Repair guide · iPod Video 5th Gen
iPod Video 5th Gen back panel replacement
On the iPod Video 5th Gen, the back panel is the polished metal rear case, and the plastic dock bezel around the charging port is screwed into its bottom edge. This guide covers both, for the 2005 model and the Late 2006 5.5 Gen, all model A1136. A new back arrives empty: the battery, the headphone jack assembly (with the Hold switch) and the dock bezel all move across from the old one, so plan on more than swapping a cover. Order the back for your case depth, thin 30GB or thick 60GB and 80GB; the two thick backs differ only in the capacity engraved on them. Just replacing the dock bezel? Do steps 1 to 3, then step 9 (fitting the replacement bezel into the same back), then steps 12 to 14. Keep the screwdriver well clear of the battery there; if it's in the way, lift the battery off first (step 4) and refit it (step 11).
Which back fits?
Measure the depth instead of reading the engraving: lay a ruler against the edge, and the thick case is about 3 mm deeper. Every iPod Video reads A1136, and a back swapped in by an earlier owner can carry another capacity. A thick back on a thin 30GB build is not a fix, and a thin back over thick parts presses the screen against the parts inside and can damage it for good. Going from thin to thick means a thick back plus a thick battery, a thick headphone jack assembly and drive bumpers to match, all together. Bought the back with the headphone jack and battery already fitted? Skip steps 4 to 7 and 10 to 11. Your old battery then stays on the old back: recycle it as in the last finish check. Not sure which you have? Identify your iPod
Before you start
- Check for a swollen batteryDark marks on the screen, a screen that lifts or bows, or a bulging case usually mean the battery is swelling (a seam that opens on its own is more often bent clips). If so, unplug it, stop charging it and replace the battery rather than clamping a new back over it (our battery guide shows how, and how to recycle the old one). Never press, bend or pierce it. If the iPod is very hot or smells, don't open it: unplug it, put it on a non-flammable surface away from anything that can burn, keep dry sand close, let it cool and contact us.
- Make sure it's the backA new back fixes scratches, dents and a bent back. A gap at the seam is usually bent clips inside the back, and sometimes a swelling battery: rule that out first. A back panel won't fix charging, sound or storage faults.
- Run the battery downIf there's no sign of swelling, play the iPod until the battery icon is nearly empty (these iPods show no percentage): the battery comes off the back in this repair, and a cell with little charge left is less dangerous if a tool slips.
- Bench and staticA hard, non-flammable surface with the cloth or anti-static mat, and dry sand within reach. Wear the wrist strap or touch bare metal first. If the battery smokes, sparks, hisses, pops or suddenly puffs up, cover it with all the sand at once, then get out of the room and air it out; stay away for 30 minutes. If it's still burning or you can't smother it, call the fire service.
Tools
- Plastic opening tools (two or three)One comes with the part. A second keeps the seam open as you work.
- Thin plastic picksFor releasing the clips along the seam.
- Angled tweezers or a small plastic toolFor the ribbon latches and the tape. With metal tips, keep clear of the battery ribbon's contacts.
- Plastic spudgerLifts the battery off the old back. Never pry the battery with metal.
- Phillips #00 screwdriverFor the headphone jack assembly and the dock bezel.
- Small dish for screwsKeep each screw with the spot it came from: they aren't all the same.
- Anti-static wrist strap or matProtects the logic board while the case is open.
- Soft clothKeeps the new polished back from picking up scratches while you work.
Step by step
New to opening this iPod? How to open an iPod Video 5th Gen (12 steps)
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Step 1: Open the case
Unplug any cable, then switch the iPod off and slide Hold to locked. Free the clips with plastic tools: both long sides, then the top (shallow beside the Hold switch, where the screen sits close), then the bottom. Raise the back only about an inch, since two ribbons still join the halves. Our guide to opening the iPod Video covers this in detail.
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Step 2: Unplug the battery
Find the battery's orange ribbon where it plugs into the logic board toward the bottom end. Raise its small brown latch straight up by 1 to 2 mm, evenly at both ends, and slide the ribbon out.
Never push that latch sideways or pull it off: the connector can lift off the board, and our fix for that is a replacement logic board.
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Step 3: Free the old back
Lift the hard drive by its edges and tip it back toward the bottom end, supporting it so it never hangs by its ribbon. Under it is the headphone jack ribbon's connector: flip its brown tab up (it swings about 90 degrees) and slide the ribbon out. Lower the drive into place and lay the old back polished side down.
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Step 4: Lift the battery off
The thin orange Hold ribbon runs under the battery. Hold the back flat, slide the plastic spudger under the battery at its top edge and lift slowly until the adhesive gives. Lift from that edge only: peeling it from the side tears the ribbon. Set the battery aside on the cloth. If it is swelling, lift it in a well-ventilated room, never pressing on it.
Nothing metal under the battery, and don't bend it. If the battery smokes, sparks, hisses, pops or suddenly puffs up, cover it with all the sand at once, then get out of the room and air it out; stay away for 30 minutes. If it's still burning or you can't smother it, call the fire service.
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Step 5: Loosen the headphone jack assembly
Peel up the tape that holds its orange ribbons to the back. The flex is lightly glued too: ease it up slowly, because those ribbons tear easily.
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Step 6: Unscrew it
Remove the small Phillips screws that hold the assembly: usually four, two beside the jack and two at the Hold switch. Keep them in order in the dish.
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Step 7: Lift it out
Lift the Hold switch out of its housing, slide the jack out of its opening, and lift the assembly free. Keep it flat and away from the bench edge.
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Step 8: Check the new back's clips
Before anything goes into the new back, look along its inside rim: the clips should all stand straight and in line. Ease any that are out of line back gently.
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Step 9: Move the dock bezel
The plastic dock bezel sits in the bottom edge of the back, held by small screws. Take those out and lift the bezel free. Fit it (or a replacement bezel shaped for your case depth) into the new back the same way round, or back into the same back if you're only changing the bezel. Refit its screws snugly, not tight.
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Step 10: Fit the headphone jack assembly
Slide the jack into the new back's opening, set the Hold switch into its housing, with the two small posts on its back seated in the matching holes of the metal backing, and refit the screws in the holes they came from: snug, not tight, because the small posts strip easily. Lay the ribbons flat along the same path as before and press the tape down over them.
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Step 11: Fit the battery
Look the battery over first: if it is bent, dented, punctured, creased or puffy, don't refit it; fit a new battery and recycle the old one. Otherwise set it in the old one's place on the new back, its ribbon routed the same way as before, and press it down by its edges. Check it doesn't trap or kink the headphone jack ribbons.
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Step 12: Reconnect both ribbons
Bring the back alongside the front, the way it lay beside the front after you separated them, so the headphone jack ribbon reaches its connector. Tip the drive back (support it), slide the ribbon fully into its connector and press the brown tab down. Lay the drive flat, bumpers on. Then, with its latch raised, push the battery ribbon fully in (only a thin line of contacts showing) and press the latch down.
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Step 13: Test it before you close it
Rest the back loosely on the front, hold the two together and turn it face up. Plug the charger's dock cable in first: it should go in straight, with the bezel flush and nothing pinched. Slide Hold off and check the screen, the scroll ring and each of the five buttons, slide Hold on and off, and play a song through headphones. Then unplug the charger and check it keeps running on its battery.
If anything is wrong, switch it off, unplug the charger and release the battery ribbon before you reseat a ribbon; the battery ribbon goes back in last.
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Step 14: Close it up
Check the drive lies flat and no ribbon crosses the seam, then press the back on until every clip clicks in.
If it only closes when you squeeze hard, stop. A back of the wrong depth, a part sitting too high, a pinched ribbon or a swelling battery is in the way.
Close it up and test
- The seam is even all roundNo gap along either side, and the front doesn't lift at a corner.
- The bezel sits flushA dock or charging cable goes in straight and sits firmly.
- Everything worksScreen, scroll ring and buttons, Hold switch, headphone sound and charging, and it runs with the charger unplugged.
- Recycle a replaced batteryIf you fitted a new battery, or bought the back with one already on it, deal with the old one safely. Tape over its contacts or seal it in a bag, and take it to a battery drop-off or hazardous-waste collection; never put it in household trash or the curbside recycling bin. Until then, keep a swollen or damaged one on a non-flammable surface (or in the sand container), away from anything that can burn.
If it doesn't work afterwards
- A gap along one side
- Usually a clip bent out of line. Switch it off, unplug any charger, open it and release the battery ribbon, then the headphone jack ribbon, so the back comes free. Ease the clip back gently with a small flat screwdriver, on the clip only, keeping the tool off the battery and the ribbons. Reconnect as in step 12, then close it again. If the gap is at the top, check the battery isn't swelling.
- It stays on Hold, or there's no sound
- Switch it off, unplug any charger, open it and release the battery ribbon, then reseat the headphone jack ribbon with its tab pressed down; battery ribbon back in last. If the Hold ribbon tore while the battery came off, a replacement headphone jack assembly (it includes the Hold switch) is the fix. iPod Video headphone jack and Hold switch
- It won't turn on
- Check Hold is off and give it time on a charger. Then unplug the charger, open it and check the battery ribbon: fully in, latch down. Not working after a repair
- The dock cable won't go in straight
- The bezel may be the wrong shape for your case depth or not seated. Switch it off, unplug any cable, open it and release the battery ribbon, then refit the bezel (step 9); battery ribbon back in last. If the connector inside is damaged, it belongs to the logic board, and our fix is a replacement board. iPod won't charge
- It gets very hot or smells
- Unplug it and don't open it again. Leave it shut on a non-flammable surface away from anything that can burn, and contact us. If it starts to smoke, spark, hiss or puff up, use the sand as in the bench setup above. After a repair, a pinched ribbon or a part pressing on the board can cause it.
Questions
Does the new back come with the headphone jack?
No. The back panel arrives bare, so you move your headphone jack assembly across, or fit a replacement one for your case depth if yours is damaged.
Will a 60GB back fit my 80GB iPod Video?
Yes. The 60GB and 80GB backs are the same depth; only the engraved capacity differs, so pick the one you want to read.
Can I put a thick back on my 30GB?
Not on its own. A thick back also needs a thick battery, a thick headphone jack assembly and the bumpers for the drive you fit; a thick back on a thin build by itself isn't a fix, and the case must close without pressure.
Can I fit a new battery at the same time?
Yes. The battery comes off the back anyway, so fitting a new one in its place adds no extra steps. Match it to your case depth.
Will a stock back fit a U2 iPod Video?
Yes, the thin 30GB back fits, but it carries the standard engraving instead of the U2's band signatures.
Can you do it for me?
Yes. Choose We Fix It on the back's page and mail your iPod in. We fit it and send it back, typically within 3 to 5 business days on our bench, with a 1-year limited warranty.