directly on the hard drive. You want to gently pop up the black clip on the hard drive and remove it. Unclipping the other side of the cable is fine as well, but harder to put back together later on.
Now you can easily access the headphone jack cable that is connected with the mother board. Slide a fingernail or flathead underneath the brown connector clip and lift it up.
Here the back of the iPod with the battery and the headphone jack. Since the battery is only glued to the back it might have fallen out, while you opened the halves. If not, we will show you how to remove it later - as well as the headphone jack.
The front part of the iPod: You can see the back of the screen, attached to the motherboard behind a metal frame. on the bottom two little rubber protectors, either grey or blue, are protecting capacitors and might have also already fallen out.
To take out the LCD, first take the flathead and pop the black clip up.
Now you can slide out the LCD screen ribbon cable from the board.
In order to get the LCD screen out we will need to remove the frame holding it. You need to unscrew 6 screws with the small Phillips driver. Three on each side of the iPod.
Now you can safely pull off the aluminum framing. Usually it is a bit sticky, so you might need to use a bit of force to lift it up.
You can now remove the LCD screen and replace it with a new one. Follow the reverse steps to reassemble the iPod. In order to remove the clickwheel or change the motherboard you need to separate the motherboard from the aluminum frame. The motherboard is held on with mild adhesive so you can just push it off the frame with your thumbs. There is a ground connection - an orange cable - holding part of the clickwheel to the frame. Carefully pull it off.
When the motherboard is separated from the frame you can remove the clickwheel by popping up the black part of the connector with a flathead. The clickwheel cable is held on the board with a mild adhesive. Gently peel it off, if necessary by carefully sliding the flathead underneath.
In order to replace the iPod video clickwheel or motherboard follow the reverse steps.
If the battery isn't already loose you will need to insert the case opener tool underneath and pry up. Avoid using a pointy tool like the flathead, because you might puncture the battery with it. In some rare cases the battery is glued to the back so strongly, that you need to be very, very careful not to rip the headphone jack cable underneath it.
The hold switch and headphone jack are connected in one part. You need to unscrew four screws to take it out. The cable is taped to the back, so you need to carefully peel it off.
Once you got out the headphone jack with the hold switch, you get access to a further screw on the hold switch, that assures the actual switch to stay in place. To replace the jack, unscrew that screw and fit the replacement jack cable in the same way.

That's it, just go backwards to reassemble.

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Comments

Thank you!

Anonymous Posted at 03:22 on Mon, 06/23/2008

Thank you very much! This was the perfect guide for me. My ipod just recently started not working, and I didnt want to take it in to get it fixed. I decided to try and open it to see what it was like inside, and I found the problem! My ipod works again!

Question about the tools used

Anonymous Posted at 05:44 on Mon, 05/12/2008

What exactly is a case opener tool, and where can I buy one?

case opener tool

Anonymous Posted at 17:49 on Wed, 07/16/2008

i've seen a stiff guitar pick used

on a howcast video

You can buy them here online :-)

nikki Posted at 00:50 on Fri, 05/16/2008

Hi,
those case opener tools are pretty convenient especially for iPods and Cellphones. I have seen 3 different kinds so far. They are basically identical. They are made of plastic and have a very pointy tip with which you can get into the most narrow gaps for preying whatever case open. The plastic won't cause any damage. Depending on the device one might need a few openers, like for example for the iPhone. I have not seen them in any store so far, but I also haven't checked recently. You can definitely buy them here online.

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