Repair guide · iPod 3rd Gen

iPod 3rd Gen front panel and touch wheel replacement

  • DifficultyModerate
  • Steps17
  • SolderingNone
Quick answer

This guide covers the iPod 3rd Gen sold in 2003 and 2004 (model A1040, 10GB to 40GB), and two parts: the touch wheel cable and the white front panel. On this iPod the touch wheel, the center button and the row of four touch buttons are all built into the front panel, and one orange flex cable carries them to the logic board. Both jobs begin the same way, with the logic board out. A cable swap stops there; a front panel swap moves the screen, battery and cable across to the replacement panel. Wheel and button failures are rare on this model, so check the cable is seated before you buy.

Before you start

  • Pick the right partWheel or buttons dead but the panel looks fine: start with the touch wheel cable. Cracked or deeply scratched window, or a damaged wheel: the front panel, which comes with the wheel and all the buttons built in. If neither a replacement cable nor a replacement panel brings them back, the logic board is next in line.
  • A lock on the screen? Look elsewhere firstIf a lock icon stays on the screen and nothing responds, even with Hold off, the likely cause is the headphone jack ribbon, which carries Hold, not the touch wheel.
  • Reseat before you replaceAfter an earlier repair, the cable may only be half in. Seating it squarely at the board with its latch closed (steps 1 to 7 show how to reach it) may bring the wheel back. If it does, the cable itself was fine; only the connection was at fault. Not sure? Our free repair quote finds the fault first.
  • Very hot or smelling? Leave it shutIf the iPod is very hot or smells, unplug it from any charger and leave the case shut. If you can move it safely, set it on a non-flammable surface, at least 2 feet (60 cm) from paper or anything else that burns, with a container of dry sand within reach, and let it cool completely. Then contact us.
  • Keep dry sand at handWork on a non-flammable surface, at least 2 feet from paper and anything else that burns, with 8 to 10 cups of dry sand in a wide container within reach. If the battery ever smokes, sparks, hisses, pops or suddenly puffs up, pour all the sand over it at once. Get out of the room for at least half an hour and stay out until the smoke has gone; open a window or door to air it out. Call the fire service if it keeps burning. Give it half an hour before you touch the iPod, then lift it out with safety glasses on and heat-resistant gloves.
  • Run the battery down and ground yourselfUnless the iPod is hot, smells or acts strangely, and as long as it still plays, let it play until it switches itself off before you open it. A discharged lithium battery is less likely to overheat or catch fire if something damages it. Wear an anti-static wrist strap, or at least touch bare metal first.

Tools

  • Plastic opening tools (two)Each part we sell comes with one plastic pry tool; a second keeps the seam open.
  • Plastic spudgerFor connector latches and for easing the flex cable free.
  • T6 Torx screwdriverFor the six black screws holding the logic board. Not included.
  • Anti-static wrist strap or matThe logic board sits in the open for most of this job.
  • Soft clothProtects the polished steel back and the clear window.
  • FireWire chargerFor the test before you close. USB never charges this iPod.

Step by step

New to opening this iPod? How to open the iPod 3rd Gen (12 steps)

  1. Step 1: Unplug it, switch it off, lock it

    Unplug any cable, then switch the iPod off: press and hold Play/Pause. Slide the Hold switch to locked, so the orange shows, and lay it face up on the cloth.

  2. Step 2: Free the clips

    Angle a plastic opening tool toward the steel back and work it into the seam near the middle of a long side. Release the clips from the middle toward each end, then down the other long side, then the two on the bottom edge. Our opening guide covers every move.

    Plastic tools only, and keep them away from the battery once the case is open.

  3. Step 3: Open it like a book

    Holding both halves together, turn the iPod over so the screen rests on the cloth, with the dock connector pointing away from you. Lift the back half a little to see which side the orange headphone ribbon runs on, then swing it up and over like a book cover, hinged on that side, and lay it flat beside the front half, close enough that the ribbon stays slack.

  4. Step 4: Unplug the headphone ribbon

    The board is coming out, so free this ribbon first. Work a plastic tool in under the connector's base, where it meets the socket on the board, and lift it straight up off its socket. Never pry between the layers of this tall connector, and never pull the ribbon. Unplug it as few times as you can: it wears a little each time. Set the back half aside.

  5. Step 5: Lift out the hard drive

    Note which way up the drive sits, then raise it with one hand. With the other, free its cable at the logic board: lift the connector straight up off its socket at its edge with a fingernail or the spudger; light pressure lets it go. Set the drive down on the cloth.

    Look at the battery now in view. If it smokes, sparks, hisses or pops, pour all the sand over it at once and leave the room (see above). If it is hot or smells, don't touch it: let it cool and contact us. If it is swollen, stop: don't charge it, never press, bend or pierce it, and replace it before you go on (our battery guide shows how).

  6. Step 6: Unplug the battery

    Hold the small white battery plug by its body, not its wires, and lift it straight up off its socket on the board. Keep metal tools away from the battery.

  7. Step 7: Unplug the touch wheel cable at the board

    Find the orange flex cable running from the front panel to the logic board. Raise its latch at the board with the spudger, then slide the cable straight out.

  8. Step 8: Take out the six board screws

    Remove the six black T6 Torx screws that hold the logic board down, and keep them together in a dish.

  9. Step 9: Lift the board out

    Raise the board slowly, minding the battery wires that run under its end. If the screen's orange ribbon still joins the board, raise that connector's latch with the spudger and slide the ribbon out before you lift the board clear. Rest the board on the anti-static mat. Cable only: go on to step 10. Front panel: skip to step 11.

    Never pull the board against a ribbon that is still connected: that can tear the ribbon or its connector.

  10. Step 10: Cable only: swap the touch wheel cable

    Follow the cable to where it joins the front panel and ease that end free with the spudger; if the connector there has a latch, raise it first. Fit the replacement cable the same way round, push it fully into the front panel's connector and lay it along the old one's path. Then go on to step 13.

  11. Step 11: Front panel: move the screen and battery

    If the screen's ribbon is still connected, raise that connector's latch with the spudger and slide the ribbon out. Lift the screen out by its edges and set it into the replacement panel the same way round. Then take the battery from the old panel without bending it or levering it with anything metal (if it doesn't lift out freely, stop: don't pry under it, contact us), and set it in the same spot in the replacement panel, its wires routed as before.

  12. Step 12: Front panel: move the touch wheel cable

    Free the cable from the old panel, raising a latch first if there is one. Plug it into the replacement panel's connector, fully in and the same way round, and route it as before. Look the old panel over for anything you haven't moved.

  13. Step 13: Refit the board

    If you unplugged the screen's ribbon, seat it fully in its connector and close the latch; if that connector is on the board, do it with the board held just above the panel. Lower the board into place with the battery wires running under its end the way they came out, none trapped under the board or a screw, then refit the six T6 screws snugly.

  14. Step 14: Reconnect, touch wheel cable first

    Slide the touch wheel cable squarely and fully into the board's connector and close the latch: after a repair this cable is easy to leave half in. Then press the battery plug straight down into its socket until it is fully in, set the drive back the same way up and press its cable firmly onto the board until it is fully seated (it may click, which is normal), and press the headphone ribbon straight down onto its socket.

  15. Step 15: Line up the Hold slider

    The Hold slider sits in the back half, but the switch it works is a small black nub on the logic board, and the nub has to drop into the slot in the slider. Move the slider until its slot sits in line with the nub, then rest the back half in place without snapping it shut. Holding both halves together, turn the iPod face up.

  16. Step 16: Test every button before you close

    Slide Hold off, so no orange shows, and connect the FireWire charger. If it doesn't start, reset it: slide Hold on and back off, then keep Menu and Play/Pause held down together for 5 to 10 seconds, until the Apple logo comes up.

    Run a finger around the touch wheel, then press the center button and each of the four buttons above the wheel, one at a time. Check the screen and Hold, and play a song. Unplug the charger at the end: it should keep running on its battery. Before you reseat anything: unplug the charger and switch it off (press and hold Play/Pause). Open the case as in steps 2 and 3, lift the drive and unplug its cable at the board (step 5), then unplug the battery (step 6). Reseat the connector, plug the battery back in, then reconnect the drive cable and lay the drive back (step 14).

  17. Step 17: Close it up

    Look along the rim of the steel back and ease any spot that prying bent back into line with your fingers. Check that no ribbon or wire lies across the seam and the Hold slider still meets the nub. Press the halves together and work around the edges until every clip catches. It should close without force; if it won't, open it and look for a caught ribbon or a bent rim.

Close it up and test

  • The wheel scrolls smoothlyAll the way round, in both directions.
  • Every button answersThe center button and all four buttons above the wheel.
  • The screen and Hold workA clear picture, and the lock icon follows the switch.
  • The seam is evenNo gaps at the corners, and the back sits flat.
  • Nothing left overAll six board screws are back in.

If it doesn't work afterwards

Before you reseat anything, power it down
Unplug the charger and switch it off (press and hold Play/Pause). Open the case as in steps 2 and 3, lift the drive and unplug its cable at the board (step 5), then unplug the battery (step 6). Reseat the connector, plug the battery back in, then reconnect the drive cable and lay the drive back (step 14).
The wheel or buttons still don't respond
Power it down as above and reseat the touch wheel cable squarely at the board with the latch closed. If you changed the cable or the panel, also check it is fully in at the front panel end. If a replacement cable doesn't help, the front panel is next; if a replacement cable and panel don't fix it, the logic board is the likely fault. Touch wheel not working
Some buttons work and others don't
A loose or damaged touch wheel cable can stop the wheel, the buttons, or both. Reseat it first (power down as above). iPod buttons not working
A lock shows and nothing responds
That points to the headphone ribbon keeping it on Hold, not to the wheel. Check that Hold is off; then power it down as above, press the ribbon fully onto its socket and line the Hold slider up with the nub. Hold switch not working
The screen is dark, white or lined
The screen's ribbon may not be fully in, or its latch may be open. Power it down as above and reseat it. Lines on the screen
It won't turn on
Give it time on FireWire power and reset it. Still dead? Power it down as above and check that the battery plug is fully in. Not working after a repair
Folder icon or sad face
The drive cable may not be fully in at the board, or the drive went back the wrong way round. Power it down as above and reseat it. iPod folder icon

Questions

Is the touch wheel part of the front panel?

Yes. On the 3rd Gen the touch wheel, the center button and the four touch buttons are built into the white front panel, and our replacement panel comes with all of them. The cable that links them to the logic board is a separate part.

Does the front panel fit my capacity?

It fits every 3rd Gen, 10GB to 40GB, thin case or thick. It doesn't fit the 4th Gen or the 1st and 2nd Gen iPods: their front panels are laid out differently.

How do I know which cable I have?

The touch wheel cable carries Apple's number 632-0219-A printed on the flex. It is a different part from the hard drive's ribbon.

Can scratches on the window be removed?

Light scuffs on the plastic window can often be polished out. A cracked or deeply scratched window needs a replacement front panel.

Can you do it for me?

Yes. Choose We Fix It on the part page and mail your iPod in. We fit it and send it back, usually within 3 to 5 business days, with a 1-year limited warranty. Since this fault is rare, we suggest a free repair quote first.