The surgery went well!

Mijn probleem

My geriatric 160g "thick" iPod battery finally flat lined. It was touch-and-go for awhile having to be hooked up to the wall to sustain the life of my beloved 'pod. Years worth of tunes & books were waiting to be accessed. But wait! New batteries are available for a do-it-yourself implant. Tightwads rejoice!

Mijn oplossing

Day of the surgery. Correct new battery - check. Tools required - check. Installation guide available - check. The separation of the iPod halves proved to be a rather arduous task. The plastic 'opening tools' were somewhat helpful to get the seam open, however, the putty knife proved to be the instrument that achieved the best results of easing the halves apart. Due to budget cuts the metal spudger was unavailable, so a small screw driver was substituted and it proved to be just what the doctor ordered in order to release the tab at the top of the iPod. This was a bit of a tricky step because the opening was quite tight and it was hard to see where the tab was. Once this step was completed, the halves began to separate much easier. The small screw driver also proved helpful for gently lifting the clip to remove the electronic ribbon holding the old battery in place. Removing the battery was simple. Inserting the new battery ribbon into its connector was a little tricky because it was not bent to form around the drive case. Lightly bending it to mirror the shape of the old battery ribbon made insertion easier. Correcting any wows or bends in the outer casing was done without too much struggle. And ensuring the bent tabs were gently pushed back into place was completed with the small screw driver. A double check to ensure all steps were done properly and then the back casing was slowly snapped back into place. Power on...?? YES! All is working as it should. Wha-hoo! The surgery took about 40 mins because I had to hunt down a replacement for the spudger.

Mijn advies

Ye ole putty knife putty worked wonders for wedging and teasing the halves apart. And who the heck has a metal spudger? A small screw driver can be used in place of this spudger as it worked well for disengaging the single clip on the top of the iPod, unfastening the ribbon clips, as well as re-bending the tabs back into place. The spudger, or said replacement, should be listed at the start under "tools required". Take your time and be gentle while prying apart the halves as it will prevent a poor fit when putting thing back together. The steps shown were clear and concise. Thank you iFixit.