Replace the battery in an iPod Mini 6GB
Posted March 9, 2009 – 8:14 pm
My iPod Mini battery had been fading for a while. I love the device, but it just wasn’t usable anymore when it wasn’t plugged in.
Courtesy of Ho John Lee
I went online and found a couple of iPod Mini battery replacement videos and they laid out exactly how to do, what tools were needed, and how long it would take.
I had understood the batteries to be sealed and irreplaceable, but then I heard that with a little effort you could put in a new battery yourself for, like, $10 to cover the cost of the battery.
The battery replacement process looked reasonably easy and it was. Once you organize your workspace, get the right tools, and have the replacement battery on hand, it takes 10-15 minutes or so.
Rather than me describe the process, it is easiest to watch somebody do it. I found this iPod Mini battery replacement video quite good, but there are numerous others. In this one, the fellow has clearly done it before, so you shouldn’t expect it to be so smooth, but the process is just as he explains and he highlights the main sticking points in his voice overlay.
Couple points that I would make:
- I found it easier to pry off the plastic top and bottom when I stuck 2 things under it, if you know what I mean. In other words, I pryed up one part, then with another tool, I inched down a little bit and pryed up that bit – and so forth. Since the thing wants to restick pretty badly, this double prying technique worked more effectively than a single point. I did not use a hair dryer prior as he suggests – the plastic bit came off pretty quick, so seemed unnecessary. It also restuck pretty strongly, too (you should be careful not to touch the sticky parts too much or you may create a problem).
- The little metal clip at the bottom is a bit tricky to get in / out. Study how it is set in there for a second before you pop it out. It will help you understand how to get it back in. As he suggests in the video, it goes into a groove and you need to do one side and then the other vs. pushing straight down on it.
The only thing he doesn’t really talk enough about is what tools you need. Many iPod replacement batteries come with a tool or two. For me, I just used a set of small jeweler’s type screwdrivers that I had and a retractable razor blade-type paint scraper. A good light for your workspace helps, too.
I used the razor blade scraper to get started with prying off the plastic end caps (once the prying was underway, I switched to a couple flathead screwdrivers). You also need a tiny philip’s head screwdriver to remove the 2 screws he mentions. Be careful with the screws! They are very small and quite easy to lose. I stuck them to a piece of scotch tape so they wouldn’t go anywhere.
Overall, I found the process to be pretty straightforward.
In terms of the actual replacement battery itself. You can find them on Amazon.com or on eBay for $10 or less. There are a million for sale and, I think, most will do the job. The one I bought was from Powersmart, if that’s any help. And I noticed that a goodly number of people complain about their replacement battery being slightly larger than the original. So maybe this is a possible issue to watch for in user comments.
But again, the process is relatively easy and now my iPod Mini is back in business!
