Nonfunctional iPod

Hyperfreak · #1 10-19-2009, 02:38 PM

Hey guys, I figure since most people here are music and gear geeks, someone might have had this problem before.

I've got a 5th gen iPod video. I dropped it today (it was in a soft case, but obviously still took a shock) and now it won't turn on. I can't even get it to actually turn on the screen, to show me an error, or anything. Even when plugged in.

I opened it up, checked the ribbon connections, checked the battery, checked the hard drive connection. There are no visible missing chips, and nothing rattled or fell out when I opened it.

Physically, it looks perfect. I figure something might well just have been knocked out of place, but I don't know what.

If deemed necessary, will post pics of the inside later tonight; football game at school until late tonight.

Thanks!

Hyperfreak · #2 10-19-2009, 02:44 PM

I should mention, I also checked the screen. I know it works.

Thunderscreech · #3 10-19-2009, 04:02 PM

Have you plugged it in to your computer yet?

hover · #4 10-19-2009, 04:45 PM

did the "hold" button on top engage? if it did, it won't turn on. Easily overlooked.

Jimmy Bones · #5 10-19-2009, 05:02 PM

iPods traditionally have battery issues before any other kind.

Might be time for a new one.

Thunderscreech · #6 10-19-2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hover

did the "hold" button on top engage? if it did, it won't turn on. Easily overlooked.

This this this.

Hyperfreak · #7 10-19-2009, 09:17 PM

Tried all of that already. Sorry guys.

The computer doesn't even react to the iPod being plugged into four different ports including a hub, two back ports and a front port with two different iPod cables.

Thunderscreech · #8 10-19-2009, 09:18 PM

does it respond when plugged into a wall charger?

NJL · #9 10-19-2009, 11:35 PM

i'm assuming if it has a hard drive in it, it may have been damaged.

PhatBasstard · #10 10-20-2009, 12:00 AM

Probably not it, but have you tried the "full" reset?

Push the hold slider (at the top) to the red and back 2 times, leaving it in each position about 1 second. Stop at the non-red (non-hold) position.

Next, at the wheel, push "Menu" and the center dot position at the same time and hold for about 3-5 seconds. Release.

If it works the apple symbol will appear (maybe lit or unlit) on the screen while it is re-booting itself.

Hope this works for you.

T-Bird · #11 10-20-2009, 12:12 AM

Hi.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhatBasstard

Probably not it, but have you tried the "full" reset?

Push the hold slider (at the top) to the red and back 2 times, leaving it in each position about 1 second. Stop at the non-red (non-hold) position.

Next, at the wheel, push "Menu" and the center dot position at the same time and hold for about 3-5 seconds. Release.

If it works the apple symbol will appear (maybe lit or unlit) on the screen while it is re-booting itself.

Hope this works for you.

+1. This has resurrected more iPods than anything else I've tried.

There's quite a few things that can be loose though. 5th gen's have tiniest ribbons, but replacing modules is still possible.

Check the battery voltage first to see if there's any charge (or continuity at least). Charge if necessary.

If it's a HDD model, try disconnecting the HDD. That should eliminate HDD problems.

Regards
Sam

Hyperfreak · #12 11-24-2009, 11:14 AM

I picked this thing up today after weeks of inactivity. I removed the hard drive, firmly pressed down on all the components, detached the battery from the adhesive and pressed the cables firmly against the battery's side, and plugged it in. It gave me a "very low battery" screen, the first time the screen has displayed anything since I dropped the thing. We'll see how it turns out.

Thank you all for all your help.

RickenBoogie · #13 11-24-2009, 11:28 AM

I paid $400 for an Ipod touch for my wife. It lasted a year, and crapped out. Can't be fixed, must be replaced. Screw that, they get no more money from me. Better stuff is coming, Apple can bite me.

rarisgod · #14 11-24-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJL

i'm assuming if it has a hard drive in it, it may have been damaged.

The 5th Gen iPod video (and still the iPod Classic, I believe) contains a hard drive. Dropping it would have damaged it. Whether it is repairable or not, I'm not sure...

The new iPod Nanos as well as any new iPod besides the Classic contain Flash memory now, which will not be damaged if dropped.

Hyperfreak · #15 11-24-2009, 01:05 PM

Well, I moved up to a new tier of problems: "Battery very low" message that lasts infinitely. Tried a few fixes online to no avail, disconnected the HDD, and now I'm back to square one with not being able to get anything to show up at all, HDD in or out.

Hyperfreak · #16 11-24-2009, 01:17 PM

Okay, back to Tier 2. With no HDD, it will display the apple logo, backlight a sad face, then goes to "Please Wait, battery very low"

Febs · #17 11-24-2009, 01:50 PM

There is a bug in the Apple firmware that causes the player to think that the battery is very low after a full shutdown, even if it has a charge. Since the Apple firmware usually puts the player to sleep rather than shutting down completely, this issue doesn't come up very often.

Try the reset combination:

-flip the hold switch on and then off
-press and hold the Menu button and the center button simultaneously for up to 30 seconds.

If that doesn't work, charge it for a long time (three hours or more) and then try the reset combination again.

Bob Clayton · #18 11-24-2009, 03:21 PM

have you tried taking it to the apple store?

My name is Mudd · #19 11-24-2009, 07:59 PM

Have you tried, after the reset sequence, connecting it to iTunes and using the 'return to default' setting on the iPod page/tab/thingy? I revived a thought-to-be-dead 1st-gen Nano that way.

Georynn · #20 11-25-2009, 12:06 AM

#1 There is a diagnostic in Itunes (under help, just follow the instructions) that will check for problems and things. If it fails to find an Ipod connected, this is likely your system board failing.

#2 There is also a built in diagnostic tool on the Ipod as well. First you'll need to do a hard reset. Press menu (up on the wheel) and select(center button) for ten seconds to do it. Then you have to get into the diagnostic. Just hold the center button (select) and the left side button (previous track) for ten seconds to access the diagnostic tool. if it still wont even get into this, it is likely your system board has failed.

#3 The hard drives on these are the heaviest component in the device, and not actually secured, physically, to anything inside the metal chassis Its just suspended, and held in place by a few rubber cushions and foam. Sometimes when they are dropped, the hard drive smacks against the two little transformers at the bottom of the main board on either side of the back of the dock port, and knocks them off (sometimes not completely off, but just hanging on by some adhesive). This may cause an intermittent connection between the system board and the transformers, and it may only have enough power to barely boot, since it doesn't have the full charging capacity, and its certainly not enough power to charge the battery.

Any of these things will only be solved by swapping the system board.

Swapping a system board in one of these is a tedious, but not impossible task (link on how to do it http://www.ipodhowtovideo.com/video/...placement.html), and will at least get you to the point where you can use the diagnostics to tell if something else is bad in the unit.

If you look on e-bay there are several shops that sell the replacement system boards for less than 70 bucks. I have a bag full of parts for these exact units (including harddrives and main boards), if you need some other parts, PM me and I can fix you up, or I'll trade some bass gear for services/parts, if money is an issue.