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These are a few my recent iPod repair experiences.
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I got a call from Laura in Bel Marin Keys, California.
She is Noah's sister who had his iPod fixed by me a few months ago. This is the story about his 6th Gen repair.
She also had a cracked screen on her 5th Gen video iPod she needed repaired and called to arrange an appointment. She stopped by later that day on the way to her Kaiser Health Plan doctor's appointment.
The appointment took an hour and I had the iPod ready for when she got through.
The screen was $33 and labor was $40. All of her music was still intact and the
iPod played perfectly. Two happy family members!
Fixed - Total cost $73.
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Alex Loria works as a personal banker at the Fountain Grove Office of Wells Fargo
Bank... you know the bank that never got crazy and started buying Consolidated Debt Obligation instruments... the smart one...!
His son cracked the LCD on his Sony Play Station Portable. Alex decided he would try to do the LCD replacement himself. Like many 'civilians' that get involved in a repair, he didn't have the right tools to unfasten the screws holding the device together so he stripped many of those and then didn't mark where they went, ultimately loosing several.
The LCD screen for the PSP has two ribbon cables. One a 40 pin connection provides all the data that paints to the screen. The other is a 4 conductor ribbon that is responsible providing the power to the backlight of the LCD.
While he did okay in removing and re-seating the 40 pin connection, he made an error on the 4 pin trace ribbon. I described the problem this way in the email I sent about it.
"Okay, I just finished making my best efforts on the PSP. This was a challenging evening.
There is one SIZABLE problem which is tore off the cinch locking lever for the four conductor ribbon connection. Because of this it will never positive contact across these four connections.
As it happens those four contacts are the ones that drive the LCD backlight. Pin 1 is negative voltage (cathode) for the white LED backlight. Pins 2 and 3 are no contact so there is a spread of space between the four. Pin four is the positive voltage (anode) for the LED backlight.
Here's the interesting thing.... the device probably works and data is probably going to the LCD screen successfully, and the data is being 'painted' to the screen properly. You just can't and never will see the data on the screen with the failed backlight connections.
It is time to replace this one.
Yes, it really is 12:45am
Frank"
Here are shots of the PSP, notice the brown cinch locking is okay on the 40 pin connection and missing on the 4 pin version. Once these tiny locking levers are removed, cracked or bent they will never work again and the entire logic board has to be scrapped because the only fix would be to desolder and re-solder a new jack down which is impossible since their miniscule size requires the board to be wave flow soldered.
I refunded Alex $25 of the $50 labor rate I charge for working on PSP's
This is a shot of the interior
This is both of the ribbon connections. Notice the 'openness' of the 4 conductor one on the right since it's locking lever is missing.
This is a detail of the 4 conductor ribbon. There is nothing to hold and press the pins into contact with the ribbon traces.
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Robert Campion lives in Alameda, California
and found me through the internet. He was charmed by the narratives I have of previous iPod and other electronic repair customers I have written about and put up on the site... and now he joins them.
He sent in his 32GB iPod Touch with a letter that read,
"I love your site and have been reading the recovery stories all night. So mine is most likely a spilled water bottle in a gym bag. The curious thing is that the iPod Touch still functions with the exception of the backlight. If I hold the iPod Touch up to the light I can see the screen but it is faint, Of course this is not really 'functioning' but it has some function. Especially since you cannot watch any videos or use any apps. So I am here in Oakland but thought I might send it to you.
This happened a while ago and my biggest worry is that I didn't act sooner. I never exposed it to heat or the dreaded hairdryer but I seal it in desiccant.
Thank you for this site, whether the recovery is successful or not I am glad to know of your services. I wish I had known sooner and plan to spread the word. Seems like everyone knows someone with this issue or similar issue."
Robert's was not one I could make a difference at. I took it apart and worked through its
problems but the LCD backlight wouldn't fluoresce. I replaced the LCD and that didn't make a
difference either so the logic board had some permanent water damage. I sent it back with a $30 refund of the $60 Touch fee.
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I'm in Sonoma County... Northern California wine country.
If you live nearby, are traveling through or live in the San Francisco Bay Area bring your iPod to me and I can do the work while you wait or go wine tasting for a while. Send me an
email just to make sure I have on hand whatever parts your repair will require.
Call or email me
with questions or to set up a repair. You can also call, I am here most days from 8am to 8pm
Toll Free 1-877-IPOD-PRO (1 - 877 - 476-3776)
Send the device to:
Frank Walburg
2145 Service Court
Santa Rosa, Ca 95403-3139
Methods of payment
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