Repair guide · iPod 3rd Gen

iPod 3rd Gen screen replacement

  • DifficultyModerate
  • Time30 to 45 minutes
  • Steps16
  • SolderingNone
Quick answer

This guide covers the iPod 3rd Gen sold in 2003 and 2004 (model A1040, 10GB to 40GB), with the touch wheel and four touch buttons. Its screen is a 2-inch monochrome LCD with the backlight built in, and the same screen fits every capacity, thin case or thick. It sits in the front panel underneath the logic board, so the board has to come out: six small T6 Torx screws and a few connectors, and no soldering. If only the clear window is cracked and the picture is fine, you need a front panel instead. Set aside 30 to 45 minutes.

Before you start

  • Make sure it's the screenCracked clear window over a good picture: that's the front panel, not the screen. Dark screen on an iPod that still plays or syncs: the screen or its cable, so reseat the cable first; you reach it with the logic board lifted (steps 1 to 9). Went dark after getting wet: the logic board is more likely, so look for corrosion at the screen's connector before you order.
  • 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 downUnless the iPod is hot, smells or acts strangely, 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.
  • Ground yourselfStatic can kill the logic board. Wear an anti-static wrist strap, or at least touch bare metal first, and keep the replacement screen in its bag until you fit it.

Tools

  • Plastic opening tools (two)Our screen comes with one plastic pry tool; a second keeps the seam open.
  • Plastic spudgerFor lifting connector latches and easing cables out.
  • T6 Torx screwdriverTurns the six black screws that hold the logic board. Not included with the part.
  • Anti-static wrist strap or matThe logic board is out in the open for this job.
  • Soft clothProtects the polished steel back and the clear window. Rest the logic board on the anti-static mat, not on the cloth.
  • FireWire chargerFor the test before you close. USB syncs this iPod but never charges it.

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

    Find the orange flex cable that runs 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. Keep them together in a dish so none ends up loose inside the iPod.

  9. Step 9: Lift the board and free the screen's ribbon

    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.

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

  10. Step 10: Take out the old screen

    If the screen's ribbon is still connected, raise that connector's latch with the spudger and slide the ribbon out. Then lift the screen out of the front panel by its edges, without pressing on its face. Check the clear window while it's open to view: if it is cracked or deeply scratched, that's the front panel, which our touch wheel and front panel guide covers.

  11. Step 11: Seat the replacement screen

    Set the replacement screen into the front panel the same way round as the old one, with its ribbon lying where the old ribbon lay. Keep fingerprints off its face.

  12. Step 12: Refit the board and reconnect the screen

    Seat the screen's ribbon 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.

  13. Step 13: Reconnect everything else

    Slide the touch wheel cable squarely into its connector and close the latch. 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 as it goes in, which is normal. Then press the headphone ribbon straight down onto its socket. A connector that is only part of the way in can leave the iPod dead or half-working.

  14. Step 14: 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.

  15. Step 15: Test 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.

    The picture should be sharp and evenly lit; press and hold Menu to turn the backlight on. Press lightly on the front: lines that come and go point to the screen's ribbon. Then try the touch wheel and buttons 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 13).

  16. Step 16: 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 picture is clearNo lines, no white screen, no dark patches.
  • The backlight comes onPress and hold Menu (or choose Backlight from the main menu): the screen should light up evenly.
  • Everything else worksTouch wheel, center button, the four buttons, Hold, sound and charging.
  • 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 13).
White, flickering or lined screen
A screen ribbon that isn't fully in, or a latch left open, can do this. Power it down as above, reach the ribbon with the board lifted (steps 1 to 9) and reseat it squarely with the latch closed. Lines on the screen
The screen stays dark but it plays
Check the screen's ribbon and latch first (power down as above). If you can just make out the menu under a bright light, the backlight isn't working: reseat the ribbon, since a damaged or loose cable is often the cause. The backlight is part of the screen, so if that doesn't help, the screen is at fault. iPod black screen
The replacement screen shows the same fault
If the ribbon is seated and a replacement screen still shows the problem, the logic board is the likely fault. A free repair quote tells you what it involves. Free repair quote
The touch wheel or buttons don't respond
The touch wheel cable is easy to leave half in. Power it down as above, then seat it squarely and close its latch. Touch wheel not working
It's stuck on Hold
The headphone ribbon, which also carries Hold, may not be fully in, or the slider missed the nub. Power it down as above, press the ribbon straight down and line the slider up again. Hold switch not working
It won't turn on
Give it time on FireWire power (USB won't charge it) and reset it. Still dead? Power it down as above and check 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

Which screen fits my iPod 3rd Gen?

The same one for every capacity, 10GB to 40GB, thin case or thick: a 2-inch monochrome LCD, 160 by 128 pixels, with its white backlight built in.

The window is cracked but the picture is fine. Do I need a screen?

No. The clear window is part of the white front panel, not the screen, so a replacement front panel fixes it. Light scuffs on the window can often be polished out.

Is the backlight a separate part?

No. It is built into the screen, so a failed backlight means a replacement screen.

Do I need to solder anything?

No. The screen connects with a ribbon, and the board is held by screws.

Can you do it for me?

Yes. Choose We Fix It on the screen page and mail your iPod in. We fit the screen and send it back, usually within 3 to 5 business days, with a 1-year limited warranty.