Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

13

Time Required

                          20 - 45 minutes

Sections

4

  • Rear Panel
  • 4 steps
  • Hard Drive
  • 1 step
  • Hard Drive Cable
  • 3 steps
  • Logic Board
  • 5 steps

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Introduction

What you need

Step 1

              Rear Panel
  • Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position. The orange bar should be visible, indicating hold is active.

Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position. The orange bar should be visible, indicating hold is active.

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Step 2

  • Insert an opening pick as far as possible into the seam between the plastic front and the metal rear panel, on the right edge of the iPod.
  • You may need to rock the pick back and forth to slide it in farther.
  • Use the opening pick to pry up against the plastic front panel and release five retaining tabs (seen in the third photo).
  • Slide the pick along the edge of the iPod and continue prying to release the rest of the retaining tabs.
  • After all five tabs along the right side are free, the case should easily open.

Insert an opening pick as far as possible into the seam between the plastic front and the metal rear panel, on the right edge of the iPod.

You may need to rock the pick back and forth to slide it in farther.

Use the opening pick to pry up against the plastic front panel and release five retaining tabs (seen in the third photo).

Slide the pick along the edge of the iPod and continue prying to release the rest of the retaining tabs.

After all five tabs along the right side are free, the case should easily open.

Step 3

  • The iPod case is now open, but don’t separate the two halves just yet. There is still an orange ribbon cable connecting the headphone jack to the logic board.
  • Open the case like a book with the dock connector edge at the top, and lay the rear panel next to the front half of the iPod.

The iPod case is now open, but don’t separate the two halves just yet. There is still an orange ribbon cable connecting the headphone jack to the logic board.

Open the case like a book with the dock connector edge at the top, and lay the rear panel next to the front half of the iPod.

Step 4

  • Use a plastic tool or your fingernails to carefully disconnect the orange headphone jack cable. Be sure to pull straight up on the connector, not the cable itself.
  • This ribbon cable is very fragile. If you are replacing the battery, you can choose to skip this step and keep the headphone jack connected to the motherboard. Prop and tape the rear case against a box to keep it in place. Be very careful not to strain the fragile headphone jack cable as you work.

Use a plastic tool or your fingernails to carefully disconnect the orange headphone jack cable. Be sure to pull straight up on the connector, not the cable itself.

This ribbon cable is very fragile. If you are replacing the battery, you can choose to skip this step and keep the headphone jack connected to the motherboard. Prop and tape the rear case against a box to keep it in place. Be very careful not to strain the fragile headphone jack cable as you work.

Step 5

              Hard Drive
  • Grasp the hard drive with one hand and carefully disconnect the orange ribbon cable from the hard drive using your other hand.
  • If the cable doesn’t come free easily, it may be helpful to gently wiggle the cable from side to side.

Grasp the hard drive with one hand and carefully disconnect the orange ribbon cable from the hard drive using your other hand.

If the cable doesn’t come free easily, it may be helpful to gently wiggle the cable from side to side.

Step 6

              Hard Drive Cable
  • Peel up the black adhesive strip covering the hard drive ribbon cable.

Peel up the black adhesive strip covering the hard drive ribbon cable.

Step 7

  • Use the tip of your finger or a spudger to carefully flip up the black connector securing the hard drive cable to the logic board. Note that the black retaining clip flips 90 degrees toward vertical, in the direction of the cable.

Use the tip of your finger or a spudger to carefully flip up the black connector securing the hard drive cable to the logic board. Note that the black retaining clip flips 90 degrees toward vertical, in the direction of the cable.

Step 8

  • Pull the orange hard drive cable directly out of its connector.

Pull the orange hard drive cable directly out of its connector.

Step 9

              Logic Board
  • Carefully disconnect the white battery connector from the logic board. Be sure to pull only on the connector itself and not on the cables.

Carefully disconnect the white battery connector from the logic board. Be sure to pull only on the connector itself and not on the cables.

Step 10

  • Use a spudger to flip up the black retaining bars securing the display and click wheel connectors to the logic board.
  • If you have an iPod Photo, the display connector (to the right of the picture) is located more centrally on the logic board.

Use a spudger to flip up the black retaining bars securing the display and click wheel connectors to the logic board.

If you have an iPod Photo, the display connector (to the right of the picture) is located more centrally on the logic board.

Step 11

  • Remove the 6 black T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the front panel.
  • If you have an iPod Photo, there will only be 5 screws, as there is no screw in the top right corner of the iPod.

Remove the 6 black T6 Torx screws securing the logic board to the front panel.

If you have an iPod Photo, there will only be 5 screws, as there is no screw in the top right corner of the iPod.

Step 12

  • Slide the orange click wheel ribbon cable out of its connector. You must unlock this connector before sliding the ribbon cable out. The locking mechanism is on the opposite side of where the cable is inserted - it swivels upwards 90 degrees. Use a plastic spudger to lift the locking mechanism.

Slide the orange click wheel ribbon cable out of its connector. You must unlock this connector before sliding the ribbon cable out. The locking mechanism is on the opposite side of where the cable is inserted - it swivels upwards 90 degrees. Use a plastic spudger to lift the locking mechanism.

Step 13

  • Carefully lift up the large end of the logic board and disconnect the display connector.
  • Lift the logic board out of the iPod.

Carefully lift up the large end of the logic board and disconnect the display connector.

Lift the logic board out of the iPod.

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

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                    iRobot

Member since: 09/24/2009

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mulddae - Jul 7, 2016

Reply

what’s the differece between 20G logic board and 40G logic board? I have changed hard drive into CF card and now I have to change logic board..

EVGENY BRENER - Jan 31, 2018

So there’s the difference between 20gb and 40gb logic board? I’ve changed 20gb HDD to new 40gb HDD and now Can’t get to work my ipod! So what to do?

hgabriel_93 - Jan 25, 2020

Reply

No idea if anyone will respond to this but here goes: Okay so I just want to know if you can repair the part where you attach the screen cable to the logic board, that part suddenly came off and was wondering if there’s a way to reattach that part back onto the logic board so the display can show up??