Ipod batteries and Accessories.

You don't have to be a technological wizard, you don't need specialised knowledge, you don't even need great tools. Replacing the battery should be within anyone's capability, and it takes ten minutes.

The battery of my 10 GB scrollwheel pod (bought in March/April 2002) was not dead, but it was running down more quickly, going from four to two bars alarmingly quickly, and with the easy and plentiful availability of batteries, even here in the UK, I decided to take the plunge.

In the UK, Batteries are available from the following:

MDS Battery (UK) Ltd
A12 Hastingwood Trading Estate, Harbet Road
London N18 3HT

http://www.mdsbattery.co.uk/shop/pro...ctGroupID=1249

They charge ?42.51 + VAT + P&P (?58.76 in total). I sent an e-mail on Saturday (when MDS are closed) explaining that I preferred to deal over the phone and not give credit card details out on the net. Henry Mitchell called back on the phone Monday morning, with polite and friendly efficiency. He took my order over the phone on Monday and it was here (via UPS) this morning. henry@mdsbattery.co.uk

PowerUP Laptop Batteries & Power Products
Unit 1, Tramlink Park, Merton, London, SW19 3UA

http://shop.psaparts.co.uk/aka/power...od-series.html

They didn't give the price on their website, but Jason Massimiani <jm2@psaparts.co.uk> e-mailed me and confirmed that they were in stock at ?43, though it wasn't clear how much they'd charge for P&P or whether VAT was included. I'd already ordered from MDS by then.

Finally Everything iPod (Mann Electronics) stock replacement batteries. These are hidden in the repair, maintain and clean section of the site and cost ?41.69 (?48.99 incl. VAT). Though their opening hours include Saturdays, no-one answered the phone when I called, and although I explained my unwillingness to order over the internet when I e-mailed them, their response was to say that "the lines are usually jammed with people asking ipod questions" and that "yes they are in stock and you can order via the website below."

Mann's head office is at: Head Office
Unit 116 Churchill Business Centre, Stirling Way, Borehamwood
Herts, WD6 2HP

http://www.everything-ipod.co.uk/

As far as can be ascertained, none of the UK suppliers provides the detailed instructions and tools like you get from ipodbattery.com (Laptops for less) who supply a flat blade screwdriver) or from the Mobile Knowledge Group (who supply a plastic custom screwdriver). But these are unnecessary, instructions abound on the net, and I cracked my pod with ease using a scalpel and a small screwdriver.

Laptops for less have a battery installation guide at:

http://www.ipodbattery.com/ipodinstall.htm

which is great.

I would add that separating the battery from the HD underneath requires an astonishing, worrying degree of force.

[nucleartool]

Great, 40 quid is a bit expensive for a battery but cheaper than a
new ipod i suppose!

Just wondering, i take it the latest gen ipod's follow the same format? Or is it becoming more tricky as they get smaller?

One thing i'm not clear on though, i imagine the different gen model ipod's dont all take the same battery, is there any price difference between the replacement batteries? Or, maybe they all take the same battery?

Thanks man, this stuff is nice to know!

They do take different batteries. These are different in physical size and in spec. The Gen 1/2 uses a Lithium Polymer UP325385A4H, pumping out 3.7 Volts_at 1200 mAh, while the Gen 3 uses a Lithium Ion 3.7 Volt_ 850 mAh E225846.

The biggest difference though is in how the batteries are located inside the pod, and this makes replacing them as different as chalk and cheese.

The 1/2 Gen iPod is easy, not least because the first thing you get to when you take the back off is the battery. All you have to do is remove it and replace it. You don't have to get intimate with the HD or the motherboard.


The Gen 3 is more difficult, by comparison (battery installation guide at: http://www.ipodbattery.com/slimipodinstall.htm)

The first difference is that once the stainless steel back comes loose, it is still attached by a ribbon cable which runs from the motherboard to one of the ports. You don't want to f*** with that!

Inside the iPod instead of coming to the battery you come to the hard drive which is inexplicably sheathed in blue rubber. You need to remove the hard drive to get to the battery, and to remove that you need to lift all the blue rubber.

Then you need to disconnect the ribbon cable tab that connects the hard drive to the motherboard.

As if that's not enough, when you finally get to the battery, it's
power cable is wrapped under part of the motherboard, and you need to pull this out in order to disconnect the battery.

Having plugged in the new battery you need to stash the power cord back under the motherboard before seating the battery in its place, then you need to reconnect the hard drive (hope you remembered which way the plug went!)

There are stages of this procedure where the whole guts of your iPod will be spread out over the desk, whereas with a Gen 1/2 you only ever take the back off and swap the battery over. I'd have some qualms about doing a battery swap on a Gen 3, I have to say.

[Vendian]

I don't know if i would have the nerve to pry open something as expensice as an ipod. . I didn't even have enough nerve to pry open my $100 TI-83 Plus, lol.

[Adam]

I think I'm going to pry mine apart to make the back 'brushed' instead of chrome, it looks crap with the chrome after sweaty hands have been on it.

[AptMunich]

how would one go about doing that adam?
I don't mean taking it apart, how would you get a nice brushed chrome finish?

[Bob]

This thread contains some useful info for us UK iPod owners and so I have moved it to "Service/Warranty/Repair" and made it a 'sticky'.

Thanks for the research Jackonicko!!

[ruff]

I bought the battery an installed it but my ipod is pretty much dead now...I scratched my Firewire card or somethin like that but I know Apple aint gonna fix my ipod now...anywhere on the net can fix my ipod for less than 250?

Gen 1, 2 or 3?

What are the symptoms?

Did you try re-installing the old battery?

Did you check that the terminals were the right way round?

[AbuSadikot]

Hey i am from the UK too, i have just been refferred to www.ipodsdirtysecret.com, and i am alarmed by the custom offered by Apple Care, my battery is sort of randomly deciding to cash in and call it a day, how do i go about gettin my battery replaced, is there anyway someone else can do it for me, or do i have to order the battery and do it myself???

If your iPod is a Gen 1 or 2 you'd be mad not to do it yourself. It's easy and painless and cheap.

Apple now offer a battery replacement service (it's $99 plus shipping in the USA, it'll be more over here). I'm sure some of the bigger UK outfits do (or will soon) offer a similar service even if Apple UK don't.

Follow the directions here and at

http://www.ipodbattery.com/ipodinstall.htm

and you'll be fine.

At step four I used a flat piece of plastic (a credit card would do) to separate the battery from the HDD, and such a tool is better than a screwdriver to open the case, too.

If you have a Gen 3 pod, I'd be more cautious about 'doing it myself' but then your iPod should still be under Warranty.

[Fuzzpod]

Apple replaces them for 90 bucks :-p thats what i would do rather then viod the warrenty

The chances of the battery crapping out while the pod is still under warranty are remote, so that's not really relevant.

[JBF]

Originally posted by Fuzzpod
Apple replaces them for 90 bucks :-p thats what i would do rather then viod the warrenty

Actually I found this response to the guy who did the Brushed Metal effect to his apple backing. He got this letter after asking them if it would void his warranty.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/brushedipod/letter.htm

I'd hold them to that.